InsidiousStealth
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good way to stay sharp on your skills though...looks great on a resume too
What happened to AHASTI?
- Thread starter RielHalfbreed
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good way to stay sharp on your skills though...looks great on a resume too
fortsmithman
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CMA only gave it a 2 year accreditation as opposed to a 6 year accreditation. This indicates to me that CMA still has some problems with the AHASTI program. CMA only accredits EMT/PCP and EMT-P/ACP programs they do not accredit EMR programs for that you would require approval from ACoP. As with all education programs if students can't learn from the teacher then the teacher cannot teach. It doesn't matter if the course is EMS related or related to another course of studies such as business administration. Some People just can teach. Ryan those that don't have it in them to teach may be outstanding in their fields. Teaching requires something special that some people don't have.
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fortsmithman
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I noticed Ryan that your training is listed as EMT-A, ACoP dropped the a few years ago. Here is the link to the registry page of the ACoP site showing the A has been in fact dropped.
http://www.collegeofparamedics.org/pages/Registration/default.aspx
http://www.collegeofparamedics.org/pages/Registration/default.aspx
InsidiousStealth
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CMA only gave it a 2 year accreditation as opposed to a 6 year accreditation. This indicates to me that CMA still has some problems with the AHASTI program.
Yup thats the conclusion I came to as well when I was researching with my mom. Professional Medic Associates and SAIT are the only places in calgary with 6 year accreditations and the rest such as Flatline, AHASTI, etc only have 2 year ones which was why I chose Sait....
Yup thats the conclusion I came to as well when I was researching with my mom. Professional Medic Associates and SAIT are the only places in calgary with 6 year accreditations and the rest such as Flatline, AHASTI, etc only have 2 year ones which was why I chose Sait....
fortsmithman
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If you want to practice in another jurisdiction then you need to have graduated from a CMA accredited program.
fortsmithman
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I wonder what it would be like if we just got rid of EMR and EMT and just did Paramedic. MDs don't have to be PAs and RNs don't have to be LPNs so why is EMS different why is it. As well Paramedic should be a 4 year Bachelors degree and not 2 year program as it is now. This would be in line with a growing number of medical/public safety careers.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the posts. I just wanted to clear up a couple of comments made. Yes Dan is still one of our instructors, we offer several courses at different locations and we are expanding our instructor base, which is why we have a posting out right now. It is not uncommon for a school to have more than one instructor.
We do currently have a two year accreditation with CMA. It is very common to start with two years, as CMA often requires things to be fixed or reviewed in order to upgrade a school to a six year accreditation. However, to be accredited shows how close to their final standard we are. The accreditation process is very long, and is broken into several phases, which is why we were pending for so long as we went through the first phases. Please also keep in mind that the only requirement for an Alberta program is that you are approved by ACP, CMA is really only used for students that plan to move outside of Alberta with their training. Some schools are also older than others, which would also explain the reasoning why some have 6 year, some two and some none. This is not sketchy, just the way it is.
We do have accelerated programs here, and as mentioned by others, they are not for everyone. We understand everyone learns differently, and at different paces, which is why we try to be as up front as possible about what the expectations of the courses. We do offer the EMR as part time and full time, currently we offer EMT only as full time.
The content we teach for EMR and EMT is the scope of practice, right from AOCPs, NOCPs, and Gap. We don't teach above it and what ACP chooses to test on is up to them, but we have to ensure our students are ready for everything (or as close as we can get them).
There are several great schools in Calgary (and Alberta as a whole), each one teaches to the same end result/goals, they just provide it in different methods, schedules etc. As with every industry, you can not make everyone happy, we try, but it isn't possible. We just ask that you are providing facts and not just starting the rumor mill.
As always, in any education/career choice, do your research, choose what works best for you, and what will help you be most successful.
If you have questions or have feedback for us, feel free to ask or let us know. We do honestly take it into consideration and make adjustments where needed. We all try to help you as best as possible here, and will be honest with our answers.
I hope you all have a great summer!
Thanks for all the posts. I just wanted to clear up a couple of comments made. Yes Dan is still one of our instructors, we offer several courses at different locations and we are expanding our instructor base, which is why we have a posting out right now. It is not uncommon for a school to have more than one instructor.
We do currently have a two year accreditation with CMA. It is very common to start with two years, as CMA often requires things to be fixed or reviewed in order to upgrade a school to a six year accreditation. However, to be accredited shows how close to their final standard we are. The accreditation process is very long, and is broken into several phases, which is why we were pending for so long as we went through the first phases. Please also keep in mind that the only requirement for an Alberta program is that you are approved by ACP, CMA is really only used for students that plan to move outside of Alberta with their training. Some schools are also older than others, which would also explain the reasoning why some have 6 year, some two and some none. This is not sketchy, just the way it is.
We do have accelerated programs here, and as mentioned by others, they are not for everyone. We understand everyone learns differently, and at different paces, which is why we try to be as up front as possible about what the expectations of the courses. We do offer the EMR as part time and full time, currently we offer EMT only as full time.
The content we teach for EMR and EMT is the scope of practice, right from AOCPs, NOCPs, and Gap. We don't teach above it and what ACP chooses to test on is up to them, but we have to ensure our students are ready for everything (or as close as we can get them).
There are several great schools in Calgary (and Alberta as a whole), each one teaches to the same end result/goals, they just provide it in different methods, schedules etc. As with every industry, you can not make everyone happy, we try, but it isn't possible. We just ask that you are providing facts and not just starting the rumor mill.
As always, in any education/career choice, do your research, choose what works best for you, and what will help you be most successful.
If you have questions or have feedback for us, feel free to ask or let us know. We do honestly take it into consideration and make adjustments where needed. We all try to help you as best as possible here, and will be honest with our answers.
I hope you all have a great summer!
OP
OP
RielHalfbreed
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FSM: Medicine Hat College offers a Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences in Paramedicine with only an EMR pre-requisite.
fortsmithman
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I just checked the Medicine Hat College web site and EMR is not a requirement to attend. It is a pre req i you choose the transfer route to enter. Thet have the following entry paths taken from the web site.
http://www.mhc.ab.ca/ProgramsandCourses/Academic Programs/Programs of Study/Paramedic.aspx
High School
Overall average of at least 60% and a minimum mark of 50% in
ELA 30-1
Biology 30
Pure Math 30
Grade 12 five credit subject (Chemistry 30 is recommended)
Mature Route
This route is applicable if you are 21 years of age or older and have qualifications that do not satisfy other admission routes. You must submit a letter detailing how your work, life, or other educational experiences would contribute to your success in the program. A limited number of seats are available in the route.
Transfer Route
Previous post-secondary coursework may be considered for admission. Successful completion of a PCP/EMT or EMR program may qualify you for consideration under this admission route.
Academic Transition Plan (ATP)
If you do not possess all of the admission requirements, the Academic Transition Plan (ATP) may provide conditional acceptance to this program, provided space is available. ATP is individualized to meet your needs.
Pre-Professional Requirements
After being admitted into the program, you must provide
proof of current CPR with any one of the following CPR certificates:
Heart & Stroke Heartsaver AED (C)
Canadian Red Cross Level B
St. John Ambulance Level C
Standard First Aid Certificate
A recent Police Information Check (within two months) prior to the first day of classes. Periodic Police Information Checks may be required prior to practicum and work experience to maintain current status throughout the program and to comply with provincial laws. Students are obligated to inform the Program Coordinator immediately of any change in the status of their criminal record.
Degree Continuation - Post Diploma or Post Certificate Entry
ELA 30-1
Current Advanced Care Paramedic license in the province you are located
Continued employment as an Advanced Care Paramedic
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Just a note, some of the information in this thread regarding accreditations is wrong. Here is direct from the CMA website, as of November 26, 2012:
EMT
6 Year
2 Year
This is direct from: http://www.cma.ca/index.php/ci_id/50602/la_id/1.htm. Specifically I note that PMA only has a two year accreditation, not a 6 year one as was previously mentioned. This may have changed since 2010 however. (Interpret that as you will.)
I would most definitely not put all my eggs in the CMA basket though, as the three schools with the worst reputations in EMS training in Alberta are all under the 6 year accreditation, and there are a couple very good schools with only 2 year accreditation.
EMT
6 Year
- Emergency Services Academy
- Flatline Response
- NAIT
- SAIT
2 Year
- Alberta Health and Safety Training Institute
- Lakeland College
- Northern Lakes College
- Portage College
- Professional Medical Associates
This is direct from: http://www.cma.ca/index.php/ci_id/50602/la_id/1.htm. Specifically I note that PMA only has a two year accreditation, not a 6 year one as was previously mentioned. This may have changed since 2010 however. (Interpret that as you will.)
I would most definitely not put all my eggs in the CMA basket though, as the three schools with the worst reputations in EMS training in Alberta are all under the 6 year accreditation, and there are a couple very good schools with only 2 year accreditation.
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Earthworm Jim
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Well I've heard lots of mixed reviews about AHASTI lately, but I did my EMR refresher there last month and overall I was pretty happy with it, the instructor was good, the rest of the staff was friendly, and everything went smoothly.
I'm not expecting someone to hold my hand through my schooling, some support here and there is nice, but I think they're doing a pretty good job.
I'll be taking the EMT program there in January and I will let everyone know what my thoughts are, if anyone is still interested.
I'm not expecting someone to hold my hand through my schooling, some support here and there is nice, but I think they're doing a pretty good job.
I'll be taking the EMT program there in January and I will let everyone know what my thoughts are, if anyone is still interested.
technocardy
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I took my EMT through PMA and it was an excellent school. The entrance exam was a good challenge, consisting of 3 parts. Part 1: Aptitude test which had everything in it. Part 2: Fairly basic EMR scenario and Part 3: An interview with the head instructor. While doing the aptitude test they'll randomly pull people out of the exam room to go do either the interview or the scenario.
I believe 48 people applied and only 10 got in, with 2 transfers from another class. It's well worth it. Excellent instructors. I got a great practicum site without having to wait. School administration is very helpful.
[I know this post is old, I just wanted to put in my .02 in case anyone else was considering PMA...]