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I am starting EMT B training through NCTI in a few months. I have received the books necessary and have been reading. I have already been given an assignment to read the first 4 chapter's.
I have heard and read mixed reviews about this school and was curious as to if anyone had some insight to share?
What am I going to expect on the first day
Any feed back would be appreciated.
 
I went to NCTI and I have to tell you if I hadn't studied my butt off outside of class I would never have passed the NREMT. I went to NCTI in Houston and I really wish I had made the time to go to community college, but it is what it is. My main gripe with NCTI s the almost complete lack of hands on training. You mostly sit around watching videos and listening to the instructors war stories. On the other hand AMR the company NCTI is affiliated with usually has contracts with some good hospitals for your clinicals. I got to do 3 12 hour shifts at memorial Herman med center lvl 1 trauma center in Houston. I got to see stuff that most medics will never witness first hand and even had a few MD's take the time to work with me a bit. My preceptor was excellent during these rotations. You take the good with the bad.
 
An Ambulance Officer is many things however broadly speaking it is 98% people management, 1.9% fundamental praxis and 0.1% advanced care.

Most of the jobs you will go to are acute exacerbations of chronic disease (angina, heart disease, asthma/COPD, diabetes, renal failure etc) and are not glamorous or exciting. Despite what your poorly written textbook tells you, most patients are not in an immediate threat to life. There is nothing exciting about attempting to resuscitate somebody in cardiac arrest on the floor of their home with the family watching you when you know full well there are overwhelming odds he is going to stay dead. There is nothing exciting about having to tell that persons family their loved one is dead and Brown finds it an incredibly undignified way to die.

Many Americans it seems are "trauma junkies" well trauma is a horrible disease which has a profoundly devastating effect on society. There is nothing "cool" about assessing and treating somebody who amputated his arm with a rotary saw and may never be able to use it properly meaning he can't work and support his family any longer or going to a road traffic accident where the occupants have died meaning their families are going to forever be burdened with grief, anger and the untold emotional pressure of loosing a loved one.

Do you have an interest in talking with people and building meaningful rapport with them in order to provide care? Do you have an interest in biology, chemistry and the inner workings of the body as they relate to physiologic and pathophysiologic states? Do you have an interest in continuing education? Do you think you are able to relate well to people in different circumstances and situations? Do you work well with others?
 
Hi buddy sounds like the bald headed guy nailed it for ya. I'd pm him & compare notes/network etc.
Also remember, our great country has 350 million folks in it. That said I aint sure what "many Americans" being trauma junkies would amount to in numbers but if you have a calling for trauma, go there amigo!
Also get out and learn as much as you can from your fellow EMT's and you might try getting some time at ER's, Labs, and many diiferent places to find your calling. Good luck!
 
An Ambulance Officer is many things however broadly speaking it is 98% people management, 1.9% fundamental praxis and 0.1% advanced care.

Most of the jobs you will go to are acute exacerbations of chronic disease (angina, heart disease, asthma/COPD, diabetes, renal failure etc) and are not glamorous or exciting. Despite what your poorly written textbook tells you, most patients are not in an immediate threat to life. There is nothing exciting about attempting to resuscitate somebody in cardiac arrest on the floor of their home with the family watching you when you know full well there are overwhelming odds he is going to stay dead. There is nothing exciting about having to tell that persons family their loved one is dead and Brown finds it an incredibly undignified way to die.

Many Americans it seems are "trauma junkies" well trauma is a horrible disease which has a profoundly devastating effect on society. There is nothing "cool" about assessing and treating somebody who amputated his arm with a rotary saw and may never be able to use it properly meaning he can't work and support his family any longer or going to a road traffic accident where the occupants have died meaning their families are going to forever be burdened with grief, anger and the untold emotional pressure of loosing a loved one.

Do you have an interest in talking with people and building meaningful rapport with them in order to provide care? Do you have an interest in biology, chemistry and the inner workings of the body as they relate to physiologic and pathophysiologic states? Do you have an interest in continuing education? Do you think you are able to relate well to people in different circumstances and situations? Do you work well with others?

Did you just dis me for enjoying the trauma rotation part of my basic training? NO PEANUTS FOR YOU!
 
I took an NCTI Intermediate class, and while I agree with bigbaldguy on the independant study I had a completly different experience with the hands on training. We started doing practicals and IV's by the third week, and continued to do them the entire class.

Our instructor also had a great ability to bring everything we learned in class back to the assessment. He pounded the point of good assessments deep down into our brains.

I was happy with the overall experience, I passed the class and the state written and practical exams the first time through with flying colors.

That being said, the instructor was a real douche and many people in my class hated it.
 
Thank you everyone for the input. Much appreciated
I have been taking it upon my self to study and read ahead of the suggested reading. Taking many notes to ensure I am understanding things correctly.
I guess we will see how it goes classroom wise. I will give it my all and do the best I can
I will keep you updated as to how its going
..
thank you again
 
Thank you everyone for the input. Much appreciated
I have been taking it upon my self to study and read ahead of the suggested reading. Taking many notes to ensure I am understanding things correctly.
I guess we will see how it goes classroom wise. I will give it my all and do the best I can
I will keep you updated as to how its going
..
thank you again

Which NCTI "branch" are you attending? My experience is that some are better than others... but remember it's a wholy owned branch of the largest service in the country (AMR), and they're interested in pushing out providers, and not much more.
 
Riverside. Ca

I don't know anything about the Riverside NCTI, but I will say this: I encourage you to read some of the other discussions here about the job situation in California right now. There are many more EMTs than jobs, and they (we) are seen as easily replaceable. To that end, you WILL have difficulty finding a job. Consider this before shelling out money and taking the class.

Good Luck!
 
dan..

Very true Dan. I agree with you on the job situation in CA. I have already shelled out the cash. Sold my dream 1962 Cadillac to pay for it.
I wanted to take the class and get certified. This has just been a profession I have always wanted to get into.
I was considering moving out of state once finished with class,sad to say but I am fed up with California.
 
The Riverside division of AMR seems to have a good reputation. Hopefully that will reflect on the NCTI there...

When it comes down to it EMT-B isn't rocket science. I will also disagree with the statement that all the want to do is "Push out providers". They may be the one of the largest, if not the largest EMS/transport companies in the nation, but there still is an oversaturation of EMTs and I'd bet they realize this, there is no reason to add to this oversaturation with incompetent, undertrained EMTs. Just my .02 though.
 
The Riverside division of AMR seems to have a good reputation. Hopefully that will reflect on the NCTI there...

When it comes down to it EMT-B isn't rocket science. I will also disagree with the statement that all the want to do is "Push out providers". They may be the one of the largest, if not the largest EMS/transport companies in the nation, but there still is an oversaturation of EMTs and I'd bet they realize this, there is no reason to add to this oversaturation with incompetent, undertrained EMTs. Just my .02 though.

Yeah Riverside is ok, but Hemet or the Palm Springs divisions are a bit more employee friendly. to the OP, why not RCC, MSJC, Crafton or one of the other CC programs? Cheaper to say the least. I know a lot of skills instructors from NCTI, they're good people, a bunch of my coworkers actually.
 
jgmedic

Its funny that you post inregards to the palm springs hemet location. When I looked on the website neither of those locations were an option. Otherwise I would have chosen either one. Much closer to me...
I don't mind the drive, I just hope the instructor's are there to teach and are willing to go the extra mile for your success... it has been something I have always wanted to do. Everytime I see an AMR ambulance I can only hope that one day I will be inside as an EMS professional.
 
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