Which paramedic school to go to in NY/NJ

[Munnugles]

Hey all, I am looking at different schools in my area for EMT-B/P programs to take and I am not sure which school would be better. I am looking at these Community Colleges: Rockland CC (NY 79 credits), Hudson County CC (NJ 63 credits), Borough of Manhattan CC (NY 61 credits), and LaGuardia CC (NY 60 credits).

I live in Bergen County NJ, I do not have EMT-B done yet and I do not know if I will be taking it here in NJ or through a CC. I would like to know some info about some of these CC's if anyone knows about them and what would be my best bet. Do any of them have job placement/help finding a job. Do any colleges have NREMT-P test? Do they all have internships? Would I be better off getting a paramedic certificate instead of degree and get a degree in something else? And also anyone know why Rockland CC is almost 20 credits more than the others.

If you also know of any other schools in my area post them up as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Turner]

Go take emt-b and see if you like it. I live in bergen county and I am going to hudson bc bergen will eat there out of county fees

 

[MrBrown]

A search tells me only Borough of Manhattan CC is an accredited Paramedic program by CoAEMSP

 

[Munnugles]

A search tells me only Borough of Manhattan CC is an accredited Paramedic program by CoAEMSP

Sorry... but what is CoAEMSP supposed to mean in general. i googled it and found it to be the accredited program. but im not sure what the difference between that and something that is not accredited.

 

[MrBrown]

Somebody in the US can point more specifically than I however I believe it's a quality assurance process.

Notice how most of the programs accredited by CoAEMSP are associated with a college and offer a degree while patch factories are not accredited?

Of interest is that the 24 week Dallas-Fire Rescue Paramedic mill is accredited? Hmmmm :unsure:

 

[firecoins]

Hey all, I am looking at different schools in my area for EMT-B/P programs to take and I am not sure which school would be better. I am looking at these Community Colleges: Rockland CC (NY 79 credits), Hudson County CC (NJ 63 credits), Borough of Manhattan CC (NY 61 credits), and LaGuardia CC (NY 60 credits).

I live in Bergen County NJ, I do not have EMT-B done yet and I do not know if I will be taking it here in NJ or through a CC. I would like to know some info about some of these CC's if anyone knows about them and what would be my best bet. Do any of them have job placement/help finding a job. Do any colleges have NREMT-P test? Do they all have internships? Would I be better off getting a paramedic certificate instead of degree and get a degree in something else? And also anyone know why Rockland CC is almost 20 credits more than the others.

If you also know of any other schools in my area post them up as well.

Thanks in advance.

I live in Rockland. I suggest Rockland as I trained in Manhattan. ( My program just closed.) Going into Manhattan will eat up lots of time and money with traffic, gas,tolls or even the mass commute.

That being said BMCC and LaGuardia are great programs.

As for being BMCC being the only accredited program, there is not enough distiction between the NY programs to mean very much. All of the programs teach the same exact thing in NY state as NY state regulates it. None of the employers in NY or NJ cares if the program is accredited. a communitty college or a certificate program.

 

[EMSLaw]

Nor are any of New Jersey's programs accredited. Remember, too, that in NJ you will need to be sponsored by a MICU project for your clinicals. Which isn't really that hard - you usually apply for clinical sponsorship along with the medic program, and if you get one, you get the other.

If you want to work in NY, I'd say go to a NY program. If you want to work in NJ, go to a NJ program. If you don't care, I'm sure either is fine. NY, I think, takes about a year full-time, while most NJ programs are structured 2 years part-time.

 

[8jimi8]

Somebody in the US can point more specifically than I however I believe it's a quality assurance process.

Notice how most of the programs accredited by CoAEMSP are associated with a college and offer a degree while patch factories are not accredited?

Of interest is that the 24 week Dallas-Fire Rescue Paramedic mill is accredited? Hmmmm :unsure:

The difference is that if the program is accredited, they have met the minimum standards of education, expertise in instruction and clinical experiences to produce a well rounded entry level paramedic and they have the backing of the said accrediting agency.

The point is that EMS as a profession has goals to elevate it's practitioners to the status of medical professionals, rather than merely - technicians.

Now then... you have until january 1st 2013 to enroll in a paramedic program of your choice, after that date, all schools must be accredited in order for its graduates to be eligible for the NR. I don't know if that will be binding to all of the states, but that is the plan - a minimum standard of professionalism for all entry level licensees.

Nursing is definitely that way, you cannot sit for licensure examination without having completed an accredited program.

If you can't think of the benefits of this type of regulation let me give you a few examples.

1) Elevated status among other medical professional fields / Esteem in your knowledge and skill set.
2) Pay commensurate with work load and education
3) All entry level professionals will be learning the equivalent skills and information

Maybe my examples are not of any value to you. As I said the time is coming when all paramedics will have to attend an accredited institution, these next few years are going to be the closing of the loophole.

 

[firecoins]

The difference is that if the program is accredited, they have met the minimum standards of education, expertise in instruction and clinical experiences to produce a well rounded entry level paramedic and they have the backing of the said accrediting agency.

There is no difference in the NY/NJ area. NY requires certain minimum standards of all NY programs.

The point is that EMS as a profession has goals to elevate it's practitioners to the status of medical professionals, rather than merely - technicians.

I guess. However the medical professionals outside of emergency medicine do not seem to make any distinction between BLS and ALS much less which ALS providers went to BMCC versus everyother medic program in NY.

Now then... you have until january 1st 2013 to enroll in a paramedic program of your choice, after that date, all schools must be accredited in order for its graduates to be eligible for the NR. I don't know if that will be binding to all of the states, but that is the plan - a minimum standard of professionalism for all entry level licensees.

NYS is not an NR state.

1) Elevated status among other medical professional fields / Esteem in your knowledge and skill set.

There is no difference between BMCC graduates and every other NY program other than they filed paperwork.

2) Pay commensurate with work load and education

Employers in NY do not care. There is not pay difference. I have a b.a. I do not get paid higher for having that. I am either a certified medic or I am not.

3) All entry level professionals will be learning the equivalent skills and information

All NY medic programs teach the same skills.

The difference between BMCC and the other programs.....paperwork.

 

[Munnugles]

So lets say I do go to a non-accredited school. In the long run of things, what would be a major difference if i was to go to the accredited school. Also lets say i get NREMT-P and I move out of state to like VA, NC, SC, FL, AZ, TX or CA for instance for work, what would being accredited do for me as opposed to non-accredited. In the long run this is for firefighting also but want to get the degree in paramedic studies/ems studies instead of going with fire science studies, unless some think otherwise. I do want to be a good medic as well.

 

[firecoins]

deleted.

 

[46Young]

I live in Rockland. I suggest Rockland as I trained in Manhattan. ( My program just closed.) Going into Manhattan will eat up lots of time and money with traffic, gas,tolls or even the mass commute.

That being said BMCC and LaGuardia are great programs.

As for being BMCC being the only accredited program, there is not enough distiction between the NY programs to mean very much. All of the programs teach the same exact thing in NY state as NY state regulates it. None of the employers in NY or NJ cares if the program is accredited. a communitty college or a certificate program.

I was told, that after having succesfully completing a medic program and certifying in NYS as such, if we let our cert lapse, all we'll ever have to do is take a challenge refresher to recert. Is this what you've heard as well?

 

[8jimi8]

There is no difference in the NY/NJ area. NY requires certain minimum standards of all NY programs.

I guess. However the medical professionals outside of emergency medicine do not seem to make any distinction between BLS and ALS much less which ALS providers went to BMCC versus everyother medic program in NY.
And Here you make my point excellently.
NYS is not an NR state.


There is no difference between BMCC graduates and every other NY program other than they filed paperwork.

Employers in NY do not care. There is not pay difference. I have a b.a. I do not get paid higher for having that. I am either a certified medic or I am not.

All NY medic programs teach the same skills.

The difference between BMCC and the other programs.....paperwork.

We are not having the same conversation.

The point I meant to convey is that eventually all schools will have to be accredited, I also stated that I wasn't sure if all states would be made to comply with this decision.

You can champion your individual state, or the status quo as much as you want, until the profession of EMS is elevated, my RN will still be seen as a higher level of care... deservedly or not.

 

[Munnugles]

So in the end will it matter for me to go to an non-accredited college (RCC) and get my NR if i want to work out of state? and does anyone have info on any of these schools.. good or bad...

 

[8jimi8]

What firecoins said is that all schools in your area are equivalent.

What I said is that if you don't start medic school by 1/1/2013, you will be required to have attended an accredited program to work in a national registry state.

 

[Munnugles]

What firecoins said is that all schools in your area are equivalent.

What I said is that if you don't start medic school by 1/1/2013, you will be required to have attended an accredited program to work in a national registry state.

Ok thanks. I am most likely going to check out RCC on Wed. and talk to the coordinator. Is there any specific questions i should ask him? Should i ask about the internships and affiliations? should i ask if i should try to get a PT job as an EMT-B up in the schools area (not sure what they have up there but i know almost every Ambulance Corp in my area is Vollie except for the hospitals which need 2+ years experience) while going to school and if they know of any places with jobs? I would like to have a job and get experience at the same time.

These are the courses: http://www.sunyrockland.edu/academics/degrees/a-a-s-degrees/emergency-medical-services

anything i should ask specifically about the courses?

also i was wondering should if anyone knows if i take my EMT-B in NYS what would i have to do to transfer it to NJ and vice versa.

 

[firecoins]

I was told, that after having succesfully completing a medic program and certifying in NYS as such, if we let our cert lapse, all we'll ever have to do is take a challenge refresher to recert. Is this what you've heard as well?

I don't know bout that.

 

[firecoins]

So in the end will it matter for me to go to an non-accredited college (RCC) and get my NR if i want to work out of state? and does anyone have info on any of these schools.. good or bad...

Right now completing RCC program will allow you to test for the NR. Alot of their students work in New Jersey.

Most if not all the Community Colleges in this area teach pretty much the same thing including BMCC. There is no apparrent difference other than one is accredited and others aren't. BMCC is a good program. So are many others. BMCC is not harder to get into. You don't start off at a higher salary graduating from BMCC. If you graduate BMCC a good or bad medic, you would the same at RCC or Laguardia.

While becoming accredited looks good on paper, it won't magically make being a paramedic respected. Its no quick fix.

 

[firecoins]

You can champion your individual state, or the status quo as much as you want, until the profession of EMS is elevated, my RN will still be seen as a higher level of care... deservedly or not.

I am not a champion of the so called status quo. I simply stating that a piece of paper saying one community college is "accredited" while others lack that paper will not make paramedics accepted by the rest of the medical community. The BMCC program is not signifactly different from the other community college programs or vice versa. I am sure if they fill out the paperwork, they will be accredited. It will not magically produce better medics. It will not make paramedics higher or lower care than RNs. Whatever problems exist now, will exist than too.

 

[Munnugles]

Right now completing RCC program will allow you to test for the NR. Alot of their students work in New Jersey.

Most if not all the Community Colleges in this area teach pretty much the same thing including BMCC. There is no apparrent difference other than one is accredited and others aren't. BMCC is a good program. So are many others.

While becoming accredited looks good on paper, it won't magically make being a paramedic respected. Its no quick fix.

K so i guess i shouldnt worry about "accredited" too much since the teaching is all the same.

know anything about emt-b reciprocity from ny to nj and vice versa. i did a little bit of googleing but most thing i read were old and some said one thing and others said another thing. i can take emt-b free here in NJ but i dont know if it would be worth it or how much of a hassle it would be to transfer it over to NJ or if its just a refresher course. And if i do take it here in NJ its either going to be a 1 month day class or 2 month night class over the summer. i dont know how much work it will be or if i should just take the emt class up at RCC.