futuremontanan Posted June 23, 2017 Posted June 23, 2017 (edited) Hey Everyone! I'm new to emtcity.com. I'm sure you all see a lot of questions from newbies and get tired of the same old questions, but I hope I can get some input from at least a few of you all. I'm from a little town in Montana and have aspired to be a paramedic since 2015. I ended up taking an accelerated EMT-Basic course from a private contractor here, and regretted every it. The skills test was a breeze for me, and I passed my state exam (my teacher's exam that was accepted by the state). However, when it came to the NREMT exam, I did not pass. I admit that I could have brushed up on a few topics, however I was told that I would not need to diagnose anyone because that altogether wasn't our job. For those of you who have taken this test, you know that the last statement is not true. As a result I got discouraged. I kept studying in little bursts, and telling myself I wasn't going to take the test till I was completely ready. It has been over a year now, and I lost my state certification (there goes $85). So now I believe I am at a point where I need to take the class again in order to take the NREMT. BUT, I do not want to take it through the private contractor again. But now to the point of this rant, I would like to try to start over, FRESH. Try to get into a school that goes from basic to medic. Does anyone have any recommendations for schools around the midwest region, or any online schools? I am willing go to location for skills training, but would prefer to stay in Montana. Any help or encouragement you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks from a small town Montanan Edited June 23, 2017 by futuremontanan wouldn't let me finish
paramedicmike Posted June 23, 2017 Posted June 23, 2017 Welcome. This site may be helpful to you in finding an accredited paramedic program. It looks like there are three in Montana. You'll have to do the research as to their EMT-B offerings or if they'll accept your state certification for the paramedic portion of the training. Find a program that offers at least an associate's degree. We are a profession. If EMS wants to be taken seriously then it needs to take its education seriously.
Just Plain Ruff Posted June 23, 2017 Posted June 23, 2017 (edited) This post and also the other post from the lady who just screwed up her ACL caused by the drill sergeant douchbaggery of the 5 week accelerated course in florida. Guys we are a profession, these accelerated programs make us look like keystone medics and emt's. it makes us look like we want to be hero's that started at zero. Firefighters don't go through this Police officers don't go through this doctors, nurses, CNA's, hair dressers, accountants, IT guys, or any other professionals do NOT go through these 5 week camps where you can finish your schooling in 5 weeks. It's just in my opinion makes us look silly and short changes the student and also the patients that they are going to be taking care of. Can some people learn in that environment, sure they can. Can they retain an entire 1000 page book in 5 weeks, possibly, but can they retain it enough to be competent I do not believe so. Do yourself a favor, take your time, learn the material and understand it. The jobs will be there when you get done. Trust me. They were there when you started your search for a school and they will be there when you get out of school. Edited June 23, 2017 by Just Plain Ruff
futuremontanan Posted June 26, 2017 Author Posted June 26, 2017 Hey all thank you for your input. Paramedicmike, thank you for finding that list for me. I had been looking around for a while, but I was getting a plethora of answers regarding if they had those programs or not. So thank you for taking the time and helping me find that. At this point I'm thinking it would be worth it just to start fresh again. And just go for new certification, and if they tell me otherwise, that's great too. Just Plain Ruff, I appreciate your input. I believe that the accelerated program was more of an impulse than anything else for me. I saw the endgame in sight, and I took advantage. Didn't think to wonder that it could be more of a curse than a blessing. You both are right it is a profession and needs to be treated as such. Now that I know that it didn't work for me, I am going to try to dissuade anyone from doing so. Sure it may work for some people. But the fact of the matter is, people's lives are in your hands! Education needs to be taken seriously! If you had the choice between having an EMT who went to college or an EMT who took a 6 week course, I would hope that the patient would choose the student. I believe that it is programs like this that help students get the original information, but don't necessarily teach them how to retain it. It has been a year since I took the original class and I have lost so much. One can just imagine how an expedited EMT may feel if they don't practice a skill or keep that detailed terminology, and have it fall from their grasp in a critical moment. That one disease, condition, or symptom that your expedited teacher said you didn't have to know... might be the death of your patient. Please if any students are given the same opportunity that I was give to take an expedited class for a flat fee, DON'T DO IT! I would much rather take my time and spend more money on a college tuition to become who I want to be, than quickly become a medic and lose someone because I rushed through the course load that seemed insignificant at the time.
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