Let the EMT training begin!

[bloomautomatic]

My stepson took the EMT-B class about a year ago. Think it was every saturday at Mt. Lebanon for ~8hrs or so per day. I was considering taking it also, just to have the training, but since it overlapped when my son was due, I didn't want to have to bail out of it. He passed it by the skin of his teeth. If he can pass that, you can pass it!

I seem to remember the cost was like $100 or $150 for the whole course. Seemed like a bargain considering how many hours of instruction you got. I think the State subsidizes the cost.

He's working for a transport company around monroeville now. Think he makes $8-$10 per hour or something.


Vince

[JustinM]

My stepson took the EMT-B class about a year ago. Think it was every saturday at Mt. Lebanon for ~8hrs or so per day. I was considering taking it also, just to have the training, but since it overlapped when my son was due, I didn't want to have to bail out of it. He passed it by the skin of his teeth. If he can pass that, you can pass it!

I seem to remember the cost was like $100 or $150 for the whole course. Seemed like a bargain considering how many hours of instruction you got. I think the State subsidizes the cost.

He's working for a transport company around monroeville now. Think he makes $8-$10 per hour or something.


Vince

Our course is $175.00. I studied my book for a month straight and I'm actually doing very well in class. I tend to pick up on things that interest me.

[bubba23]

The PA state curriculum is 136 hours. Most people take this over 3-4 months in a night class. Justin is taking full day classed with 10 hour days several times per week.

Buy you guys are assuming we are talking apples and oranges, BUT WE ARE NOT!

When I said, my EMT class was 4 months, that was 45 HOURS PER WEEK for 16 weeks. But now that someone else explained the various levels of EMT, I see we are not talking about the same type of training at all. When I finished the four months, I was (at least in theory) qualified to ride shotgun on any type of ambulance call.

[MarcS]

Buy you guys are assuming we are talking apples and oranges, BUT WE ARE NOT!

When I said, my EMT class was 4 months, that was 45 HOURS PER WEEK for 16 weeks. But now that someone else explained the various levels of EMT, I see we are not talking about the same type of training at all. When I finished the four months, I was (at least in theory) qualified to ride shotgun on any type of ambulance call.

Sounds like you took an EMT intermediate course which really means you learned a few drugs, IV's and intubations. Basics can do just about everything else. As of now an intermediate level isn't offered in PA.

Basics who are fresh out of class are just as qualified as anyone else who just got out of class...that is to say, not at all qualified. You learn 95% of what you need to know on the job. That's why any good ambulance service will take new EMT's and make them ride with a preceptor for several months before letting them take calls on their own.

[Nate]

My co-worker just finished the evening EMT course, he volunteers at a local fire station. The paid crew makes around $10 at the most. If you want to make $ in this field move on to paramedics.

The EMT's primary function is to "package and deliver" the patient. For most class #1 calls a medic is dispatched same time as EMT. So I wouldn't too much that the EMT's don't have years of training. If I remember correctly the EMT's can't even administer an IV. Gotta have a medic do it.

[JustinM]

My co-worker just finished the evening EMT course, he volunteers at a local fire station. The paid crew makes around $10 at the most. If you want to make $ in this field move on to paramedics.

The EMT's primary function is to "package and deliver" the patient. For most class #1 calls a medic is dispatched same time as EMT. So I wouldn't too much that the EMT's don't have years of training. If I remember correctly the EMT's can't even administer an IV. Gotta have a medic do it.

Yeah, but if I decided to spend 2,000 hous training to be a paramedic it wouldn't really be worth it. There are paramedics in this area that are hired as EMTs because they don't really need paramedics around here. The pay isn't that much higher, and EMTs get called out way more than paramedics.I think my instrictor said that the Pitt EMS gets called out 40,000 times a year and 33,000 of those are BLS (EMT). You're not going to make alot of money in EMS nomatter what job you have.

[bubba23]

You're not going to make alot of money in EMS nomatter what job you have.

I never met anyone in EMT that did it for the money. It's like a lot of jobs--a calling. You do it cause you love it. Great job for adrenaline junkies!

[JustinM]

I never met anyone in EMT that did it for the money. It's like a lot of jobs--a calling. You do it cause you love it. Great job for adrenaline junkies!

Exactly. I'm hopefully going to be getting hired sometime this week or the next a a local EMs unit as a para-transit driver, then as soona sas I'm out of school in a month I'll work my way up to EMT. If I wanted to make money I'd go work labor at one of the mills around Pitt, but I'd rather get shit pay and save lives.

[ithinkimamedic]

Great job for adrenaline junkies!

For maybe the first week! Not anymore.


I don't exactly know why I do this job but it's just something that has grown on me. unfortunately it's also a job that can cause you to be come VERY jaded and unsympathetic at times.

[ithinkimamedic]

Buy you guys are assuming we are talking apples and oranges, BUT WE ARE NOT!

When I said, my EMT class was 4 months, that was 45 HOURS PER WEEK for 16 weeks. But now that someone else explained the various levels of EMT, I see we are not talking about the same type of training at all. When I finished the four months, I was (at least in theory) qualified to ride shotgun on any type of ambulance call.

Interesting I've never really heard of such a training, sure there is the EMT-I which is not being taught in PA or recognized (at this time). I don't think it could be a paramedic course (then again I've heard of weirder things) as there are not enough hours to do the training (at least I think). Can you tell us more about your scope of practice coming out of the class there bubba? When you said you were ready for "any call" does that mean primary care at an advanced level or "any call as a BLS provider). Where did you take this course (in PA?!?!) all of this will help solve the mystery.
Cheers man!

Justin, Keep the nose to the grind stone. The NSC for the EMT-B is SIMPLE! any trained monkey can (and does) pass the class.
Have fun being a van-bitch!

Cheers,
Josh