16 Best Paramedic Programs In Sarasota, FL (2022 Updated)

The most unorganized, unprofessional, "learning institution" I have ever come across. There are a FEW instructors within the nursing program that really have a passion for teaching nursing students, but the rest, this is merely a second source of income for them. It is very rare that you'll receive an email back in regards to an issue you have and if you do happen to get an email back it's most likely going to be at least a week later. While the school may be accredited to be a learning institution, the nursing program is NOT accredited. Save your time and money. It's enticing because of the shorter amount of time it will take to receive your ADN, but it is not worth the headache nor the amount of money they charge. If you can swing it, go to another institution that will provide you with QUALITY education, even if that means it takes a little longer. I promise you will wish you would have done that in the beginning if you choose to attend this school. Pay attention to the negative reviews on this school – they speak truth.Nani Neamiah

I have completed my A.S. Degree in EMS and have had the most professional experience I’ve experienced. My classes were online and the professors were beyond helpful in class. Krystal Zimbaldi was a key component in my success with HCI. She has made my college experience amazing and has been by my side throughout the whole process. From the first day I called to join HCI to complete my degree, she has been the point of contact for all my questions and concerns. The fact that she constantly checks up on students to make sure they are updated with information and to see how their college experience is going is an amazing trait to have. HCI is truly blessed to have such an amazing asset for the college. Because of this I will recommend this college to all my friends and colleagues for all their educational needs.Joshua Wagner

I am in my 12th month of nursing school and I absolutely love this School and the Nursing program. I would recommend this school to anyone that needs to work while going to school. This school is very accommodating. The best thing that ever happened to this school was bringing Isabelle Ayers on board, she has been such a positive change for this school. It has come a long way in a short time. The entire staff including Irene from the EMS program is always so helpful in any way needed and willing to go above and beyond to help out. Irene always has a smile on her face and kind words to greet you daily and even though she is not our direct mentor she has been a positive influence in me enjoying my experience at HCI and always there for all students.Kellie Jenkins

Thanks to everyone at LETS!! Such a positive experience!!! My daughter (16) and I attended classes here and were amazed at how informative and hands on it was. Ashley, the teacher has a special way of teaching that grabs and keep your attention. I now feel very confident on what to do in different situations. My daughter is extremely shy and was worried about being put on the spot. They were very accommodating in making her feel comfortable. I definitely recommend Landes Emergency Training Services to anyone and everyone. It could save a life.Zpd1229

We were here yesterday for the Manatee Chamber's Business After Hours. A very nice well ordered facility but the most important was the people there. Everyone I spoke with was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and took the time to both inform and teach. Even though I was a guest there for a short time I was brought up to speed on current procedures for CPR and how to use an automated defibrillator. A very impressive visit!Phil

I had the best time at my CPR training class. My instructor was just so cool and down to earth. She really made sure that you really understood what you needed to do. She made sure you were completely comfortable before moving to the next thing. She also took time after the class to give me information on the CNA class I was interested in. I'm looking forward to taking that there in the future.Crystal Nely

I just graduated from the Surgical Technology program at this school with the instructor Ms.Daise, she was excellent!! There is sooo much to learn in such a short period of time and she was very thorough and prepared us very well for our clinical rotation. She was our sole instructor this time around. I guess in the past they normally have a seperate instructor for clinicals. We did not this time, And I would not of had it any other way. Having Ms.Daise as our instructor made our clincial rotation so much better, everyone at the location of our clinicals couldnt say anything but great things about our class and our instructor. I guess they have had issues with the other "instructor" at the school that we did not. This program was great! The hospital literally wants to hire every single one of us, thats how great this experience has been for all of us! Ms.Daise is the best!! She is the heart and soul of this program, she really cares and loves to teach and it is apparent. She also has the standards for Surgical technology down pat, And doesnt teach short cuts. SHE IS THE REAL DEAL!! I would give her ten stars if I could, and I would give 2 stars to the Health science Office staff… Too many "politics" going on in the office and they care more about their " status quo" then making sure the students have what they need to succeed. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to get into this field!Amy Parraguez

Program: Computer Systems & Information Technology (CSIT) Instructor: Rob Saul Instructor is world class, he often utilized a Socratic style of teaching which was unique compared to just about every other teacher I've ever had. The program exposes you to various technology but the main components are centered around the CompTIA certifications, namely A+, Net+, Sec+. I'd imagine the core learning material is still largely self-paced as you progress towards each certification exam. I was dual enrolled 9-10 years ago but I doubt much has changed aside from the actual certification material being updated every few years These certs are all great for getting into various entry level IT positions..you're probably looking at roles like help desk/desktop support/support technician/isp tech/etc. These certs won't make you a sys admin or network admin, but they certainly lead to those type of career trajectories. Final thoughts: Adults – I'd personally just recommend picking up an A+, Net+, Sec+ CompTIA bundle and going to town. There I just probably saved you a ton of money. You'd gain the same knowledge and can sit for the same certs the program prepares you for, but in a MUCH quicker time frame really. High School Dual enrollers – 100% sign up for this if seriously interested in computers/networking/security/IT in general. You'll be so ahead of your peers its borderline OP.James Whipple

I went to their information session for surgical technician , and just from simply calling and going there I did not like the experience . I do not recommend going there if you want to be a SURGICAL TECHNICIAN. They want you to pay around 500$ before even getting accepted and it’s non refundable, a tour is not included in the session and I saw a review on here that a surgical technician said there was a 20% passing rate I asked the lady and she pretended like she knew nothing about , she just said they had a really bad dropout rate because students “couldn’t handle it” and that’s why they’re making people who to get in a program take a 4 hour long test. As well as a 2 hour long test . I have never written a bad google review but I really hope nobody wastes their money on this program and not even to know if you’re getting accepted . The only good side of this school is that it’s in a nice area and the interior is very clean and nice . Unless you want to share majority of the college with high school students I don’t recommend you going here.Elianna Corona

I had a great experience at OMI. I attended a "Flipped classroom" for Paramedic school led by retired FDNY Lieutenant Paramedic Hector Arroyo, and the most important thing I can say is that you get out what you put in. If you put in the work, the staff of OMI will work tirelessly to make sure you get the education you paid for. No games, no egos, just knowledge. The clinical coordinator Jessica Sasser absolutely made my year. I have never in my life worked with someone more accommodating or approachable than she has been. My year of Paramedic school would have been substantially worse if not for her kind, understanding, and extremely hardworking and available approach to clinical internship. While I enjoyed my overall experience at OMI, if I recommend OMI to coworkers or friends, my experience with Jessica will be one of the first anecdotes I share. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Vice President, Mrs. Abby Marquez. Her caring nature and calm demeanor while dealing with conflicts cannot be overlooked. No matter the obstacle, we all knew we could go speak to Abby, and she would help us come to a tenable solution. Knowing that the administrative staff of your school is on your side and truly cares about you is a feeling you cannot put a price on. I definitely recommend this school for those individuals looking for a no-nonsense, straightforward, and rewarding approach to higher education.Logan Reedy

As a recent graduate of the EMT program at Orlando Medical Institute, I want to take a second to recognize the staff for all of their hard work. From the admin staff to the instructors and lab instructors, everyone did an amazing job preparing the students for excellence in the field. Even during the shutdown and inability to get into hospitals for clinical hours due to the coronavirus, they worked hard to keep us on track and provided simulations to practice our skills. Thank you to everyone at OMI for your help and your dedication to the students. I recommend this school to anyone looking to enter the field. I'm looking forward to continuing my education with OMI in the paramedic program.Darren Barnes

Okay I attended this school way back years ago. Yes the owners do like and make money. The teachers are pretty good but all work multiple jobs and can be late or they may rush to fill a teacher last minute. Their driver cert truck is very old. Abby never bothered me. One thing to be carful. If you are going on to college classes or certs they may not accept your cert or you will have to take the college test. OMI does not require a college entry test. Seminole state does. Felix is very knowable and cares about the school. Just remember this is a private school. Not a college or university. Other than that I attend learned and passed without issue.brad gibson

Always a great experience coming here. I am just finishing up my Industrial Technology class, which is my 2nd class i graduated from here. I am now a certified Machinist and CAD Operator. I started working part time while in school, since my instructor found someone who needed help. I'm now working full time as a cad/cam operator and a back up machinist. I'm thinking about coming back to take another course while i have the chance. I highly recommend this school to anyone looking to further their education. If you like making things try out machining and industrial tech., both instructors have a treasure trove of information which is very helpful in the real world. "Tiny" and Bob are the best teachers I've ever had. Thanks guys 🙂ReignMan

I recently graduated from MTI’s web development program. It was an 11 month program and I was able to afford the tuition on a waitress’s income. All of the instructors are extremely knowledgeable and always keep their curriculum up-to-date with the industry’s current needs which is very important since technology is always changing. We were given many opportunities to apply our skills in real-world projects. The only negative thing I can say about the program is that you are sharing class time with your juniors or seniors but, my instructor was very good at managing both groups and addressing every students needs. It is a small price to pay for such an informative and inexpensive degree in under a year.Kirstine (KC) Foster

Wish I would’ve read some of the reviews before enrolling here. Website says the CSIT Program is hands-on, instructor led with some other resources. Meanwhile, we have done no hands on, nor much instructor led anything. Mostly Becaus we don’t have an instructor, at least not one that is qualified to teach this class and the one that is qualified is too busy with the cyber security and OCP D classes to be in our class. Unfortunately I am too far in to withdraw now because I won’t get any of my money back. Maybe time to get a lawyer and sue for false advertising. This is a glorified self-study program, you can pay half the price and go through CompTIAB

I graduated from the EMT program and thought it was great. The instructors were amazing, they actually took the time to properly teach you and make sure you understood what you were learning about. I knew if I had a question that they would answer it without making me stupid for having to ask. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone that asked. It does take a little work to apply but it’s definitely worth it.Olivia Saunders

Our high school Medical Academy students participated in a mass casualty training today. It was an amazing experience for us all. The EMS students and faculty were professional and friendly. The hands on experience and debriefings taught our high school students more than we ever could have in the classroom. What a quality operation! Thanks EMS at SWFPSA!Deborah Stultz

An amazing academy with even better staff, the Instructors for the EMT course were excellent role models and mentors to the entire class. We were pushed to strive for nothing but the best from ourselves. You’ll learn more than just being an EMT from this academy.Bert M

Brand new building, amazing equipment but what the students get is outdated, broken junk and instructors with attitudes and arrogance. Half the police cadets fail out…what does that tell you.Nate Braun

The instructors are very experienced in their field, and use a practical approach. Most of all, they prepare you to get you a job in the. Emergency medical field.Humphreys Jeff

EMT and Paramedic courses they have available are well placed to fit different schedules. They provided night and morning classes with amazing instructors who have the experience and knowledge to teach. The instructors show their love for what they do in all their classes. You honestly couldn't find better instructors then at this school. As well as all of those who work behind the curtain (office admin.) to make sure everything correlated with the school is functioning and going smoothly. Special thanks to these instructors who always do their best: Moe, Rob, Alex, Rose, Chris, Ozzy, Mike, Junior and everyone else who gladly jumped into help.Hailey Ellsworth

I would not recommend this school. After completing my first semester of the core nursing program, (with straight A's) I was advised to take a leave of absence until the following semester because there was not enough students to continue with my cohort. I was told I can start with the new student come January. It wasn't until the 1 week before enrollment deadline I was advised they were not going to continue with the evening classes and I had to find another school. The professors are great but the administration is horrible. Needless to say I had to repeat and pay to take the same classes because they are non-transferable.Joanna S

I really enjoyed attending this school. The equipment is exceptional, the instructors really care about the students, and the office easily handles any questions that you may have. The instructor to student ratio is about 1:15, so every student gets a lot of hands on. The instructors are excellent, and they make sure that every student fully understands the subject that is being reviewed. Some instructors even help students on their off time to make sure that they understand the material. Overall, I truly enjoyed attending this school, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to pursue a career in paramedicine.Christopher Manash

HCPS uses a classroom for their drivers and riders to do CPR training which is a requirement of CDL holders. The grounds of the school are very nice and whenever you're going down that road to the school be careful because there's this little old man that comes out and screams at everybody of you exceed the speed!!Kelmie Bigelow

I took a class today with Ryan. It was the best refresher course I have taken in many decades. He has a great way of presenting the updates and reiterating the basics. I would highly recommend!Linda Ortner

Professional, down-to-earth, efficient and open to questions. Great experience upon which to draw. I highly recommend.Marla Steiner

I have to second what Paul and Will have both presented with their own reviews. (Read them if you have the time) SPHS was a school I moved to after fleeing the disaster zone that is Venice High School. SPHS was not only well reviewed but had an exclusive art program that appealed directly to my own interests. Why wouldn't I go? (I want to preface this with the statement that I am INCREDIBLY bitter over many things and this is influencing me a lot. Take some of this with a grain of salt. But I still don't recommend this school. Go to Riverview instead.) Through this, I was suckered in immediately, even without the bribe of a shiny Windows Surface tablet. I was fed crap and went 2 years trying to force myself to believe it, up until my senior year which is thankfully coming to a close soon after posting this review. The AGS program, while absolutely fantastic in theory, was so poorly executed. Of the teachers, only Mr. Wormington is a man who I can safely say I still fully support. Like any teacher he has his flaws but he tries so hard to keep this program alive and to its initial vision. That I can respect, even if we've butted heads in the past. Miss Janssen on the other hand, hoo boy. She has been the subject of many, many mixed reviews but as someone who has been a dedicated and successful art student in her class and passed my AP portfolio, I think I can safely call her a trainwreck. She knows enough about art but when it comes to the tech programs she teaches, she has no knowledge of actual gaming or game culture. Her degree is in /Photography./ All her tech skills come from certification tests which are effectively worthless if you can't reliably teach a class on them. That, and she's the most temperamental harpy of a teacher I've ever experienced, and the entire class I have would agree with me. She brings down the program so much by clashing with the students and the office, cultivating an air of tension and anxiety through her class that makes everyone mentally fragile and explosive by the end of the year. The AGS program is going to crash and burn after I leave. I give it five years tops. The office shows next to no care for it anymore now that Putnam is gone and is constantly pushing the trash heap that is STC (Or SCTI for those still not adjusted to the name change). We've gotten shoved into a ditch and everything is starting rot. Speaking of mental illness, oh my god. I am not kidding when I say that the majority of the student body has some form of anxiety, depression, or antisocial behavior brought on by the toxic work environment of the school. The 9th and 10th graders usually are more okay, but the upper classmen are constantly sleep-deprived, exhausted, and immensely stressed from having to juggle classes and the ridiculous amounts of "busy work" that get thrown at us. I personally have had full on anxiety attacks EVERY YEAR. 3 of them in my senior year. I've learned to manage a better workload because of this, but god, at what price? This school loves to pigeonhole its students and offers very little in the form of academic choices. There is no gym class and the bio-med program was cut from the school last year. There are no music programs. This is nothing but a glorified tech school with a dying art program. It either needs massive revitalization or something to put it out of its misery and just relabel it. Yet for all my criticisms I still have to give it 2 stars for the brilliant teachers and staff I had while I was there. A good many have left and I can't blame them, but as they've gone the school sinks further and further. Miss Mills, Mr Fortner I hope you two are better off where you are. Mr Kahler, Mrs. Lowery, Mrs Calderone, Mr Cellamare, Mrs Pat, Mrs Sass, Mrs Boots, Mrs Ferris, Mr Wormington…god bless all of you for sticking it out. You made it worthwhile and helped me through some of the darkest times of my life and have helped countless students. If you truly still want to go to Polytech, please seek these teachers out. They will be your lifeline through the insanity you'll face.Bumble Crow

Wonderful high school! The "High school experience" here is something completely different than what most expect, on account of the small size of the school, the relaxed atmosphere, and it's integration of courses in cooperation with the Technical Institute next door. The students are generally self-motivated (especially those that attend SCTI!) and help promote a closely knit, accepting community. Many students that find difficulty "fitting in" in other schools find little difficulty in making friends here (because we're all weird in our own ways) The teachers are varied in their levels of expertise, compassion, and teaching methods (just like every high school), but most of them help in providing a caring, safe, and respectful environment.Daniel Niedospial

This school is depression. It makes you want to think about all the other possibilities you could have instead of coming here. This school is easy to fail. They give u free pizza and drinks. . watch planet sheen . like shimmy nuetron says gotta blast so blast your ass out of this schoolMike The DYKE GIVE A LIKE

Braxton College does not allow anyone with a misdemeanor conviction to apply or attend their school although Florida Law allows for a person to become a EMT or Paramedic with a misdemeanor conviction. Braxton College stated it's a private school and they accept who they choose. Why would anyone attend a college where they dont offer the opportunity to students who made a bad decision in life and now want to better themselves and allowed by Florida law to do so!Dan A

This has been hands down the best school for me. I work a tough schedule and the school works around you. instructors are great. Plus the price is not bad at all. Highly recommend it.ryan matos

I had a great learning experience and learned a lot. I liked the flexible hours and that I was able to learn at my pace.Jason Luna