“I really like helping people, and the EMT program was an amazing opportunity that would allow me to experience saving lives,” says Waukee High School Senior Kaylee Hesterberg.
Kaylee signed on to be a student as the WCSD APEX program launched the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program for the 2022-23 school year. The course allows students to experience a career in the medical field.
“This program is helping me figure out what I want to do and what paths I want to take in the medical field. It has also helped me learn about more of the amazing opportunities in the medical field, and even though I am still figuring out what I want to do, I am looking forward to getting to pursue those paths.”
benefits of the EMT Program
The EMT program allows students to get hands-on experience with trained EMTs, firefighters, and doctors in our local fire departments and hospitals.
“All the hands-on experience we get is the best part of the program, and the willingness of everyone at the fire station or the hospital surprised me because it was such a welcoming learning environment,” Kaylee says.
She explains that students are given the chance to have both ride times in ambulances and clinical rotations in hospitals to offer both sides of the EMT spectrum.
“Both ride times and clinical rotations are really different experiences. In ride times, you get to learn about when you’re taking care of a patient who is going to a hospital, versus clinical rotations when the patient is in the hospital and caring for them there.”
After finishing the EMT course, Kaylee and her classmates will have the opportunity to take the National Registry Exam to become certified EMTs.
The EMT program is for everyone
Kaylee emphasizes that even if you aren’t going into the medical field, the EMT program is a great opportunity for everyone.
“It’s an amazing class to take if you’re thinking about going into the medical field. Even if you aren’t, it’s still a great chance to learn about respecting one another whether it’s a patient or a paramedic. Students can have more of an idea of what they want to do career-wise if they take this class. They should go into this program open-minded and have fun learning as much as possible!”