Accelerated EMT-B Program

[island emt]

another thing I've noticed in testing EMT-B & I classes is: They are teaching to pass the nr exam, instead of teaching them to be clinicians.

I can't tell you how many come through with all their cute little acronyms that the don't have a clue what they mean in reality/

If I hear a student spout off the DECAPBTLS at the trauma assessment station line one more time, I'm going to go postal.

It would be fine if they understood what it stands for, but they don't get taught that part of the equation.

[fakingpatience]

I took an "accelerated" EMT-B program about 4 years ago. It was 10 college credit hours over the summer, either 4 or 5 nights a week for I believe 4 hours a night, with occasional weekend classes. My program also incorporated shifts in the ER, with first response FD, and on the ambulance. Officially we did 12 hours in each setting, 2 6 hour shifts each, but most people (myself included) worked the entire shift each time, so we did 24 in the ER, 24 with the FD, and 24 on the ambulance. IMHO the program I went to was better then the "full length" program from which many people graduated. The full length program only required 4 hours in the ER, no other ride times, and seemed to teach the students through more route memorization than actually learning the whys and hows. I had an EMT rider with me from a 2 year high school EMT program, who had been in the program for a year and a half, who didn't know what the term "contraindication" meant.

Island medic, we were never ever allowed to use the DCAP-BTLS acronym in my program!

I don't think the length of the program matters (as far as how many weeks/ months it is crammed into ) as much as the caliber of the program and the instructors you have. I would highly recommend you choose one which requires shifts on an ambulance, as that is the perfect time to see if you truly like the field, and to really see what EMTs do on a day to day basis.