about halfway Into my second semester of paramedic when corona hit. From there, my Paramedic II was put on hold as they didn't know what they were going to do about it. For TWO MONTHS our instructors communicated through email and said do these few pre-tests and watch these videos. In TWO MONTHS that was the only thing, we were told to do. No zoom meetings, nothing. After two months, we started meeting on zoom to discuss how the completion of the course would go about. After that, we did about two weeks of ALMS and PALS for the certifications that were required. We did about one week of lecture, and then for months all we did was catch up with Paramedic II with test after test after test. Having had two months of basically doing nothing for the course, we were so far behind that immediately following finishing the Paramedic II schedule, we immediately jumped into a test after test after test for Paramedic III. The amount of lecture received via zoom was nonexistent rather than maybe 3-4 class sessions for the entire Paramedic II and we received no lecture for Paramedic III.
I hammered the test book as much as i could and prepared for chapters 45-52 test on Tuesday, reviewed airway and cardiology on Wed for the rough fisdap tests, and then on Thursday took a final or some other test such as comp or whatever. Every week consisted of this. Me getting on zoom and taking tests. I was not taught anything, i taught myself how to be a paramedic. We stopped any sort of review before tests due to someone trying to cheat or something like that, we werent ever given specifics but it was mentioned so the whole class was punished by discontinuing reviews or study guides.
To make up the countless hours of labs, we had two weeks of simulations on campus towards the end, that was nothing more than a simple review of basically EMT skills nothing that required me to actually use my knowledge as a paramedic which counted towards "patient contacts"
We were then allowed during the very end to take up some shifts in clinical time as it just opened up. a WHOPPING 72 hours that i did on the fire dept where the most exciting thing I did was treat a woman who started to seize on me.
So counting the Paramedic II and III hours combined, there's something of almost 600 hours of clinical field time that i would have had..... and since it hit before i started my paramedic II clinical i did 72 hours rather than 600.
Yes, 72 hours, when I should have had 600 hours of experience. Not to mention the hours of labs that were hammered out in 2 weeks and called good enough. That scares the **** out of me.
.
Some might say I got lucky and out of a lot of work, but I just really feel like I got screwed over big time. All the course was worried about was finishing on the deadline rather than extending the course date to properly do hours. I'm going to be spending a bit of money for some hefty review materials before i even apply for a job. Since i paid 12,000 dollars for this uselesss education that was ran so poorly i wrote a long email to the collage asking for a refund and how the sylabus hours i purchased did not even come close to what i paid for. They wrote back and basically said screw you, its your fault you shouldve asked for help along the way more. Sorry, i was too busy hammering the books every damn day teaching myself how to be a paramedic so i could become a master at answering multiple choice questions.
Yes, i did pass the course.
Anyway just thought id share my experience. I appologize to anyone who actually put in all the hours and worked hard for their completion of the course, i cannot say the same about myself and i did not choose this. i also have the NREMT psychomotor coming up in a few days and if anyone has any resources to help me read 12 leads i would love that because i heard they throw 12 leads at you but guess what.... WE NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT A 12 LEAD THE ENTIRE THING NOPE NOTHING.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE.
I hammered the test book as much as i could and prepared for chapters 45-52 test on Tuesday, reviewed airway and cardiology on Wed for the rough fisdap tests, and then on Thursday took a final or some other test such as comp or whatever. Every week consisted of this. Me getting on zoom and taking tests. I was not taught anything, i taught myself how to be a paramedic. We stopped any sort of review before tests due to someone trying to cheat or something like that, we werent ever given specifics but it was mentioned so the whole class was punished by discontinuing reviews or study guides.
To make up the countless hours of labs, we had two weeks of simulations on campus towards the end, that was nothing more than a simple review of basically EMT skills nothing that required me to actually use my knowledge as a paramedic which counted towards "patient contacts"
We were then allowed during the very end to take up some shifts in clinical time as it just opened up. a WHOPPING 72 hours that i did on the fire dept where the most exciting thing I did was treat a woman who started to seize on me.
So counting the Paramedic II and III hours combined, there's something of almost 600 hours of clinical field time that i would have had..... and since it hit before i started my paramedic II clinical i did 72 hours rather than 600.
Yes, 72 hours, when I should have had 600 hours of experience. Not to mention the hours of labs that were hammered out in 2 weeks and called good enough. That scares the **** out of me.
.
Some might say I got lucky and out of a lot of work, but I just really feel like I got screwed over big time. All the course was worried about was finishing on the deadline rather than extending the course date to properly do hours. I'm going to be spending a bit of money for some hefty review materials before i even apply for a job. Since i paid 12,000 dollars for this uselesss education that was ran so poorly i wrote a long email to the collage asking for a refund and how the sylabus hours i purchased did not even come close to what i paid for. They wrote back and basically said screw you, its your fault you shouldve asked for help along the way more. Sorry, i was too busy hammering the books every damn day teaching myself how to be a paramedic so i could become a master at answering multiple choice questions.
Yes, i did pass the course.
Anyway just thought id share my experience. I appologize to anyone who actually put in all the hours and worked hard for their completion of the course, i cannot say the same about myself and i did not choose this. i also have the NREMT psychomotor coming up in a few days and if anyone has any resources to help me read 12 leads i would love that because i heard they throw 12 leads at you but guess what.... WE NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT A 12 LEAD THE ENTIRE THING NOPE NOTHING.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE.
