Universal Careers; 14-day emt boot camp

[beandip4all]

Surprisingly most 2 week programs I am aware of have some of the highest NR pass rates in the nation. As to the skills you learn it is 120 hours of class no matter how many days, weeks, months that you stretch it.

Now I am not saying there are not bad ones, there are some of those just like there are some bad community college ones.

I'm sure there are some good ones out there. Also, I think the two week programs are fine for a certain type of student- the ones who can drink from a firehose. I've heard of people coming back from contract-gigs in Iraq and whatnot to pick up the two-week cert... it's a great deal for people in that type of situation.

However, in my experience- most of the two-weekers in this area are sort of scammy-rip offs that crank out unprepared students. In fact, there was recently an expose on them in SF Weekly about how those type of programs exist mainly to dupe students into taking out federal loans and hence giving easy money to the schools... the students are hand-held by the school admissions advisers through the loan process and teased with promises of a high paying job upon graduation and guaranteed career placement.... then after graduation the students can't find jobs and are stuck with lots of debt.

 

[JPINFV]

So... um... I've figured out what they do. They place EMTs in out of state programs. Through the powers of Google, I was able to find an acceptance letter (which I've sense downloaded and forwarded to Los Angeles LEMSA. I won't post it here since it includes the full name and address for the student, however the address doesn't Google map search to anyplace).

What it looks like they do is place EMTs in out of state training programs. In the case of this letter, they were sending a person from Austin Texas to do an accelerated course in Inidiana. A breakdown of the costs goes:

Registration Fee: $550
Books: $100
Uniform rental: $25
CPR&NREMT Fees: $110
DOJ&Livescan fees: 65 (note: Livescan is California's background check system. How someone in Texas or Indiana is going ot get a Livescan check done, I'm not sure)
Service Charge: $55
Student Tuition Recovery Fund: $10
Textbook S&H: $20
Room, Board, Breakfast & Kitchen: $517.50
Resume Writing: $600
Job Placement Assistance: $1500
Administration Tuition: $3092.50
Out of State Prep Fee: $100
Pelham Training Center: $1500 (which is list price on Pelham's website)
Travel Credit: $300
Total $8545.00

But, they'll give you a work study grant for $3000, so it only costs you $5545. I hope that $1500 job placement assistance and $600 resume writing assistance is helpful.

On a side note, the letter keeps talking about "Universal Careers School of Medicine." Medical education is a relatively small community and, while medical students may not be able to name all 200 or so schools (MD and DO combined) off the top of our heads, we pretty much have heard all of the schools names at least once. There is no "Universal Careers School of Medicine" in the US.

 

[bigjs20]

Wow thanks sooo much.....I just gotta figure out what to do next.
I'm gonna report them to the Better Business Bureau, something doesn't feel right.....maybe I'll try to find them in belleveu, seeing as it's less than an hour and half drive from where I live.
I'm also gonna change my bank info.....does anyone have any other recommendations?

P.S. at the bottom of the websites page is "enrollment" which has you enter in your info, while on the phone with the recruiter.

 

[JPINFV]

Does anyone know if CAAS's icon is trademarked? After all, I don't think Universal Carrers Ambulance is actually CAAS accredited. Oopsie.

 

[Foxbat]

Total $8545.00

That's more than my university charges a semester (15 weeks, full-time, in-state undergrads).
Not to mention it charges $5,700-$12,300 (depending on residency) for the entire medic program. EMT program is $125.

 

[JPINFV]

So LA LEMSA contacted them and got them to update their site to clearly state that they do all their training in Indiana. I guess it's a small step, it's just too bad that people fall for this junk. You can easilyfind a cheaper EMT course than a $1,500 course that you end up flying to.

 

[TransportJockey]

I love this "testimonial" specifically:

"I've lost my job 6 months ago and I just couldn’t find any work. I knew there were a lot of federal jobs available in my area for EMT and paramedics but I didn't have the license to apply. I heard about Universal Career's 14 day emergency medical technician training through a friend and I was a little worried about learning everything in 14 days, but I gotta say, the instructors at Universal Careers really made everything easy to understand. Universal Careers can really make it happen…. Their instructors are extremely experienced and although it’s a rough program, I loved it. I was trained and ready to take my state license in only 14 days. It was unbelievable. I’m currently employed as a emergency medical technician and I owe it all to Universal Careers."

Also, they are gonna certify me to work in 50 states?!? Yipee!

Actually, to work on federal property (ie bases) all you need is NREMT. No state cert is required if you are only working in a VA hospital or on a base.

 

[Aidey]

Does anyone know if CAAS's icon is trademarked? After all, I don't think Universal Carrers Ambulance is actually CAAS accredited. Oopsie.

That photo is horribly photoshopped. You would think they would at least attempt to make it look real.

 

[EMS/LEO505]

Wow, I'm surprised anyone would fall for this haha

 

[JPINFV]

Wow, I'm surprised anyone would fall for this haha

Yea, I feel bad for people who fall for this, but it looks perfectly "legit" (as legit as you can get for charging $2100 for resume and hunting for an EMT job) and legal.

 

[medicRob]

Actually, to work on federal property (ie bases) all you need is NREMT. No state cert is required if you are only working in a VA hospital or on a base.

I had heard about that, but I am not all that familiar with how the NREMT works within the military, aside from the well-known programs like the Para rescue jumpers, etc.

 

[JPINFV]

I've never been in the military, but even I can imagine the gigantic facepalm the recruiter is going to do when someone walks in and says, "Well, I'm here for the medic position. I've got me EMT cert through Universal Careers School of Medicine!"

 

[TransportJockey]

I had heard about that, but I am not all that familiar with how the NREMT works within the military, aside from the well-known programs like the Para rescue jumpers, etc.

PJs are trained to NREMT-P at Kirtland AFB NM by the UNM EMSA. Army medics are trained to NREMT-B level plus they add in lots of ALS type trauma skills. Navy Corpsman are trained similar to Army medics (NREMT-B plus skills).

And the NREMT cert to work on fed installations also counts for civilians working for the govt. I applied at several bases, including in FL, in states that my NREMT-I/85 cert would not be accepted by the state that the base is located in.

Not to mention that NREMT is what the overseas contractors all use as well.

 

[jjesusfreak01]

Have a friend about to start in the para-rescue program. I'll let him know what he's up against.

 

[Paramaybe]

Have a friend about to start in the para-rescue program. I'll let him know what he's up against.

Tell him good luck!

I heard the pipeline for PJ's is one of the most difficult in all of the Military. It's like a two year deal.

http://www.afsoc.af.mil/specialtactics/pjtraining.asp

I wish that was something I would of considered when I was younger.

 

[emt seeking first job]

I just logged on to post a thread about this place.....

I did not even call them, is it me or was the website a giveaway, all the stock photos.......wtf?

Has anyone gone to this program?

 

[emt seeking first job]

As they are listed as being in Los Angeles, I just sent the following email to the LA LEMSA's contact person for EMS training programs.

"Hello Ms. Reich,

I am a current Southern California medical student who has worked as an EMT in the past and currently stay active on various online message boards. Recently a poster requested information regarding an EMT training program called “Universal Careers” (http://www.universalcareers.org/). According to their website, the contact number zip code is the 213 area code and their head quarters is in Los Angeles, however no location was given for where they actually hold their courses. They are not currently listed on the Los Angeles LEMSA website’s list of approved training programs. Various Craigslist advertisements shows them advertising locally, at a minimum, in Florida and Texas (linked below), however on a Google search, an expired Craigslist Ad appears for Monterey and Fresno. Additionally, on their “review” page, several reviews are credited to people in California. According to the poster (link below), the accelerated EMT course is $8000 with a $450 enrollment fee where they send a package of CDs and books. Since the contact number and listed headquarters is in Los Angeles, I was wondering if you had heard anything about this, to use the term loosely, “company” and, since the entire website all but screams “Fraud!” know who to forward this to?

Thank you for your time,
[redacted]

Links:
Forum thread link: http://emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=20171
Company website: http://www.universalcareers.org/
Company review page: http://www.universalcareers.org/reviews.php
Craigslist advertisement for Florida: http://orlando.craigslist.org/cls/1971334849.html (notice the advertisement billing the course as “14 Day Medical School”)
Craigslist advertisement for Houston: http://houston.craigslist.org/vnn/1977879166.html
"

Good job.

I would also suggest cutting and pasting that same text in a report on ripoffreport.com so when people search for the school, they will fins that, google spiders that website

 

[EMS/LEO505]

I did not even call them, is it me or was the website a giveaway, all the stock photos.......wtf?

Has anyone gone to this program?

I sure hope not... if they have, they shouldn't be allowed to drive haha

 

[JPINFV]

I did not even call them, is it me or was the website a giveaway, all the stock photos.......wtf?

Has anyone gone to this program?

They don't actually run the EMT class. A program in Indiana runs the course, this company just fills the seats and offers "help" with resumes and job placement.

 

[rwik123]

Tell him good luck!

I heard the pipeline for PJ's is one of the most difficult in all of the Military. It's like a two year deal.

http://www.afsoc.af.mil/specialtactics/pjtraining.asp

I wish that was something I would of considered when I was younger.

Yeah it is has the highest or one of the highest attrition rates in the armed forces.

If I'm correct, alot of army medics now opt for nremt-p certs after medic school