Orlando Paramedic schools anyone?

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Rebelalliance

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I am halfway through my emt course at OMI, but I'm researching other options for medic after I graduate. Has anyone here heard any good things about First Response Training Group in Orlando? Looks like they have an online hybrid course that I'm interested in. Any feedback is welcome.
 
My only comment to anyone seeking to become a paramedic is do yourself a huge favor. Pursue the degree. It is the future. You will pay less, learn more and have something more useful as the years pass by whether that be through promotion within the department, career transition or even the state pay back bonus for a degree within certain qualifying employers.

Sure, it takes longer, it may seem harder and it does not put you in all the cool stuff right away...but then again, doing things the right way is very rarely fast and easy. The long term rewards though weigh heavy in your favor...it is just too hard for some folks to think beyond this year much less 5 years from now.
 
akflightmedic said:
My only comment to anyone seeking to become a paramedic is do yourself a huge favor. Pursue the degree. It is the future. You will pay less, learn more and have something more useful as the years pass by whether that be through promotion within the department, career transition or even the state pay back bonus for a degree within certain qualifying employers.

Sure, it takes longer, it may seem harder and it does not put you in all the cool stuff right away...but then again, doing things the right way is very rarely fast and easy. The long term rewards though weigh heavy in your favor...it is just too hard for some folks to think beyond this year much less 5 years from now.
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Honestly I did not know one could get a degree in the ems field! I already have my bachelor's in another field, so frankly I am not interested in spending that much more time in school. This is a career change for me.
 
Avoid the private academies. They will promise you all sorts of things to get your money, then fail to come through. In Orlando, Valencia (West campus) has the strongest program. Seminole State college is probably a solid option as well.
The public schools are better funded (so they don't try to squeeze every dime out of you), fully accredited, and once you finish medic you should only need a few classes to get your AA in emergency services (you may not even need anything else).
 
Underoath87 said:
Avoid the private academies. They will promise you all sorts of things to get your money, then fail to come through. In Orlando, Valencia (West campus) has the strongest program. Seminole State college is probably a solid option as well.
The public schools are better funded (so they don't try to squeeze every dime out of you), fully accredited, and once you finish medic you should only need a few classes to get your AA in emergency services (you may not even need anything else).
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I chose OMI for EMT because they have Saturday only classes; Valencia and Seminole do not. I work mon-fri 7-430. Who knows how long I will wait after EMT to get a job, so I prefer the flexible schedule that private schools offer, tho I agree with u that they can be money grubbing at times, I still feel my education there has been worth the money so far.
 
The fact you already have a degree will help you tremendously in pursuit of a degree in EMS. Even if it is a career change, even if you have a workload now...make it work. Or ignore the advice of those who have been there, done that...proceed with your plan and check back with us in a few years and let us know how it is going, what frustrations you have, etc.

"I still feel my education there has been worth the money so far"....said by everyone who attended any program. We all think the program we attend is good or sometimes even the best, until we learn otherwise. Note I did not bash your program, only the train of thought with this statement. It is very subjective, I get that. Give the degree some thought.

Me personally, as both a paramedic and educator for 20+ years now, with a large part of that in central Florida, will not recommend a private school over a community college ever again. It is not always a matter of cost or quality, it is a matter of trying to shift the perception of EMS and improve our own standards. People like me advocating now will never realize the benefits in our career lifetime, but we are doing it for the paramedic generations to come. Otherwise, we will all be stuck in the same old routine, complaining about the same old stuff, yet never doing what needs to be done to effect change.
 
akflightmedic said:
The fact you already have a degree will help you tremendously in pursuit of a degree in EMS. Even if it is a career change, even if you have a workload now...make it work. Or ignore the advice of those who have been there, done that...proceed with your plan and check back with us in a few years and let us know how it is going, what frustrations you have, etc.

"I still feel my education there has been worth the money so far"....said by everyone who attended any program. We all think the program we attend is good or sometimes even the best, until we learn otherwise. Note I did not bash your program, only the train of thought with this statement. It is very subjective, I get that. Give the degree some thought.

Me personally, as both a paramedic and educator for 20+ years now, with a large part of that in central Florida, will not recommend a private school over a community college ever again. It is not always a matter of cost or quality, it is a matter of trying to shift the perception of EMS and improve our own standards. People like me advocating now will never realize the benefits in our career lifetime, but we are doing it for the paramedic generations to come. Otherwise, we will all be stuck in the same old routine, complaining about the same old stuff, yet never doing what needs to be done to effect change.
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Thank you for your advice, I will give it some thought. I will definitely never say any organization is the best... no program is perfect. It really does all come down to the educational facility that will allow me to keep my day job while I learn. Gotta work to eat. If I am able to get a job as an EMT before starting paramedic school, I will have more freedom with schedule, and going to Valencia or Seminole would be an option at that point. Until then however I have to be realistic. Again, thank u for your input.
 
akflightmedic said:
The fact you already have a degree will help you tremendously in pursuit of a degree in EMS. Even if it is a career change, even if you have a workload now...make it work. Or ignore the advice of those who have been there, done that...proceed with your plan and check back with us in a few years and let us know how it is going, what frustrations you have, etc.

"I still feel my education there has been worth the money so far"....said by everyone who attended any program. We all think the program we attend is good or sometimes even the best, until we learn otherwise. Note I did not bash your program, only the train of thought with this statement. It is very subjective, I get that. Give the degree some thought.

Me personally, as both a paramedic and educator for 20+ years now, with a large part of that in central Florida, will not recommend a private school over a community college ever again. It is not always a matter of cost or quality, it is a matter of trying to shift the perception of EMS and improve our own standards. People like me advocating now will never realize the benefits in our career lifetime, but we are doing it for the paramedic generations to come. Otherwise, we will all be stuck in the same old routine, complaining about the same old stuff, yet never doing what needs to be done to effect change.
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That being said, do you have any relatable experience with the particular school in question? Or is your opposition based solely on the fact that it is a private entity?
 
I do, however many people read these forums and I prefer to stay on the side of advocating for an actual degree within our profession in order to raise the level of professionalism within our industry, to eventually raise wages/benefits, and to expand our scope into that of practitioners/clinicians instead of technicians.
 
akflightmedic said:
I do, however many people read these forums and I prefer to stay on the side of advocating for an actual degree within our profession in order to raise the level of professionalism within our industry, to eventually raise wages/benefits, and to expand our scope into that of practitioners/clinicians instead of technicians.
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A noble cause. Doesn't quite help me though. Would still love to hear about your experience if you ever change your mind.
 
I used to work with several guys who went there. They had less desirable clinical sites (FH East) and often didn't even have a preceptor, so they couldn't actually do anything besides take vitals. I had a flight nurse for all my ER clinicals at ORMC.

Mind you, these problems aren't unique to OMI. All these private programs start out strong and ambitious, but they succumb to the same problems as most small businesses with limited backing: equipment breaks, people quit, and product quality/service suffers.
 
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