Paramedic programs in the San Francisco Bay Area

[Heretolearn]

I've been working as an EMT for a couple years now and I want to start looking into my options for a good Paramedic school in the Bay Area. I'll be doing plenty of research before I pick one, but I figured it couldn't hurt to come on here and see if there were any recommendations about specific schools I should check out!

I should be finishing my BS in Fire Protection Administration in March. I figure I should take an anatomy/physiology course this summer to prep for Paramedic school. So if I could find a school that starts around the end of summer that would be ideal. But at this point, I'm more concerned with finding a quality program than the actual starting dates. Anyway, any recommendations?

So far I've found:

City College (San Francisco) -- Well respected, but long

California EMS Academy (Redwood City) -- Private program

Foothill College (Palo Alto) -- Well respected, probably what most people try to get into

Westmed College (San Jose) -- Private

Emergency Training Services/ETS (Santa Cruz) -- Private

NCTI -- Private/AMR's school

Foothill's program sounds particularity interesting, but I would love to find hear some firsthand experiences with any of those programs!

[Dustdevil]

I figure I should take an anatomy/physiology course this summer to prep for Paramedic school. So if I could find a school that starts around the end of summer that would be ideal. But at this point, I'm more concerned with finding a quality program than the actual starting dates. Anyway, any recommendations?

Yes, and thanks for asking. I recommend you take at least two semester to get the applicable foundation for paramedic education, not just one. There are two parts to Anatomy & Physiology, and one builds upon the other. Consequently, it takes two semesters to take them. It is also STRONGLY recommended that you take Microbiology, which some schools will allow you to take concurrently with the second semester of A&P, but most require that both be completed first. Other important courses for competent, professional paramedic practice that you may or may not already have include:

• Intro Psychology

Developmental Psychology (Growth and Development)

Intro Sociology

Ethics

• Everything else should have been covered by your bachelor's curriculum, which I applaud you on completing! But it would take you two full-time semesters to complete the above courses. Remember that paramedicine is medical practice, not an advanced first aid practice of a technical nature. There is a LOT more to it than a collection of skills. The most important skill in medicine is that of understanding and communicating with your patient. And psych and sociology are essential to that understanding. And, of course, attempting to render medical care to human beings when you don't have an in-depth understanding of their physiology is just stupid.

As for choosing a school, all I can say about those you have listed is to don't even consider NCTI. I am not an AMR hater at all, but their educational attempts with NCTI fall far short of ideal. That is not to say that private programmes are inherently inferior. Some are excellent. It just seems that NCTI is geared more towards filling their ranks with desperate, rookie medics, who owe them payback time, than in producing quality providers. Unfortunately, that applies to most paramedic schools that cater to the fire service too, which are usually the full-time "accelerated" schools. While someone with both intelligence and a solid educational preparation can make the best of most any school, the fact is that better education always equals better provider. Be the best you can be.

As a general rule, I probably would not consider any school that did not require those college prerequisites of ALL of their students. Look at it this way; if you're in a class full of people who have never taken two semesters of A&P and psychology, and microbiology and sociology, and algebra and chemistry and physics, then they are having to dumb down the curriculum for them. That means that YOU are getting shorted of valuable educational time and focus. You have set the bar high for yourself. Don't settle for a school that does not strive for the same excellence that you yourself strive for.

You're going to do well, Bro. Hopefully, others here will have info on specific schools for you. Best of luck, and welcome to the City!

[aryan51]

There's also EMSTI's satellite program out of Dublin. The main office is in Stockton, but this program is ran out of American Health Education right off of 680 in Dublin.

I'm about half way through and feel like it's a pretty good program. It's staffed by instructors hired by American Health, and they all have a lot of experience to share from local agencies (IE San Francisco fire, AMR Alameda County, Santa Clara county, Livermore Pleasanton fire). The only con to it is anything that has to do with EMSTI itself. In my opinion it's a horribly ran business that has quite a few shortcomings that are noticeable to the students, which is just unacceptable. The American Health staff is what keeps it together, and I would recommend EMSTI Dublin only because of them.

But I definitely agree with dust. I feel like when I come out of this school I'll have enough knowledge to pass National Registry, and to very basically function as a medic, but I don't think I'm getting the education I should have to 100% understand everything that is going on during calls. This won't be the case because of my interest in the field and personal studying (Scouring the depths of EMT City ), but I'm sure most of my classmates have no interest in furthering their education. If not for your own understanding and curiosity, this should at least be the case for better patient care.

Basically what I'm saying is, if you have the time I'd go with dust's advice of doing your own prerequisites if you choose one of the quicker programs. It will definitely help you in the long run. NCTI isn't too bad and neither is EMSTI if you take those classes beforehand. Also, I know the City College program is very good besides being long, and you can put in for a grant with the city of SF to get it completely paid for (worked out for a friend of mine).

Good luck with whatever you decide! If you have any specific questions about the other schools I'm sure I could get them answered for you too BTW.

[jwraider]

I know it wasn't on your list but you should consider Santa Rosa JC up in Sonoma county.

Click here for their site

It's the school I went to and during my internship I felt better prepared than NCTI students which there are a ton of in this area (NCTI has several courses a year). Foothill and city college get some respect too.

Anyway SRJC is $2,000 and about 10-12 months long. They have excellent clinical and internship relationships. They require anatomy and a ECG course as pre-reqs (besides the obvious stuff). As you can see from the photos with the uniforms and such they are serious about what they do and I really feel lucky to have attended the program.

You should consider moving there and finding a volunteer department since you appear to be going for a fire job.