boomer

Bad link would it be www.emt-inc.net or some otehr crowd?

LOL UK and Ireland are two separate countries, I have considered going to the UK but in terms of wide variety of patients I think the US would be a better option (ie less likely to have 90% of calls being of the drunk patient type!). With regards progression to further education and further training the honest answer is I would consider the US or UK for that as the courses in both those countries are more widely recognised being in some places 2 years long as opposed to 9 months for Paramedic Training and an additional 9 months or so for Advanced Paramedic Training. However I am hoping that by gaining the state registration (Irish one) I can then turn around and show them that despite my hearing difficulties I can do the training and pass it to a sufficient standard to satisfy the state registry (and believe me they are strict I am patient for the exams and its a pass/fail situation, you either do the steps required or you dont.

I think that my comment about "Which would apply to anyone" was taken slightly differently to what i was intending it to mean. Everyone encounters at times someone at the opposite end of the radio that mumbles their words and generally cannot be heard. It is this kind of person I was referring to. On numerous occasions I have had people with full hearing turn around to me and say "What did he/she say?" I hope that clears that confusion up. I actually wear hearing aids and can for the vast majority of times hear without major problems and any that arise are usually sorted with a "sorry can you repeat that please". I have spoken to the regulatory authorities over here and they have said to me that once the course contents meet their requirements in terms of hours and content then it would be acceptable. They have also said that if the course does not meed the requirements 100% that they would allow people to undertake the modules required to bring the candidate up to the required standard. There is no physical required in Ireland to undertake the course. With an electronic steth hooked up to my hearing aids I can hear breath sounds through the Steth. It is basically the school putting additional hidden obstacles in my path in my attempts to get there with questions like "What is the economical cost of an ambulance call". In Ireland we dont for the 911/999 system have private companies doing that kind of emergency work so economical cost does not come into it. I spoke to a a good few of the other candidates afterwards and they were not asked the question but appeared to have been asked similar questions amongst them as a group. AS pointed out earlier it will not be a fast track to glory as the State Requirements over here will still have to be met to go on the register as an EMT it will just be easier to get onto a course as there does not seem to be the same attitudes against people with disabilities in the States (Bear in mind I attended an EMT-B course in Illinois a few years back with a 100% pass rate)

Folks Can anyone recommend for me a training provider for EMT-B level in California, it would appear that a course in the states would be quicker and easier for me to get recognised as an EMT in Ireland owing to my hearing difficulties!!! In other words i can, for the most part, hear as well as anyone else the only difficulty being radios and phones but that depends on how clear the person at the other end of the connection is (which would apply to anyone anyway wouldnt it?) I have been told of an EMT-B who move to Ireland who got his training from California recognised fairly quickly so I am looking stateswards to undertake the training. I have already completed training as an EMT-B in illinois but the course there is slightly too short for recognition. Oh and if at all possible for financial reasons it would be ideal for me if the course was an accelerated one (ie 4 weeks together rather than a couple of days a week) Thanks Shane