what do you guys think about online emt certifications is it good,bad or ok?

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Maryland is doing recertification online for the written part and then you have to sign up for a practical test.
We also have to do protocols online for a certificate every year.
For most people, I personally wouldn't recommend this type of program. There are the exceptions.There are many offered in the US, and I can think of 5 here locally.

On line courses offer the benefit of the class lecture portion taken at your leisure instead of a structured classroom setting. Most have at least 1 or 2 days a month for actual hands on skills training/testing, which must be attended. The required clinical time is done the same as in a regular program.

One must be well motivated to complete the lessons on time. If a student has a hard time understanding a particular topic, it is more difficult for them to ask questions and get an answer from the instructor. One must wait to have their email questions answered, as opposed to immediate feedback in the classroom setting. It is easier to "cheat" on lesson and test answers which doesn't ensure learning, and usually bites one in the butt when it comes to taking a state or national certification test.

IF, one is contemplating going the online route, it is imperative that the course be from an accredited school, preferably affiliated with a local college or university. Set up a time schedule exclusively for doing the lessons or tests, just as one would in a classroom, and not just when it is convenient. Getting involved with study groups and maintaining one's integrity throughout the course will help ensure proper learning.
fireman... do you ever think before you respond on these forums? Its happening all over the country....Oregon just went to online re-certifications. It was a lot easier than filling in all the paperwork to recert. You can't take the EMT course online, just re-cert. I had my new card in 10 days opposed to a month. The department just has to have all your CE hours documented.
Well I do stand corrected... I was just assuming after some of your other posts that you were wrong again... my bad.
I think that you need the hands-on. That is what helped me . I found the slide boring as hell, but when it was time for hands-on...I loved it..
Online classes aren't unheard of, The NWCG has taken to offering the S-130/190 Wildland Firefighter courses online. Students still have to show up for required skills test days, but in the end their certificate will be the same as someone such as myself who sat through a week of lectures.

EMT would be a different animal though, the sheer amount hours that are in the class (which, if I'm not mistaken is 228hrs including 48hrs of rotations, way my class was 4 months ago). If it was a complete self study program not tied to a local agency or community college I imagine it would also be difficult to secure a place to practice skills, and perform the required ambulance/ED rotations.

If it were set up correctly, I don't see why an online program wouldn't work though. With the amount of media you can incorporate into websites now, you could bring so much material into the lesson plan(s) that would fully explain concepts to students better than any single text book could. And if the online program were through a local community college or tied to a local emergency service agency, students could still come in for skills testing and other hands on activity's you cannot get through the internet. Also would make their rotations easier to carry out.
The only reason I can see for online classes is because there is not enough money for training, class room space, to pay an instructor to teach. Another is lack of instructors in the system to teach.

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