How prepared for you after leaving your EMT course?

[patzyboi]

How prepared for you in terms of testing, certification, and ultimately, the real thing?

I felt that I didn't learn a lot in my EMT course, and I felt like I struggled on national. Although a lot of the material I actually had to study and learn (not review) online or from the book. A lot of the material was not covered in class, and I felt like I guessed some pretty good answers on national lol.

And for the real thing, I havent got there yet.

 

[NYMedic828]

Honest answer, EMT courses are next to worthless as far as preparing you with any form of knowledge you need to be successful.

Almost every EMT I know that has any legitimate medical knowledge learned so on their own (paramedics too sadly).

Sorry to be discouraging but that is how I see it. EMT classes are a course on taking vital signs and scene safety/patient movement.

 

[titmouse]

I feel like I learned a lot at school. MDC has one of the hardest curriculum in the country but again hands on experience is another world when it comes to experience.

 

[VFlutter]

I feel like I learned a lot at school. MDC has one of the hardest curriculum in the country but again hands on experience is another world when it comes to experience.

Care to post a link to the syllabus or something describing the curriculum?

 

[CritterNurse]

When I got out, I felt like I had a good foundation. But then again, I had a 3yr vet. tech degree and license, and had spent the previous 2 years volunteering with my local volunteer EMS. So I had a pretty good idea of what went on before I took the course.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

I fealt like I had a good foundation to build on, but there is so much more to being an EMT that you cant learn in the classroom. Having a good FTO and then a decent partner goes a long way in taking the skills you learned in school and fitting in all the other county/system knowledge.

 

[ToyotaTruck]

The course I took was private, and my class was class #1 for the program so we were defiantly guinea pigs. When I actually got out into the field I had to learn quite a few things by trial by fire. I will say you dont learn to be an EMT until you work as an EMT.

 

[mycrofft]

Let's say then that you would be comfortable working with people who never took a course so they could learn everything on the job?
Just a hypothetical.

 

[Aprz]

Other than teaching me vital signs, I do not feel like they prepared me.

I attended a 72 hour long First Responder class (prerequisite for EMT at Chabot College in Hayward, CA), 118 hour EMT program at San Jose City College in San Jose, CA. I occasionally showed up for Chabot's EMT program which was about 150 hours I believe (I can't remember exactly how long now). The concept of interfacility transport (IFT) was never once mentioned. Everything was an emergency. After this, you're going to work on an ambulance with a paramedic that responds to 911 calls. If weren't for EMTLife, I would have been a fool believed that the companies I applied for actually responded to 911 calls. At Chabot College, we used a gurney twice (once for doing CPR on a gurney while moving it around campus and to learn how to take it out and put it into the ambulance). At San Jose City College, we didn't learn how to use a gurney at all.

It's not hard, but it's not exactly what you sign up for.

I'd like to see EMT programs here at least spend one day going over type of calls IFT respond to, what procedure the patient will go through, and documentation. At both EMT programs, they mentioned the protocols a million times, but they never went over hospital locations, capability, main streets, and where can I find the protocols and policies for my county.

I think this would be easy to implement, and would better prepare EMT students in my area.

 

[mycrofft]

A little less culture shock then? Ditto nursing college.

Back in Bedrock (EMT class at Omaha's Metro Tech, 1977) we went to class except for one night of auto extrication intro only and one day's ride along (I rode in St Mary's mobile ICU which was ferrying linens, then saw two cases in the ER, both interesting even today), no registry. It brought green people up to speed somewhat, but OJT was and is still very necessary.

 

[9D4]

I would say I feel class prepared me pretty decently. I got to take mine through a school district in Arizona that pays for select students to go to CTE (career and technical education) programs through out the state. Programs ranged from aviation to EMT to dental hygienist to mechanic and all their programs seem thorough. Since they are a real school district funded by taxes the state holds their classes to a really high level; such as my EMT class being 310 hours instead of the normal state mandated 170 or something like that.
A lot of that was hands on and they brought in skills instructors all the time to go through scenarios with us to prepare for the psychomotor portion of NREMT. Only one person failed a section during that test, then passed it 30 minutes later when they retook it.
They also have the highest NREMT pass rate in the greater Phoenix area (I believe they said it was over 80% on their first try for the class before us).
But, I won't know for sure until I take it next week
Edit: Although I would have to say I disagree with them removing clinicals for our class.

 

[Aprz]

I kinda feel like it's fraud every time somebody says they have one of the highest passing NREMT rate, or they are the best program around, etc. Seems like every program does that.

 

[9D4]

I kinda feel like it's fraud every time somebody says they have one of the highest passing NREMT rate, or they are the best program around, etc. Seems like every program does that.

I would tend to agree, but our program director put a lot of weight on that.
It is true, though; every school says that. I took their word for it and can't find any stats to back it up.
But you would have to agree that a student that was in class for 300+ hours versus 170 would be a lot better prepared; wouldn't you?

 

[VFlutter]

I kinda feel like it's fraud every time somebody says they have one of the highest passing NREMT rate, or they are the best program around, etc. Seems like every program does that.

My nursing school prides itself on haveing the highest first attempt NCLEX pass rate in the state (100% the past few classes). What they do not mention is the high attrition rate. They have ridiculous grading standards and require a high score on an NCLEX predictor test senior year to pass. So basically they only pass those who have almost a guarantee of passing. Many of those who did not pass the class most likely would have passed NCLEX but the school doesn't want possibly ruin the statistics.

Bottom line take high passing scores with a grain of salt when picking a program. Does the NREMT publish pass rates per program? The NCLEX publishes the number of students and how many students passed from each program each semester. 100% pass rate could be 8/8 or 30/30

 

[9D4]

My nursing school prides itself on haveing the highest first attempt NCLEX pass rate in the state (100% the past few classes). What they do not mention is the high attrition rate. They have ridiculous grading standards and require a high score on an NCLEX predictor test senior year to pass. So basically they only pass those who have almost a guarantee of passing. Many of those who did not pass the class most likely would have passed NCLEX but the school doesn't want possibly ruin the statistics.

Bottom line take high passing scores with a grain of salt when picking a program. Does the NREMT publish pass rates per program? The NCLEX publishes the number of students and how many students passed from each program each semester. 100% pass rate could be 8/8 or 30/30

Supposedly you can only get them from the state EMS official- so long as you work for the state. They're supposed to distribute them to the program directors, but that's the only way to get them. They say it per state on nremt, but that's it. Doesn't break it down further.
We also had a pretty high attrition rate, though. 6 out of 20 students got dropped.

 

[titmouse]

Care to post a link to the syllabus or something describing the curriculum?

let me see if I can get it

 

[titmouse]

cant find it

 

[Hunter]

cant find it

No offense MDC's curriculum is just as difficult as everyone elses, the reason it's "harder" is because the teachers kinda make you sink or swim. Big classes, little individual attention. Keep up or fail.

 

[NYMedic828]

My nursing school prides itself on haveing the highest first attempt NCLEX pass rate in the state (100% the past few classes). What they do not mention is the high attrition rate. They have ridiculous grading standards and require a high score on an NCLEX predictor test senior year to pass. So basically they only pass those who have almost a guarantee of passing. Many of those who did not pass the class most likely would have passed NCLEX but the school doesn't want possibly ruin the statistics.

My girlfriend's school does this. Shes in her senior BSN year now and she just took the prep test she scored level II which I think equates to a B?

I see you've changed your education to RN from GN. Congrats on passing

 

[VFlutter]

My girlfriend's school does this. Shes in her senior BSN year now and she just took the prep test she scored level II which I think equates to a B?

I see you've changed your education to RN from GN. Congrats on passing

Not sure what the levels mean. We used HESIs while some schools use ATIs. I scored in the 96th percentile on my first exam which only equaled a 89% in the class

Thank you, I'm glad I got it over with. All my friends are freaking out and studying for weeks before taking it.