blueprint Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I have been looking into training to become an EMT and I found a school near me that offers EMT Basic class but its 5 days a week for a month, five hours a day. Is this normal most classes usually take four to six months right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8151 Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Welcome to the world of EMT Basic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneEMTP Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I think most basic classes run from around 120-150 hours or so. Mine was 150 hours plus 40 hours of voluntary labs (which 4 or 5 of us out of 32 used) in two months. People smarter than me will need to weigh in on a one month class. I would have found it difficult to find enough study time in one month I think. Good luck! Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnatomyChick Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 The classes that I teach run in excess of 260 hours... I just can't do a the field justice at 110-120 hours. I think a 4 week course that is of the hours that you listed is probably "ok"... it wouldn't be my choice of ways to teach... just like there are "diploma mills" springing up all over, there are also "EMT Mills" springing up all over.. until someone puts a halt to recognizing these programs they will continue to turn up.... The hours may be there, but the time to develop the appropriate care is likely not... Just one instructors opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustdevil Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Well... first you should realise that ALL EMT-B classes are seriously inadequate. Some are just more inadequate than others. That said, how much calendar time a class takes up is usually irrelevant, and not necessarily indicative of how good it is, or how much you will learn. For example, I studied German for two years in high school and didn't learn dick. I studied Spanish for one month with some audiotapes and learned to speak and understand quite well. Quite obviously, calendar length is not a primary indicator of educational quality. Lots of complete functional illiterates come out of semester-long EMT schools. Lots of sharp cookies come out of one-month schools. There is really no difference between the two, generally speaking. The amount of educational contact time you spend is the very same. One is dragged out. The other is packed in. It really all depends upon you. Learning is a very individual thing. Most people need study time between classes to really commit facts and concepts to memory. Some don't. Some people actually learn less in extended classes because they are too easily distracted to study in-between classes and end up forgetting more. What works for me may not work for you. You will have to think back on your educational experiences and honestly evaluate your learning style. Do you need study time to let things sink into your head and get them clear? Do you absorb things clearly, rapid fire, and retain them exceptionally well without having to review them a lot during the process? Do you have to work during the time you are attending school? If so, forget the one-month class. I don't care how smart you are, your plate needs to be completely clear during this rapid fire immersion process if you have any serious hopes of actually getting a quality education. Whatever you do, best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillageEMT Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Tioga county increased its requirement a couple of years ago to 168 hours of classroom time plus 10 hours of clinical time in the ED or 10 calls with transport (we only do emergency calls, not inter-facility transfer). I could keep up with the class at that rate, but I don't think I would even want to try a four week class. It just takes time to absorb all that you need to know and practice it over and over again. And I'm not exactly a slow learner, see below. Find a course that is in the four to six month range with as much hands on labs time as possible and you might be useful in an emergency and not just a "gofor". John F., BSc, CP, IGI, CFIA, CC, EMT-D Bachelor of Science – Mathematics, Computer Science, History Commercial Pilot Instrument Ground Instructor Certified Flight Instructor – Airplane Certified Clockmaker Emergency Medical Technician – Defibrillation Sr. Systems Engineer - Commercial Electronics - Aircraft systems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peemmfivekay Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 The EMT-B class I'm currently taking started in the 2nd week of June and is ending on Aug 31. It's 3 days a week, 3 hours per class, plus 4 saturday classes - those are like 6 hours each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chbare Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I agree with Dustdevil. Allot depends on the individual person. I do however believe that the best learning takes place when you are given time to study and reflect on the material. My initial EMT-B training was completed in 3 weeks during my initial Army medic training. At that time the EMT training was condensed into a 3 week period and consisted of about 130 hours. This was known as the "Delta Modules" for any of you old 91B's. While I passed the NREMT, I would not say that I was anywhere near competent at even the basics of first aid. If anything, I had a false sense of knowledge. Take care, chbare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ergo343 Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I have been looking into training to become an EMT and I found a school near me that offers EMT Basic class but its 5 days a week for a month, five hours a day. Is this normal most classes usually take four to six months right? I just completed a Basic course that was 6 weeks long. Three days a week, 7 hours a day (plus a little clinical time). We started with about 35 people and only 17 of us are taking the state written exam tomorrow. Most that didn't finish failed out. A few voluntarily withdrew to a different class, over a longer period of time, because there was just so much information that they felt they could handle in such a short period of time. And even then, some people in the class do not feel prepared for the state exam. It really just depends on the person. [Echo-ing DustDevil]: If you feel you can handle it and dedicate your time and effort into a one month class, then go for it. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 One more thing, I worked with a medic that took the Iowa short (very short ) Paramedic course and he was and still is one of the very best paramedics I've ever worked with. It all depends on how much you put into it and how much you get out of it. If you half assed do it for the month then you deserve to fail. If you put your all into it then great. You can take care of me. But DO NOT do this half way. If you choose the month long course put all your efforts into it. Oh and one other thing, how will you support yourself during this class that is 4 weeks long. there is no way that I could work and do the class. I took a accelerated masters degree program and also worked full time and I was dang near dead at the end of the year long course. I needed a year off just to recuperate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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