I'm bumping an old thread, but seeing as how you guys actually have attended this program I'd like to ask a question.
Did 10 days seem like an inadequate amount of time to learn skills. Did you feel inadequately prepared for clinical or field time?
Yes - it does/did. It will be the HARDEST 10 days of your life. They are long, and stressful so you have to show up ready to roll. The year you put in of didactic/learning all comes to the surface - they can tell who worked and who cruised. I absolutely felt prepared for my internships, had no issues with getting through my hours, and passed my registry on first try. They utilize a CAPSTONE event, where you have to take two other final written exams prior to internship, and the second one is prior to NREMT called the HESI. That exam was harder then the NREMT. So most of us smoked the NR.
Be prepared there is another trip to Mass at the very end you will have to do for your final exams, case presentation to the Medical Director, and National Registry skills day & written. Make sure you save your $$!
You will have class twice a week, they monitor your attendance. The virtual classroom is awesome, there is a board the instructor can draw on, ect...show slides, and even show videos. It was no different then sitting in a classroom. We often wore headsets, and worked on teams instructor would give us scenarios, ECG strips, and we would have to answer. So its live interaction. You ALWAYS have email/phone access to your primary instructor. Your grades are posted as soon as they are graded too which is awesome. You will have assignments, quizzes weekly, and a final module exam at the end of each module. These exams/quizzes are timed, and are monitored closely, and some are fill in the blank (especially all of your ECG strip tests). We had to make drug cards for every drug out there too, so you get the full works.
My class started with probably 51 people, 25 made it through didactic to the skills portion, and only 13 of us graduated to move onto clinicals.
I couldn't even tell you how many of us are actually working functioning Paramedics, as the attrition rate increases further for folks in field internship, everyone knows its not an easy feat no matter how awesome you did in school.
I highly recommend this program to anyone that works full time, it allows you to still be able to have your job/life (somewhat LOL).....and it will by far exceed your expectations. UCLA Paramedic Program additionally rolled out their hybrid program that is similar if Mass is too far for you to travel. Worth looking into. Like the other graduate said above "be ready to work your tail off".
