Needing solid advice about Boston area EMT-P programs

[CameronStorer]

Hello and greetings to everyone.
My name is Cameron.

I'm an 18 year old male, I just today completed my written exam after my practical of my EMT-B at Boston University. I am completely firm about being an EMT despite having not yet formally worked in the field outside of observation time. I have a GED and I want to help people, what better way than to get into prehospital emergency care. Stigmas aside, I'm already thinking about getting my medic. I have discussed this with a few friends who are in medic school as well, but they are all out of state and cannot help me really when it comes to actual programs themselves.

This June is my Massachusetts practical, followed by the written exam which will culminate in my NREMT-B certification as MA is now a NR state come July 1st 2013, I plan to look for and find a job in the field immediately afterward.

From here, I know I want to go to medic school, I've been looking around and NCTI got really bad reviews online but then again all of the reviews were out of state reviews on their other locations.

I live in the Boston area, Watertown to be exact and I want to know what kind of programs medics on this website from the Boston area have been in, or if there are any recommendations anyone could give me about a solid Boston area program. Full time or part time schooling /1 yr / 2yr doesn't matter to me so much as the quality of the schooling itself.

I'm very firm on becoming a paramedic and working ALS full time as a career, there is something very, very exciting about it to me and I have never felt the kind of learning energy toward anything else in my life.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Meursault]

I know a number of current and former Pro EMS Center For Medics students, and I have yet to hear a bad word about the place from them. Well, other than, "it's expensive", and "oh my god is it hard and it's ruining my life and I need a drink". If I recall right, they're already set up for NREMT-P, too.

That said, I'd advise working for an ambulance service in this area for a few months before you commit to medic school.

 

[CameronStorer]

I know a number of current and former Pro EMS Center For Medics students, and I have yet to hear a bad word about the place from them. Well, other than, "it's expensive", and "oh my god is it hard and it's ruining my life and I need a drink".

I definitely have no preconceptions about it being cheap or easy, so it's what is expected. And yeah I've actually seen some Pro EMS, I should check that out and talk to some of my instructors about it tomorrow (the last day I meet with them).

I plan to, while working as a basic as soon as I can, start to read up and study up on some advanced anatomy and general things other than that directly related to ALS and didactic skills and material of medic school that will really take some strain off me in medic school and I'm hoping these forums as well will help guide me to being super prepared for medic school when the time comes.

I do not plan to squander my opportunity by failing anything once I dish out the money to go to a medic school.

 

[J B]

You're probably already aware of this, but keep in mind the changes to NREMT-P. As of this year, you need to attend an accredited program to be eligible to take the test. This means that if you're going for paramedic in MA, you currently only have 5 options. Search here: http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/

Pro EMS is the only place in the entire state that is nationally accredited at the moment.

4 programs (NCTI in two locations, Springfield college, northern essex community college) have a "letter of review" and apparently also qualify you to take the test, but are not necessarily guaranteed to become accredited.

 

[Medic Tim]

I did some ride time with pro back when I was a medic intern. It was a great experience.

 

[CameronStorer]

You're probably already aware of this, but keep in mind the changes to NREMT-P. As of this year, you need to attend an accredited program to be eligible to take the test. This means that if you're going for paramedic in MA, you currently only have 5 options.

Pro EMS is the only place in the entire state that is nationally accredited at the moment.

4 programs (NCTI in two locations, Springfield college, northern essex community college) have a "letter of review" and apparently also qualify you to take the test, but are not necessarily guaranteed to become accredited.

So I guess it looks like Pro EMS is my best, and only surefire option. I'm going to look into it and try to network with some people who attend it, they will be able to give me a good scoop on it. After giving their website a good long look I'm liking what I see.

I thank everyone here for the help, and since all of my questions were answered I guess if anyone has anything else they'd like to discuss or bring up, feel free, but I'm glad I have an option to really investigate now.

 

[J B]

If you can afford the extra time and money it will take, I would encourage you to consider doing a degree program. I know people will say that "the degree won't help you," and maybe they are right, but I don't think it could be a bad thing.

While having a 2-year degree may not make you any more money than somebody with just a paramedic cert, the degree is a more permanent and universally respected thing. If at some point you decide to do something else with your life, you'll still have that degree you can point to. "I have an associates degree in ____" vs "I used to be certified as a paramedic but I let it expire..."

In this day and age you need a bachelor's degree to work at McDonalds. Simply having a degree in something will likely be a life-long asset. Getting the paramedic cert puts you 2/3's of the way towards getting a degree anyways so you might as well.

Since you have a GED and no college experience, it kind of seems like a no-brainer to me that getting an associate's degree would be a good move.


That's just my thought, anyways. Something to consider.