Usual Answer(s): For non-college
programs, usually not. For college courses, the school may
require an ACT or SAT, plus a HOBET or other healthcare
related exam.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
partners with BSC, which requires an ACT or SAT for younger
students, or a COMPASS placement test for older students.
These tests may be waived if the student has any college level
math and English classes completed prior to enrollment.
Return to top of page
General course questions:
How much does the
program cost?
Usual Answer(s): Tuition ranges
from $8,000 to $20,000.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
publishes an estimated course cost
list for each cohort prior to taking applications.
This list includes all of the costs that will be
charged to the student: tuition, books, lab fees, internship
fees, uniforms, insurance, computer fees, etc. The student
should also consider living expenses in the area and any
driving expenses to get to labs and clinicals before choosing
a program.
Is there financial
aid available?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
courses are unable to provide federal financial aid.
Better Answer: As an affiliate
of BSC, all usual Federal, state, local and college financial
aid is available to our students. Remember to complete a
FAFSA as soon as you file your
taxes each year.
Are scholarships
available?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
courses may have local scholarships, especially from ambulance
services with employment needs.
Better Answer: Along with
accepting the above scholarships, BSC may award scholarships
based on need. Additionally, the student should apply for the
following scholarships, if eligible:
·
ND:
Technology Occupations Student Loan Forgiveness Program
·
MN:
Timothy L. Correll Foundation
·
Children of
Firefighters/EMTs:
BoundTree Medical
Are you accredited?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
programs are usually not accredited. College programs are
almost always accredited by a college accreditation program
through their school, but the actual paramedic program may not
be nationally accredited.
Better Answer: The
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP)
is a national body that awards accreditation to paramedic
programs. Only 233 programs carry this accreditation in the
US. FM Ambulance is proud to be one such program. We regard
accreditation as a process and not just a certificate. We
strive to improve our program continuously with input from
CAAHEP, the students, faculty and, possibly most importantly,
the employers who hire our product: entry-level competent
paramedics.
Return to top of page
What standard
does your program follow?
Usual Answer(s): State
guidelines.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
meets the DOT, NREMT, state, and CAAHEP guidelines. By
meeting NREMT guidelines, our students qualify to sit for the
National Registry exam. FM Ambulance is also a North
Dakota EMS Training Center.
Do you offer a degree?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
courses cannot offer degrees.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance, as
well as most college level paramedic courses, offer a choice
between a certificate only program or a college degree
(Associate in Applied Science). The certificate program still
requires application to BSC and payment of tuition. The
certificate program is 43 credits. An additional 17 credits
will confer the AAS degree.
Are there any non-traditional or alternative delivery methods?
Usual Answer(s): None - day
classes at the college campus only.
Better Answer: While
face-to-face day classes are admittedly the best way to learn,
FM Ambulance recognizes that not every student can devote an
entire year without employment to learning a new profession.
Correspondingly, we offer other options for a one night a week
non traditional course
1.
Local students can
take night classes face-to-face in Fargo.
2.
Rural students can
view the lectures by inter-active video conferencing in many
communities. (click here for a map of current and past
satellite sites). Additional sites can be added as necessary
to fill demand.
3.
If you are not
local to Fargo or one of the video sites, FM Ambulance now
also offers an internet delivery option. Even though it is
on-line, it is still interactive, meaning you are required to
be on-line during the lectures, but it allows you to receive
those lectures in your own home via the internet.
Remember, even if
the classes are held at night, the clinical sites may only be
available during a weekday (operating rooms, for example).
Any program that offers a “nighttime only” or “weekend only”
course may be misleading you about the real requirements (or
they just don’t have any clinical sites). FM Ambulance’s
night programs still require some day hours for class (all
night students attend lab on the second Saturday and Sunday of
each month in Fargo) and clinicals (OR, Homeless Health,
etc.). The student is given several weeks of notice prior to
having to fulfill these requirements.
Return to top of page
What
educational materials do you use?
Usual Answer(s): A single, large
paramedic textbook that has been in use by the program for
years. Tests are given on paper in class. Emphasis on the
“benefits” of face-to-face only instruction.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
uses hybrid education in our classes. What does this mean?
Unlike traditional classes, hybrid courses move testing and
additional resources into an on-line course management
system. Without having to take time to pass out, administer,
and hand-correct quizzes, the instructors can spend more time
actually teaching. Students take the tests on-line at home.
Hybrid education also allows us to move beyond teaching to the
“slowest” students. We can lecture to the “average” student.
Then, students who are struggling can utilize the additional
on-line resources to better their understanding of the
material. Instructors also have more time to spend with that
student. High performers can also access more advanced
resources to improve or expand their knowledge base. An
additional benefit of on-line course management is that
everyone knows what their grades are whenever they want to
look them up. Finally, NAEMT, NAEMSE, and the NREMT (along
with the Education Standards committee) are recognizing that
hybrid education is a better way of providing EMS education
now and in the future. We have been doing so for at least 6
years. The rest of the nation is just starting to realize the
benefits and following us. We also believe there is a benefit
to on-line testing in the course, as this is how the NREMT
exam is now administered.
The main
text we use is one that is not only written by people we know
personally, but we also had a hand in editing it. The text is
a single volume, but incorporates many web-based additional
materials. It is the first paramedic text based on Evidence
Based Medicine and the first to truly integrate a hybrid
education style.
Our Anatomy and Physiology text
is one of the first to be written expressly for a paramedic
course. Previous texts were borrowed from nursing or pre-med
courses.
Additional texts are required
for specialty areas like cardiology, 12 lead interpretation,
medical terminology and the certificate courses. For students
who are looking for additional material, either to help with
weak areas, or just to improve their knowledge, we also offer
texts in drug calculations, pharmacology, and heart rhythm
interpretation.
Return to top of page
How long is the course?
Usual Answer(s): Anywhere from 6
weeks to 3 years. Non-college courses without college credit
are usually shorter. College campus based programs are
normally 2 full academic years.
Better Answer: Our day program
is 11 months and the night program is 16 months long. The
class is long enough to allow for clinical experiences while
short enough to get the student into the workforce rapidly.
Do students
earn any other certificates?
Usual Answer(s): Most programs
only offer Advanced Cardiac life Support (ACLS), Pediatric
Advanced Life Support (PALS) certificates or they charge for
“optional’ certificates.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
includes all of these certificates in its required curriculum:
Advanced Cardiac life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life
Support (PALS), Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS),
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI), and AHA BLS Instructor
(allows students to teach AHA CPR and First Aid courses).
Is any travel required?
Usual Answer(s): This one
varies. Non-college schools in small towns may require
commutes to class and to all clinicals. Courses in larger
cities allow for all of the class and clinicals to be
completed locally.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
allows the student to choose. Moving to Fargo and taking the
day program allows the student to have a very low mileage
course. Students in rural areas can attend lectures by video
or internet, but will have to drive to urban areas for some
clinicals. All of the students may sign up for any of the
clinical sites. So a Fargo student still has the option of
attending a clinical in Minneapolis/St. Paul (or vice-versa)
if they choose.
How many
students are in the program?
Usual Answer(s): Varies
widely. Non-college courses can have as few as 3 students.
College programs are usually limited enrollment with maximum
enrollments of 20 to 25 students.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance’s
total enrollment averages 60 students in 3 cohorts. A cohort
is a section of students who start and graduate at the same
time. With a day cohort and 2 night cohorts, we have about 20
students in class at a time. Lab sessions split this further
into small groups. Our classes are small enough for
individual attention while large enough for lively
interaction. Very small classes don’t allow enough variety or
discussions. Class sizes that are larger than 25 allow some
students to “slack” and fall through the cracks.
Return
to top of page
Classroom questions:
How are
paramedic skills presented in class?
Usual Answer(s): “My way or the
highway” approach. This uses instructors who follow “the
local practices as the only good practices” method of
instruction. This method encourages paramedics who only
follow local protocol without much innovation (called
“cookbook medics”).
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
recognizes that we produce medics who work all over the
country. We strive to eliminate any local or regional bias
from our instruction. Experts in procedures that aren’t
performed at our service are brought in to teach those
practices. This broadens our instruction and makes it more
universal. It also teaches the student that there may be more
than one “right’ way to care for a specific patient. Our
instructors also encourage students to read the latest
research and incorporate Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) into
their treatments.
Who teaches the course?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
courses are usually taught by a part-time instructor without
much experience as an instructor. College courses may have 1
or 2 full-time instructors. These instructors are usually
paramedics.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance has
a full time education department – the Emergency Medical
Education Center (EMEC). We have 8 full-time instructors and
an administrative assistant. The paramedic program has 3 full
time staff dedicated to it. For some specific topics, experts
in the local medical community provide lectures as well.
These include firefighters, law enforcement officers, flight
medics, doctors, nurses, and anesthetists.
While there are specific duties
outside of the paramedic program for the remaining staff, all
of the EMEC instructors share their “street” experience with
the program. EMEC as a group teaches over 6,000 students
annually in courses from CPR to EMT to ACLS. Our audience
includes lay persons to nurses to doctors in the local area
and the region. Our instructors also present as speakers at
regional, state and national conferences. Several of our
instructors are active in local, state and national
associations as well.
Return to top of page
What is the school's
setting?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
courses are usually taught in a hospital or community center.
College courses are normally taught on campus as part of a
nursing building.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance is a
working Non-college ambulance service. EMEC is co-located
with this service and courses are taught in our main station.
Currently working field paramedics serve as adjunct
instructors and assist with labs and skills when they are
in-house. Our only focus is emergency education.
How
do I acquire the hands-on skills I will use on patients?
Usual Answer(s): Practice skills
on mannequins during artificial scenarios.
Better Answer: We start with
minimal examples in the lab using mannequins and fellow
students. However, all of our DOT required skills are
performed on actual patients in emergency rooms and, more
importantly, in the field. These “live skill acquisitions”
allow our students to graduate with a much higher confidence
when treating their first patients.
Does
the course have dedicated classroom space?
Usual Answer(s): Non-college
courses usually do not have a dedicated space. Some college
courses share or rent space for their programs. This leads to
problems with storage and security of equipment, availability
of rooms, and other issues related to not owning your own
space.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance’s
EMEC has dedicated classroom space including a room
specifically set up for the delivery of video lectures and
rooms set up for instruction in paramedic skills. We have
secure storerooms and a computer lab for our students.
How much and what kind of specialized equipment does the
course use?
Usual Answer(s): Whatever the
college allowed in the budget or whatever the local ambulance
service uses. Some equipment may not even be the school’s (on
loan from the local service) and thus may be unavailable
during class or lab sessions.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
uses modern equipment found in many services in the US. We
use several styles of each type of equipment to prepare the
student for employment across the country. All of the
equipment is owned by the program and is stored in or near the
classrooms.
Return
to top of page
Internship questions:
How are your internships timed compared to the lectures?
Usual Answer: Consecutive –
provide classroom lecture for a semester (or all at once),
then a semester of internships only. Classroom instructors
are usually only available on an “appointment” basis during
clinical phase.
Better Answer: Concurrent – FM
Ambulance starts hospital and ambulance internships within the
first several weeks of starting the course. This allows
students to immediately apply the classroom knowledge to the
field. Students can then identify weaknesses in their
knowledge base and ask their instructors in the next class
period (which benefits all of the students). Immediate
application always makes for better understanding and
retention.
Who contacts the clinical sites for availability and
scheduling?
Usual Answer(s): Student is
given a list of area sites and must schedule with the
facility.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance has
a full-time clinical coordinator. Her function is to ensure
that clinical sites are available to our students, to schedule
those sites, and to maintain the schedule on
FISDAP.
Where can I
complete my clinicals?
Usual Answer(s): Locally at a
short list of sites.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance has
clinical contracts with over 70 sites/departments of all types
across Minnesota and North Dakota. Some are rural, some are
urban. This will give you a wide range of experiences.
Click here for a map of those sites. FM Ambulance is the
only program with clinical sites in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
We also have sites in Minneapolis including North Memorial
Hospital, North Memorial Ambulance and St. Paul Fire EMS. Our
clinical coordinator can set up clinical sites in other places
based on need and proximity to training sites.
How are
internships scheduled and tracked?
Usual Answer(s): Student does it
on their own or school uses paper calendars. Scheduling can
range from the school mandating when and where a student
attends a clinical to schools that completely ignore when and
where student’s schedule their shifts.
Better Answer:We use the FISDAP
Scheduler program. Signing up, tracking, and reminders are
all on-line. Student’s are given a timeframe and available
shifts and then choose those that match their schedule.
Return to top of page
How do I keep track of those skills I have performed?
Usual Answer(s): Use your own
paper or a computer spreadsheet.
Better Answer: FISDAP is rapidly
becoming the standard of web-based data management for
paramedic programs. FM Ambulance has been involved with
FISDAP since its beginning. We were one of the first test
sites and continue to provide assistance to the FISDAP team.
The system is easy to use by both instructors and students, it
has a proven track record, is reliable, and provides a record
that employers can rely on when hiring. FISDAP also provides
data for research to improve paramedic education. Our
instructors have been involved with several FISDAP Research
Summits and presented findings at national conferences.
How
many hours of clinicals will I complete?
Usual Answer(s): Extremely
variable. Most courses use the DOT minimum as the goal. This
is 300 hours combined between hospitals and ambulances. Ask
for an average of the last class’ clinical hours.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance
students average 1,200 hours of clinicals. This gives the
students the equivalent of 2/3 of a year of experience with
actual patient encounters, not simulations.
Post-graduation questions:
What is your job
placement rate?
Usual Answer(s): 100%
Better Answer: This one is
actually pretty easy. With the nationwide shortage of
paramedics, it would be the rare, and poor, program that
couldn’t have a 100% placement rate. See the next question
for a good follow-up.
Return to top of page
Where do your
graduate medics work?
Usual Answer(s): In this
community or local rural services. Non-college programs may
actually only teach medics for their own service.
Better Answer: FM Ambulance is
very proud of our placement of paramedics in services across
the country. Our reputation as a school allows our alumni
access to almost any employer in the country. Employers know
that our students learn real-life skills and spend large
amounts of time practicing those skills.
We also provide an
annual EMS Job Fair for our students and employers. Local,
regional and national employers attend. This is scheduled for
9 am to 1 pm on the second Saturday in February each year.
Where do your students take their practical exams?
Usual Answer(s): At a
state-sponsored exam with various brands of equipment you may
not be familiar with.
Better Answer: As a state
licensed training center, we offer practical exams at the end
of every course. You will use the same equipment that you
used in class. We also ensure that the evaluators are current
with all of the skills and algorithms involved in the testing
process.
What
are your NREMT paramedic exam pass rates?
Usual Answer(s): Nat'l average
1st time = 63%, Overall = 82%
Better Answer: Our 10 year
averages - 1st time = 66%, Overall = 88%. We have also
recently changed to using the Online Summative Paramedic Exam
(OSPE) as our course final. This exam is a proven indicator
of success on the NREMT exam. Last year’s numbers, only
allowing students who pass the OSPE to test the NREMT, are 1st
time = 81% (25 of 31), 2nd time = 87% (27 of 31).
Remember that the other programs often report simulated patients
and lab skills to meet the DOT requirements. ALL of
our students reported skills were on LIVE patients.
Ask your prospective program if their students meet or exceed
the DOT requirements.
