A fast track to medical success: CMC graduate Tyler Kause finds work quickly after EMT training

By Andy Stonehouse, CMC contributor

SALIDA – For students looking for a positive opportunity to make a difference – and get a great job – Salida resident Tyler Kause’s experiences at Colorado Mountain College are the real deal.

Kause, now 19 years old, made a quick jump from CMC Salida’s emergency medical technician training program to a full-time job with the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, where she works in patient care as one of HRRMC’s medical/surgical inpatient staff.

“I’m taking vitals and helping the nurses out with anything they need, including patient hygiene,” she said. “It’s all another set of skills I can add to my books.”

Coming from a family of firefighters, Kause says her parents are particularly supportive of her new role and the future opportunities in EMT work that she hopes to pursue.

“We’re originally from Moab, Utah, and my father still works as a safety manager in wildland firefighting,” she said. “We moved to Salida seven years ago, and when I was a junior in high school, I did the fire department internship. I was interested in something with the fire department, as that was something I knew and had been raised in. During that time I fell in love with the medical side of first responding and decided I wanted to try an internship with Chaffee County Emergency Medical Services, which I did my senior year.”

The internship with Chaffee County EMS, involved working at the station and riding along on medical calls every Friday for four months.

“I got to see a lot of new things and learn stuff about how the human body works that you can’t just get from an anatomy class,” she said.

Staff there also let her know about the value of CMC Salida and Leadville’s EMT program, a 14-week intensive training course that provides hands-on experience in emergency medical treatment – exactly the kind of experience Kause was looking for.

Jonathan Burk, emergency medical services education program chair and lead faculty for the local CMC programs, said students complete 90 hours of labs, 105 hours of lectures and 30 hours of clinical work over a short period, offering a comprehensive learning environment.

“We put students in scenarios and real-life situations where they get to test and apply their knowledge with feedback from adjunct faculty and clinical preceptors,” Burk said. “Becoming an EMT is a challenge, the breadth of knowledge and confidence in assessment and practical skills are demanding to achieve. We push our students in a supportive environment with the tremendous learning resources of CMC to help students find success.”

For Kause, the best parts of the CMC program were the variety of resources available to help with what was a short but intense immersion in the world of emergency services.

“We had tutoring and the instructors were always available, 24/7, and I enjoyed my connection to my classmates and the CMC staff and helpers,” she said. “It was a great way to meet people and share those experiences. It’s also a fast-paced program, and you need to be prepared to work outside of class.”

In the end, the hard work paid off and Kause passed both her National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification and her Colorado EMT certification. She received her state license in early January, and her first day at HRRMC was Feb. 25.

According to Burk, Kause’s success is a testament to the strength of the CMC program.

“When students find jobs in our communities, the college’s mission is fulfilled, Burk said. “We are proud of our students who find work anywhere, and it is reassuring to know they are strong applicants for local opportunities.”

For more information, visit CMC's EMT program.