Spencer is the greatest of all time. I'll take him over Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and Usain Bolt any day. I graduated from one of the top universities in America, and I can confidently say that Spencer is better than nearly all of the professors there. Seldom can you find a teacher who is overflowing with knowledge, is able to convey that knowledge concisely and effectively, and manages to not display an ounce of hubris. Not only is he a walking EMS encyclopedia, he genuinely cares for his students. He wants everyone to succeed, and it shows in both the way he teaches the class and how he treats his students. His lax and understanding nature creates a more comfortable environment that fosters growth and learning. After graduating from the class, I feel fully prepared for the NREMT. But more than just an EMT class, I feel that I have learned an incredible amount of practical knowledge that I can utilize for the rest of my career in medicine. For more of the logistical stuff, I took the 5 week full-time course. It's a lot, but it's manageable--especially if you have a background in science. I was able to score above average on all the exams by basically just listening to Spencer's lectures. I PERSONALLY did not feel the need to read the book or go over the PowerPoint slides, but they are both great resources for additional help. I think the fact that I was able to do well in the class simply based on Spencer's lectures is more a reflection on his ability than mine. Random tips: -There is no wifi. So if you want to be connected to the internet, consider getting a Wifi hotspot for a month if you don't have it already -There's a Keurig machine -Don't worry too much about the uniform. You need it before your ride alongs that are scheduled usually 2-5 weeks after the beginning of the course. Of course, you will look goofy if you are the only one not wearing the uniform during class, but don't worry too much if you don't have it prepared by the first day of class -You need to print a lot of things. Just be aware of this and prepare accordingly. -I highly recommend a restaurant called "Tadian". It is super close by, inexpensive, and tasty with great customer service. read more

I loved my experience at WestCoast EMT San Diego doing the accelerated-fulltime course. Our teacher Spencer was so experienced and fun to have and made sure we learned what we needed to be prepared. We also had some skill instructors that were amazing including Mark who will soon also be teaching there too . I also had another amazing teacher named Danielle who filled in one day and helped with skills on a different day. I will miss that experience. read more

West Coast EMT - Class of the Accelerated-Fulltime Course - Vocational & Technical School Near Me - San Diego, California

I just completed the 5 week course with Crystal Wyant. She's a great instructor. I came in with years of EMS experience and was humbled. Out of a starting class of 50 only 12 of us finished. THIS IS NOT AN EASY PROGRAM! If one wants to do well he or she better dedicate a lot of their time studying for this course. Keep ahead of the required reading and REALLY MASTER the signs and symptoms of shock, cardiac, stroke and diabetes disorders or your you're giving them $1500.00 for free read more

TLDR: you get out what you put in. I just finished the course yesterday and it was a COMMITMENT. I signed up for the September to December evening course and didn't know what I was in for exactly. If I were to tell someone who's thinking about EMT school; how they should prep, I would tell them to streamline work hours, don't take a heavy class load, and minimize any personal issues like family or friend drama etc as much as possible. You need to have a mind of steel going through this course. You can't afford to zone out in class. This course demands your full attention and daily dedication to absorb the material. It's also a financial commitment. I will be honest, in addition to paying the tuition, you must buy the textbook, online access code and uniform (shirt, tactical pants, tactical boots etc). Having said all of that, it's WORTH it. You learn valuable information about providing the best care on your patient's worst day. The instructors work effortlessly to help their students bridge medical concepts to hands on practical care. The lecture material and the technical skills complement each other seamlessly during the course. The assignments and exams are scrupulous so that you are ready to take the NREMT and go work in the field. In addition to the knowledge and skills gained, you make amazing friends who are invaluable study buddies and will help you endure. I got to connect with classmates from all walks of life including pre-fire, military, pre-med/PA, pre-nursing, pre-paramedic. We brought our experiences from before to help each other fill in the gaps of our knowledge. I highly recommend this school. The instructors bring real life experience, they want their students to succeed, and they genuinely care about the quality of future EMTs they provide for the field. Holding our certificates on the last day was all worth the tuition/fees and the hours dedicated for course completion. read more

West Coast EMT - Class of 2024 December graduates - Vocational & Technical School Near Me - San Diego, California

Had an amazing experience with the WCEMT San Diego location (Aka get Spencer as the instructor). As a newbie into healthcare/emergency services etc and without any previous knowledge like anatomy classes etc, I had so much to learn, just listen in lectures and you'll pass and do great. I did the accelerated course for 5 weeks Mon-Thu 8am-5pm. Tips: 1. whether you have general knowledge of the topics covered in an EMT course or not, acknowledge that you are gonna be digesting a lottttt of new information. Get good sleep, take your notes, apply yourself don't just show up to class and expect to pass 2. Create a good set up. I did my sign/symptoms homework over the weekend in addition to the online JBL quizzes. (both graded). This way during the week all I had to worry about was learning new information, being ahead, and studying for the in person quiz and exam. 3. Ask questions, the instructor is a tool that you can use. They are always there to help you and want you to succeed. Super knowledgeable and helpful, just have the courage to ask questions, especially when it's needed. 4. Sign up for your 2 required EMS rides early, if you do them in the second or third week it's better. A lot of the students including myself put dates for the last 2 weeks of the course, however EMS services can only have so many ride alongs.Hence, I just finished the course and am taking my 2nd ride along the week after because it was backed up. Do it early. 5. Make friends in the class and help each other out. We were all able to bond over the topics that were harder to learn etc, it ended up helping a lot. Everyone the first week is obviously nervous but everyone is super nice just put yourself out there. 6. When your class is studying together for the quiz or exam and Spencer is talking, listen CAREFULLY to what he says, if he repeats something or says it slowly, it's for a reason, study it for the quiz/exam. You will be doing yourself the biggest disadvantage if you don't listen to the instructor in class. 7. The skills assessments. You get out what you put in. Skills instructors are there to help teach you and correct you in practice, but be able to make mistakes and learn before skills testing day. 8. Manage your time effectively. Some students understood the information better than others and were able to enjoy themselves more outside of class time, for students like myself, the information was hard to grasp and the extra time outside of class is needed to study more. Expect to be done with class, go home and study what you learned. 9. Quizlet helps a lot, however cross check the information on there with your notes. (the book wasn't really much of help). But Spencer goes over all of the important topics in detail. Quizlet is good for practice but know your definitions and how things work. 10. Not everyone in the class but most were taken as a prerequisite for Fire Service. Super nice to network with everyone on this journey and get more information about the different routes people are on. I believe we started with 60 individuals and ended with 40 passing or so. Overall, the class was not that difficult if you followed these. At a bare minimum, turn everything in on time, keep up in the class or get ahead, LISTEN to the instructor. Great experience. Also the Cargo Cafe coffee shop there is phenomenal. Very convenient. About to take NREMT, super confident and studying pocket prep after the class. Goodluck y'all. read more

I recently completed a 5-week EMT course, and while it was definitely challenging and fast-paced, it was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had. The instructor Spencer is a super chill and relaxed guy who genuinely wants everyone to pass, but be sure to LISTEN AND PAY ATTENTION to him. The intensity of the program really pushed me to stay focused and organized, and it helped me develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills--essential traits for any aspiring EMT. Despite the demanding schedule, the hands-on training made learning fun and engaging. I also got to meet some great people along the way. We supported each other throughout the course, and I'm happy to say I made some solid new friends. Also some little side note(s): - Look out for words or sentences that the instructor repeats or says very slowly because this will probably be on the quiz or exam. - Make friends! trust me this will help immensely - Quizlet is your friend but make sure to cross check the info that is also in the book. - If you've taken anatomy in college or any other school, its going to help you out a ton. If you haven't, don't worry about it, just be sure to study the info on the slides and you should be good. - I would also HIGHLY RECOMMEND to download the slides from the lectures and voice memo record the lectures as well. If you're considering an EMT class and are ready to be challenged, I highly recommend this one. It was tough, but absolutely worth it. read more

The worst program ever. So much unnecessary work and way more expensive than it should be. If you want a top notch program , take the accelerated MIRAMAR college EMT program. Its the best and the teachers and staff are way more helpful than the staff here. Not to mention, the Miramar program is like 1/5 of the price of Westcoast EMT. 0/5 is what I give westcoast emt, but im forced to give them 1 star on here. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

The worst EMT training in San Diego--do yourself a favor, and don't waste your money. I took the accelerated Sunday class in San Diego in the fall, and it was such a waste of time that I'm now re-enrolled in Miramar. My West Coast instructor spent his breaks vape-ing in the office with the door closed, giving rambling lectures about the chemistry of heart medications that had nothing to do with an EMT's scope of practice, and was just generally very (very) ill suited to be an instructor. Truly, it was the worst teaching I've experienced in my 20+ years as a student. The lab instruction was unfortunately just as poor (when you have a classmate ask what an AED is three months into the course, that should tell you something about the quality of instruction :/), with rent-an-instructors who were brought in for lab sessions and neither taught skills nor really tested them. The practical "exam" I had was a group session where the instructor stood at the front of the room, had all twenty-ish of us do the skill at once, and then said, "ok great, you all passed!". It's a good system for taking students' money and churning them through, I guess, but a little scary on all other fronts. Finally, the cancellation policy is incredibly strict, and the administration practices are frankly a little shady--be warned, they'll have you sign a paper contract on your first day that states the last day you're able to cancel for a refund ... and then you'll never, ever see that paper or that cancellation deadline again (it's not in your confirmation email, your online student documentation, or on any paper documentation that you get a copy of). Do yourself a favor and enroll in Miramar or Palomar--you'll pay half as much, learn at least double, and actually be in a decent spot to pass the NREMT. read more

I had an amazing experience at West Coast! I can not say enough good things about WCEMT San Diego. Spencer is an amazing instructor. You 100% get out what you put in, this is like an college class in terms of material. I wouldn't sign up unless you're prepared to really take time to actually learn this material because it is dense. As long as you're on top of your assignments and put time into studying, the exams are manageable. I had such a fun time learning skills and getting hands on experience! I feel very prepared to work as an EMT in the real world! read more

Took the West Coast EMT night class in San Diego, it was a phenomenal course, Anthony was by far the best instructor one could have. He genuinely cared about his students and taught the material in a way where the information stuck. Have heard negative things about another instructor and there seems to be little to no communication between admin and and the west coast locations which makes it difficult and frustrating to get ride alongs scheduled which are crucial. Another example of no communication among administration and its locations was when no instructor show up to teach a Sunday class which was very frustrating that many of the students take off work for these classes. read more

Great dynamic programs, cater to all individuals and time schedules. Really impressed with Instructors and criteria

Took the evening Monday/Wednesday class and had the privilege to have Anthony as my instructor. He truly knows what he's talking about and has the passion and desire for his students to understand the material and pass the exams. 100% worth it. read more

I just finished the full-time 5 week course & I'm so glad I had Mr.Schafer as my instructor ! The fact that it's the accelerated course makes it by far more of a challenge, but there was a perfect balance of entertainment/fun and education. I would definitely recommend this campus and Mr.Schafer, he is so genuine and always pushes you to exceed your own expectations of yourself. Chelsea at the front desk also is super sweet, attentive to everyone's needs & helps the students out tremendously. read more

Spencer is a breath of fresh air as far as teachers go. He's very honest & fair, and does a great job lecturing to help his students understand the material and core concepts. He'll take time to help you in his class and with your future whether you're a student thriving in his class or struggling. Spencer is incredibly knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions my class ever had. He even helped set us up for the future by including some more practical applications of the knowledge, and how to take the next step to get ahead for Paramedic's school. He's the best and most versed teacher I've ever had the pleasure of learning from. read more

Really nice facility. Break room for students, fridge, microwave. Spencer the instructor was really knowledgable about all the information. You could tell he really cared about the students and wanted us to succeed. Anything I needed help with he was more than happy to help. He definitely knew what he was talking about. I passed the national exam on my first time and felt well prepared. Definitely recommend this school. read more

Spencer was amazing. He was always willing to teach you above and beyond what you just needed to know, and was able to make class fun every day. He got people genuinely excited to enter EMS, and because of Spencer I'll be delaying medical school to go to medic school. Can't give a high enough recommendation. read more

I recently moved to San Diego and am so glad that I picked West Coast EMT for my certification needs. Spencer and Chelsea provided outstanding training. They gave me the information, support and confidence needed to pass with flying colors. Proud to be a West Coast EMT graduate and recommend this program and campus to everyone beginning their EMS career. read more