For high school students who like medicine but do not plan to become doctors, vocational-technical programs for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are a practical choice. It used to be more challenging to complete the high school vo-tech program. With the recent design of the tutor saliba learning method for vo-tech students, learning the nuts and bolts of how to be an effective EMT has become easier for oral, visual and auditory learners.

Specialized Learning

Oral, visual and auditory techniques are effective for discovering the critical information involved in learning the trade of an EMT. Some specialized vo-tech learning programs throughout the country offer a combined firefighter-EMT program so that high school students who complete the program will be more versatile in their job hunting and career paths. Many municipalities throughout the United States require their firefighters to also be certified as emergency medical personnel. Some professionals do both types of work as a personal preference, especially in areas that use volunteers to man their fire trucks and ambulances. A combination of oral, visual and auditory learning is especially effective for firefighters and emergency workers. Recalling visual aids used in class, for example, may make the difference between using the proper life-saving procedure and the incorrect one.

Emergency Learning

As long as there are people, there will be a need for EMTs. People by their very nature get hurt, become ill and need medical assistance on a daily basis. It takes a special type of individual to work with people every day who are in distress. When high school teens begin the training programs, it is a solid opportunity for them to learn if this is perhaps the right career path for them. When it is, the basic training is already complete when they graduate from school. As a result, they will be ready to begin a career immediately, while other students are heading off to college to learn their trades.

Skills

Students who take vocational classes for emergency training and firefighting learn the basic techniques and skill required for the stations in their state or region. They learn endurance, how to remain calm in a stressful situation, how to move a victim, the proper technique to drag a hose and other technical abilities suited to the job. Schools that do not include the firefighting portion of the curriculum generally do not teach how to drag a hose or extend a truck ladder; however, these skills are not always a necessity, depending on where the student works.