Your thoughts on Fast Track Paramedic Specialist Program

[medic417]

You want fast search 10 week paramedic course. And for those that do not recall yeas there is such a class takes basics all the way to paramedic not intermediate in 10 weeks plus clinicals. They really teach the test though as they have a good NR pass percentage. But you can not judge a program based on NR pass percentage.

 

[medichopeful]

You want fast search 10 week paramedic course. And for those that do not recall yeas there is such a class takes basics all the way to paramedic not intermediate in 10 weeks plus clinicals. They really teach the test though as they have a good NR pass percentage. But you can not judge a program based on NR pass percentage.

Could you post a link? I'm kind of curious about this and want to look at it.

(Note: I'm not interested in taking a 10 week paramedic class. I just want to see what you're talking about)

 

[Sasha]

Daedalus, you apparently haven't been following the debate surrounding Doctors of Nursing Practice NPs, have you?

Oh yes he has. We had a couple pms about that and there was a thread.... It got locked. PLEASE don't start that debate. It got nasty and we lost a member because of it!

 

[medic417]

Could you post a link? I'm kind of curious about this and want to look at it.

(Note: I'm not interested in taking a 10 week paramedic class. I just want to see what you're talking about)

No because some would do it. But it has been posted here before.

 

[Crepitus]

Sizz,

With the 5 month paramedic program, as with any of the programs, it is going to come down to the quality of the students. But with an exaggerated effect. If you are 'green' and pound through one of the accelerated programs you are going to come out green, whereas a 2 year Assoc of Science program or nights/weekend program is going to give you opportunity to 'temper' a bit, perhaps working as a Basic.

The counter argument is of course how much experience as Basic contributes to your becoming a proficient Paramedic. It does some, but 10 years as an active Basic, a Paramedic does not make . . .

My first gig was in a hospital based service here in Iowa (1980's). One of our employees was a graduate of an accelerated program, she then headed off to California where she worked as a private Paramedic for a year and came back. OMG what a treat! But to say the issue was solely was her training in an accelerated program is as reliable as saying her deficiencies were created by her having worked in CA or as medic with a private company.

My wife graduated from the same program in the 80's, worked 3rd party municipal for 18 years, jumped over to a fire medic service (at age 40 BTW - my wife is awesome!), flies for a helicopter service, is a CCP, has been appointed to the statewide board trying to straighten out the messed up scope of practice situation. So I ask, how did it turn out for her . . .

I went through a nights program over a year and a half. I worked full time as a Firefighter/EMT, but I was 19, a lousy, 'skate by on the minimum' student. Missed the max classes allowed, scheduled clinicals on slow nights etc. After I hit the ALS trucks I had to step it up, did a bunch of reading and extra education and in general worked my tail off to 'catch up' on some of the clinical/educational opportunities that I had skipped over.

It's the medic candidate that makes the final difference in the end.

Finally, at least one of the accelerated programs (the Univ. of Iowa's) has a good reputation. Their educators are top notch, you get lectures from first class surgeons and physicians, some of their clinical opportunities are very good. It's pricey and not the way I chose to go, but I certainly wouldn't consider it a paramedic 'mill'.

Good luck,

 

[medichopeful]

No because some would do it. But it has been posted here before.

Good point.

 

[Medic One]

I know several medic that completed the fast track program...They are all good medic but the problem is they had NO life during the entire program.

If you can dedicate the time and have no vacations, no party nights and DO NOT work during the entire program you should be fine.

They had homework every night until clinicals. They all had do do evening and night clinicals on top of class during the day.

Check with the program coordinator to find out when clinicals would be.

 

[Sizz]

Thanks for all the input. I'm planning on taking the year and half program while getting some Gen Eds done, the fast track appears to have it ups and down but with the family and full time job I'm thinking its worth a pass. Overall I got to see everyone's thoughts on the program itself.

 

[motomedic]

Pelham training in indiana is accelerated program. believe its 4 months in duration. Im from california, I have had 4 buddies make the trek and know they are working as single roll medics. One just got hired with riv co fire fulltime. I went to a conventional program out in CA, the guys who went to Pelham have 8 months of work on me. Not sure how good they are but they do have a P card. Guess it all depends on your learning style and how bad you want it. Good luck. Cheers!

 

[bunkie]

Thanks for all the input. I'm planning on taking the year and half program while getting some Gen Eds done, the fast track appears to have it ups and down but with the family and full time job I'm thinking its worth a pass. Overall I got to see everyone's thoughts on the program itself.

I can't call for the quality of the program but I wanted to make one little point. When you go through a program that intense, that fast.. how much are you really going to absorb? I feel like we dont have enough time in our basic course as it is to really drive a lot of this stuff to long term memory. In that fast of a class you are in survival mode. Memorize whats necessary for the next test then dump for the new information. It's just too overwhelming to have so much critical knowledge dumped on you that fast and then having to try to absorb every single piece of it and provide adequate care in the field. Personally *I* would go with a longer course and give my brain time to bask in the info. But thats just me.

 

[46Young]

If you have solid math skills, complete A&P, pharmacology, read Dr. Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, and read either the Mosby or Brady medic text prior to the start of class, you've already won half the battle. I didn't go to a fast track medic mill, but I feel that completing all of those tasks prior to the start of my medic program made it a breeze nonetheless. I didn't need to study all that much, as long as I absorbed the lectures well (by not nodding off).