Hey! I'm looking into EMT-B programs in the Portland metro area and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations. I've found several 6mo programs through various community colleges and one 3mo program through a place in Vancouver, WA called Northwest Regional Training Center. I've found no feedback about any of these programs online and was wondering if anyone has had personal experience with any of them or has heard anything about them in the industry. Any information is much appreciated
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If you can give me a little idea about your future plans I may be able to give you some focused advice and help point you in the right direction. I have thirteen years of fire/ems field experience and seven years experience in the ER here in PDX with very good contacts in all three fields that can give me the most current up to date information. My ER is in a teaching hospital with medic students in for their clinicals almost every night. I always try and see what their plans are and try and offer up whatever help I can. We exchange contact info which can help us both in the future,networking is huge in this business and everyone benefits from building contacts.
Something else to think about if you have a career path in mind is have you put any thought into your three and five year plans? Having a plan is important because things have really changed in the last few years and what were once considered reliable career paths are now not always the best available options. It can be a huge waste of time and money if your not making the decisions that are going to provide you the best ROI (return on investment). So give a little thought and come back and maybe we can help get you moving. Remember we were all new so there is no such thing as a stupid question
Something else to think about if you have a career path in mind is have you put any thought into your three and five year plans? Having a plan is important because things have really changed in the last few years and what were once considered reliable career paths are now not always the best available options. It can be a huge waste of time and money if your not making the decisions that are going to provide you the best ROI (return on investment). So give a little thought and come back and maybe we can help get you moving. Remember we were all new so there is no such thing as a stupid question
Thank you, I appreciate it! Within 3 years I would like to apply and be admitted to nursing school, within 5 I would like to be working as a nurse and have completed a nursing residency program. I've worked in mental & community health-related social work for about 18mo, as a medical receptionist for about a year, have completed all the pre-requisite courses, and am looking to get more hands-on experience to bolster my resume and chances of getting in since it's so competitive. I thought EMT-B would be a good way to get that experience. With all that in mind, do you think EMT-B is an appropriate stepping stone (compared to EMT-Paramedic, which is a more lengthy and intensive training process)?
Good job on having your three and five year plans in place it shows your focused and have a desire to actively move forward with your education. The current thinking among the RN's with field experience as medics is for new ER RN's to get a BSN (required almost everywhere) and work back if you want to play in the field as a medic. For years it was the other way around,everyone was going medic with the end result being RN or Fire.
Having your pre reqs knocked out is also a good thing,classes for RN pre reqs in the PDX area can and do fill quickly. What kind of nursing are you leaning towards? The employment outlook for EMT basics and medics is better than I thought at this time. I recently talked with a friend who works as a Medic/FTO with AMR and he said they are currently looking for medics. AMR may lose their contract with Multnomah County which could really shake things up. Who could or will take it over is a tough call at this point. Right now as you may know there are several programs in the Portland/Vancouver area cranking out new basics and medics. Spending money on either program then gambling on trying to secure work will require some hard thinking on your part. In the past it was not uncommon to see medics working on wheelchair vans and basics being just out of luck when it came to field jobs. Im in the ER tonight and will talk to a few of the crews and see if I can nail down a good outlook for jobs.
Any reason your not actively applying for RN programs? Currently I know two other er techs that are in the process of trying to find a program and one that just got accepted. If your pre reqs are done you should be on top of it as there may be a wait. If your working currently in a health care related position thats a plus. If your not working or your looking for more hands on experience my employer Legacy Health has a few tech jobs on their website and Im sure Unity is looking for MHT's. Techs in our ER's make pretty good money and with your backround and education you would have a good shot at getting in. This is a huge plus if your looking at ER nursing. Pay is 17.30 to 23.13 an hour with 1.40 differential for evenings and 2.50 for nights. Something to consider
Having your pre reqs knocked out is also a good thing,classes for RN pre reqs in the PDX area can and do fill quickly. What kind of nursing are you leaning towards? The employment outlook for EMT basics and medics is better than I thought at this time. I recently talked with a friend who works as a Medic/FTO with AMR and he said they are currently looking for medics. AMR may lose their contract with Multnomah County which could really shake things up. Who could or will take it over is a tough call at this point. Right now as you may know there are several programs in the Portland/Vancouver area cranking out new basics and medics. Spending money on either program then gambling on trying to secure work will require some hard thinking on your part. In the past it was not uncommon to see medics working on wheelchair vans and basics being just out of luck when it came to field jobs. Im in the ER tonight and will talk to a few of the crews and see if I can nail down a good outlook for jobs.
Any reason your not actively applying for RN programs? Currently I know two other er techs that are in the process of trying to find a program and one that just got accepted. If your pre reqs are done you should be on top of it as there may be a wait. If your working currently in a health care related position thats a plus. If your not working or your looking for more hands on experience my employer Legacy Health has a few tech jobs on their website and Im sure Unity is looking for MHT's. Techs in our ER's make pretty good money and with your backround and education you would have a good shot at getting in. This is a huge plus if your looking at ER nursing. Pay is 17.30 to 23.13 an hour with 1.40 differential for evenings and 2.50 for nights. Something to consider