Hi im a new guy with lots of questions, go figure LOL

[kermit]

Hi, I'm planning to stat classes for EMT-B as soon as possible.My wife and I have been married for 13 years and have two boys 9 and 12. I have been driving a truck for way too long because there's not too much to do around here. I have passed a few wrecks lately that were so recent the dust hadn't settled and couldn't get stopped in time to help. If I did, an 18 wheeler parked near the scene might have caused a worse wreck. To keep from rambling further, I have decided I want to be an EMT. I made 26,000 this year and worked 94 to 100 hours a week and was away from home 4 to 6 days with most weekends cut short. I have a huge bladder and a twisted sense of humor, not too fat to climb or lift I'm prior service (Army) and in the process of working off some of this trucker fat and looking for a way to start school immediately.

I found a on line course at trainingdivision.com you do the first part on line 10 to 12 weeks and then go to Crowley Tx for hands on and clinicals. I was wanting some input on doing the classes online. Will they be honored as much in the REAL WORLD as a community college? My deal is I don't want to wait till spring semester. I can start right away and go to Ft Worth area in may for 14 days and then ,if I have too pick up EMT intermediate in the spring at the local community college.

Some of my friends say I'm crazy for wanting to be a EMT and they may be right. If you analyze it far enough you can find lots of reasons Not to be a EMT or join the Army or anything else for that matter. Ive got my head set to do this and guess I am looking for some good advice and positive encouragement on this career change. (deep sigh) thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[EmtTravis]

Well first off let me say welcome to the forum. Now about your question. I honestly don't think an online course would be advisable. Alot of the information that we learn is class you should have a face to face instruction for. I know you say you will go to tx for your hands on and clinical time but that's not everything that you will need to learn. I went to a college for my classes and it was even hard at times and im a fairly smart guy. I don't think I would of been able to pass my license test if I would have went to school online. But I am sure there are more knowledgeable people on the site that will be able to give you more information. But whatever you decide to do I wish you luck.

 

[zzrider]

I'm in a similar situation: middle-aged guy with a wife and kids, looking at EMT as a career change. Spent the last 20 years in IT, got laid-off, and having no luck finding another job. Can't say I'm disappointed though because I was about ready to kill myself if I had to keep sitting on my *** and stare at a computer monitor for 10 hours a day.

Anyway, I'm taking the EMT-B class at a traditional local EMS training academy (classroom). I don't have a problem with online education in general, but I wouldn't want to do this EMT class online. It's actually a lot harder than I was expecting and the live, hands-on classwork is well worth it and critical to the learning experience, IMO. (This from an engineer with a BS degree)

 

[Don Gwinn]

Seems like a bad idea to me . . . and if you have time to travel for your clinicals and such, there's probably way for you to take the course through a local community college or in-house with a local volunteer service.

The course I'm taking is being instructed by the head of EMS at a hospital about an hour from my home. She's doing it for the benefit of a small volunteer fire department in a small town about halfway between my home and her larger town (it's nearly a city!) because they just got rocked with several retirements in one year. I and a couple of others from my local service got in on it by word of mouth. The only way to find out about these kinds of courses is by word of mouth, in my experience. I usually find out about them a couple of weeks after they begin.
Good luck!

 

[kermit]

I know what zzrider means about the job making you feeling like jumping from a bridge. That's part of the reason I'm in such a hurry. I have drove a truck 18 yrs off and on, but never 4 years in a row , this long of a stay has got me at the brink. I used to get a job cutting wood or at a local sawmill just to break the chain of horror,but those jobs are long gone with the recession.

I had the idea of taking our tax refund and paying the bills up for the next year.
YAH we live poor... then knocking this on line school out and having 5 months bill free to hunt a job. BUT...........I talked to the instructor at the local college and decided that you guys were right about the on line course. I believe I would be cheating myself of having time to soak up all the training rather than memorize ,regurgitate then forget which is what I tend to do when the information starts flying like bullets. also theirs the issue of changing my Texas CERT for Arkansas to work at home.If I understood correctly that would mean teasing twice on both state and national levels. Plus the local course will cost me a grand and I will end up spending 1,700 for the online course and motel stay in Texas for 14 days food gas the list goes on.
I'm still going pay the bills and quit this 4 hours a day sleep and 600 miles a day insanity.get some yard work done while I wait for classes in Aug but then that will only leave me one month bill free to get a EMT job,WISH ME LUCK OH ya and thank you all for the replies..GOD speed!!

 

[Don Gwinn]

I don't know what it's like in your area, but the course I'm taking through the local volunteer bunch costs the price of the textbook, and that's it. We're doing six hours every Sunday from January through June. I could not afford to do it for $1000 myself . . . but then, I'm only working this job as a volunteer. I gather that's not very popular on this forum, but without volunteers my little town would be screwed.