Chicago EMT Training: The Podcast Thu, 05 Mar 2026 04:48:19 -0500 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2360155 en-us © 2026 Chicago EMT Training: The Podcast yes dcd5f218-0dac-5c61-86fd-c9b0bdc1fa91 vchan@chicagoemttraining.com Marty Walsh and Victor Chan episodic false Marty and Vic chat with industry professionals and explore current trends within Emergency Medicine. 

Stay in touch:
www.instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
www.chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Marty Walsh and Victor Chan vchan@chicagoemttraining.com https://storage.buzzsprout.com/j5594ctv7ty6atdyq4s37vjrs6bh?.jpg Chicago EMT Training: The Podcast Meet Your Instructor: Nik Chevas Meet Your Instructor: Nik Chevas Nik joins us on the podcast to reflect on his journey throughout EMS. He is currently a FF/PM on a couple municipalities. From starting UIC EMS with us, the consistent growth, and self-awareness for burnout, we're grateful to have Nik on our team. 

Connect: nikchevas@yahoo.com

]]> Nik joins us on the podcast to reflect on his journey throughout EMS. He is currently a FF/PM on a couple municipalities. From starting UIC EMS with us, the consistent growth, and self-awareness for burnout, we're grateful to have Nik on our team. 

Connect: nikchevas@yahoo.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-18657004 Wed, 11 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0600 7636 full false 8. Surviving Medic School 8. Surviving Medic School Two of our instructors, Anna and Liam, who are newly minted paramedics give the rundown on paramedic school with two of our other instructors, Joey and Erik, who are beginning their medic school journeys. They chat about applications, finding a balance, establishing rapport with preceptors, and some overall protips. Enjoy!

Connect:
Joey T: jkjttammen@gmail.com
Erik P: epolikarpovas@gmail.com
Liam G: lgodley45@gmail.com
Anna R: aaretsky@gmail.com

www.chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Two of our instructors, Anna and Liam, who are newly minted paramedics give the rundown on paramedic school with two of our other instructors, Joey and Erik, who are beginning their medic school journeys. They chat about applications, finding a balance, establishing rapport with preceptors, and some overall protips. Enjoy!

Connect:
Joey T: jkjttammen@gmail.com
Erik P: epolikarpovas@gmail.com
Liam G: lgodley45@gmail.com
Anna R: aaretsky@gmail.com

www.chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-18472735 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:00:00 -0600 7173 full false Instructor Tips On Doing Well In Class Instructor Tips On Doing Well In Class Vince, Sarah, David M, and David Z reflect on some common issues students have had and share what future students have access to and what they should be thinking of when entering our class. 

Learn more at www.chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Vince, Sarah, David M, and David Z reflect on some common issues students have had and share what future students have access to and what they should be thinking of when entering our class. 

Learn more at www.chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-18446311 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0600 1178 full false Meet Your Instructor: Side Quests with Erik Polik Meet Your Instructor: Side Quests with Erik Polik Erik Polik joins us on the pod to share their personal journey to what was originally medical school. He is embarking on a side quest into paramedic school in January. We also reflect on sources of fulfillment, growth as an instructor, and how our EMT class is evolving.

Connect with Erik: epolikarpovas@gmail.com

BECOME AN EMT!
https://www.chicagoemttraining.com
https://www.instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
https://www.facebook.com/chicagoemttraining

]]> Erik Polik joins us on the pod to share their personal journey to what was originally medical school. He is embarking on a side quest into paramedic school in January. We also reflect on sources of fulfillment, growth as an instructor, and how our EMT class is evolving.

Connect with Erik: epolikarpovas@gmail.com

BECOME AN EMT!
https://www.chicagoemttraining.com
https://www.instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
https://www.facebook.com/chicagoemttraining

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-18431543 Tue, 30 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0600 4257 full false Meet Your Instructor: Tactical Medicine with FF/PM Michael Amacher Meet Your Instructor: Tactical Medicine with FF/PM Michael Amacher Despite not seeing this instructor too often, we value his experiences and teaching style. He had a rough beginning in life but the military and becoming an EMT gave him the path and structure to thrive. We take it all the way to the beginning, becoming a paramedic, and eventually his recent private contracts in tactical medicine in Haiti and Ukraine. Please enjoy our conversation with Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Amacher. 


Mentioned Links:

https://garda-federal.com/

https://frontlinemedics.org

https://www.instagram.com/mla_damnit

]]> Despite not seeing this instructor too often, we value his experiences and teaching style. He had a rough beginning in life but the military and becoming an EMT gave him the path and structure to thrive. We take it all the way to the beginning, becoming a paramedic, and eventually his recent private contracts in tactical medicine in Haiti and Ukraine. Please enjoy our conversation with Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Amacher. 


Mentioned Links:

https://garda-federal.com/

https://frontlinemedics.org

https://www.instagram.com/mla_damnit

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-18408042 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:00:00 -0600 7387 full false 7. How We Chose Our Medical Specialty [Match Day 2025] 7. How We Chose Our Medical Specialty [Match Day 2025] It's Match Day! We could not be prouder of our team. Dan, Diann, and Rowanne have been working with our students since before the pandemic. They helped us pivot within the pandemic. They helped administer vaccines to the UIC community. So to see them fulfill their dreams of becoming a physician means the world. They're hosted by a former instructor and first year IM resident, Omar. Omar came back to teach with us in his M3/M4 phase and was enamored with learning/teaching methods. We love that he wanted to share that with our class. The episode shares reflections from medical school, establishing your purpose, and how they chose which specialty was right for them. Please enjoy Episode 7.

Omar: omar.lopez@uchicagomedicine.org
Dan: dbabia3@uic.edu
Diann: dgeorge9667@gmail.com
Rowanne: rowanne.murrar@gmail.com

]]> It's Match Day! We could not be prouder of our team. Dan, Diann, and Rowanne have been working with our students since before the pandemic. They helped us pivot within the pandemic. They helped administer vaccines to the UIC community. So to see them fulfill their dreams of becoming a physician means the world. They're hosted by a former instructor and first year IM resident, Omar. Omar came back to teach with us in his M3/M4 phase and was enamored with learning/teaching methods. We love that he wanted to share that with our class. The episode shares reflections from medical school, establishing your purpose, and how they chose which specialty was right for them. Please enjoy Episode 7.

Omar: omar.lopez@uchicagomedicine.org
Dan: dbabia3@uic.edu
Diann: dgeorge9667@gmail.com
Rowanne: rowanne.murrar@gmail.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-16755462 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0500 5683 full false 6. The EMS Rabbit Hole ft. Mohammad Abuakar 6. The EMS Rabbit Hole ft. Mohammad Abuakar Our next guest is Mohammad Abuakar. He's currently rounding out his last year of medical school! Our relationship with Moe spans 10 years and we're so lucky to be working with him as he awaits plans for residency. His experiences range from critical care paramedic on a mobile stroke unit, paramedic at a suburban fire department, education in a variety of forms, and entrepreneurship. We were actually looking for office space together when planning Chicago EMT Training and he was expanding his CPR training business as he was simultaneously interviewing for medical school in 2021. Lots of nostalgia and reflection in this episode. Please enjoy our conversation with Moe Abuakar.

For inquiries: mohammad@abuakar.com

]]> Our next guest is Mohammad Abuakar. He's currently rounding out his last year of medical school! Our relationship with Moe spans 10 years and we're so lucky to be working with him as he awaits plans for residency. His experiences range from critical care paramedic on a mobile stroke unit, paramedic at a suburban fire department, education in a variety of forms, and entrepreneurship. We were actually looking for office space together when planning Chicago EMT Training and he was expanding his CPR training business as he was simultaneously interviewing for medical school in 2021. Lots of nostalgia and reflection in this episode. Please enjoy our conversation with Moe Abuakar.

For inquiries: mohammad@abuakar.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-16766336 Wed, 12 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0500 4839 full false Meet Your Instructor: Russelle Alegado Meet Your Instructor: Russelle Alegado Our next guest is Russ Alegado. She took our class back in 2016. It was actually our first and last 8 hour Saturday class. Since then, she's helped teach our EMT program, became a firefighter/paramedic, and landed her dream role with the Chicago Fire Department. Please enjoy our conversation with Russ Alegado.

Connect with her: ralegado2@gmail.com


]]> Our next guest is Russ Alegado. She took our class back in 2016. It was actually our first and last 8 hour Saturday class. Since then, she's helped teach our EMT program, became a firefighter/paramedic, and landed her dream role with the Chicago Fire Department. Please enjoy our conversation with Russ Alegado.

Connect with her: ralegado2@gmail.com


]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-16659765 Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0600 4864 full false 5. From EMT to RN ft. Ruthie Picha 5. From EMT to RN ft. Ruthie Picha Welcome to our Christmas episode! We invited one of our instructors, Ruthie, to come on and share her perspective as an ER Nurse on the current dynamics between prehospital providers and ER staff. She has a unique perspective since she took our EMT course in 2018 and has been teaching with us ever since. Within her 2 years as an ER RN, she's become an ECRN as well as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. We conclude the episode with our frustrations on the current state of privatized healthcare in this country. Please enjoy Episode 5 with Ruthie Picha.

]]> Welcome to our Christmas episode! We invited one of our instructors, Ruthie, to come on and share her perspective as an ER Nurse on the current dynamics between prehospital providers and ER staff. She has a unique perspective since she took our EMT course in 2018 and has been teaching with us ever since. Within her 2 years as an ER RN, she's become an ECRN as well as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. We conclude the episode with our frustrations on the current state of privatized healthcare in this country. Please enjoy Episode 5 with Ruthie Picha.

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-16283959 Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:00:00 -0600 5509 full false Meet Your Instructor: Ryan Jerger Meet Your Instructor: Ryan Jerger Ryan has been an integral part of Chicago EMT Training. He stepped up multiple occasions in times when I was absent. It's been great seeing Ryan come into his own. I always knew Ryan was in the grind-mode era of his life with the three jobs and juggles. (Medex Ambulance, Event Medical Solutions, and Chicago EMT Training). But I didn't know how humble he really was until he shared he finished his undergraduate degree with a 4.0 GPA and recently got accepted into Physician Assistant School. We're grateful for the time he's spent with us and we're eager to see what's in store for him.

Follow Ryan: https://instagram.com/rjergo
Shoot him an email: rjergo22@gmail.com

]]> Ryan has been an integral part of Chicago EMT Training. He stepped up multiple occasions in times when I was absent. It's been great seeing Ryan come into his own. I always knew Ryan was in the grind-mode era of his life with the three jobs and juggles. (Medex Ambulance, Event Medical Solutions, and Chicago EMT Training). But I didn't know how humble he really was until he shared he finished his undergraduate degree with a 4.0 GPA and recently got accepted into Physician Assistant School. We're grateful for the time he's spent with us and we're eager to see what's in store for him.

Follow Ryan: https://instagram.com/rjergo
Shoot him an email: rjergo22@gmail.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-16076637 Sat, 09 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0600 2915 full false Meet Your Instructor: Diego Guzman Meet Your Instructor: Diego Guzman Diego has been with us ever since he completed the course in the Summer of 2020. He is one of the last instructors that started with us at UIC. We reflect on his personal journey of deciding between MD and PA. He also goes into how to find shadowing opportunities and set yourself up for success in an interview. We couldn't be prouder of the person he's become and we're lucky to have him on our team.

https://instagram.com/diegoguzm.an

]]> Diego has been with us ever since he completed the course in the Summer of 2020. He is one of the last instructors that started with us at UIC. We reflect on his personal journey of deciding between MD and PA. He also goes into how to find shadowing opportunities and set yourself up for success in an interview. We couldn't be prouder of the person he's become and we're lucky to have him on our team.

https://instagram.com/diegoguzm.an

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15735920 Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:00:00 -0500 3130 full false 4. Reflecting on Summer 2024 and The Shortage of Paramedics 4. Reflecting on Summer 2024 and The Shortage of Paramedics Marty and I reflect on how our Summer 2024 went as well as shared some of the pivots we're implementing as we begin our Fall 2024 program. We were recently requested for an interview on the current shortage of Paramedics so we wanted to share our thoughts here as well. Cheers.

https://instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
https://chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Marty and I reflect on how our Summer 2024 went as well as shared some of the pivots we're implementing as we begin our Fall 2024 program. We were recently requested for an interview on the current shortage of Paramedics so we wanted to share our thoughts here as well. Cheers.

https://instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
https://chicagoemttraining.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15677394 Sun, 01 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0500 1806 full false Meet Your Instructor: Jack McHugh Meet Your Instructor: Jack McHugh Jack shares how he fell in love with Emergency Medicine through his experiences in the military. He’s someone that truly loves the medicine aspect of Emergency Medicine. So much so that he currently prefers to remain at his single role paramedic position rather than exploring dual role firefighter/paramedic positions. He became an EMT and Paramedic through Marty! He has a soft spot for serving the underserved. We explore different avenues within healthcare like critical care medicine, flight medicine, and even physician assistant school. We reflect on our three years of working together and how we can possibly improve the student experience. Please enjoy my conversation with Jack McHugh.

Connect: jackmchugh73@gmail.com


]]> Jack shares how he fell in love with Emergency Medicine through his experiences in the military. He’s someone that truly loves the medicine aspect of Emergency Medicine. So much so that he currently prefers to remain at his single role paramedic position rather than exploring dual role firefighter/paramedic positions. He became an EMT and Paramedic through Marty! He has a soft spot for serving the underserved. We explore different avenues within healthcare like critical care medicine, flight medicine, and even physician assistant school. We reflect on our three years of working together and how we can possibly improve the student experience. Please enjoy my conversation with Jack McHugh.

Connect: jackmchugh73@gmail.com


]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15493028 Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0500 3638 full false 3. Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry ft. Dr. Amy De La Torre 3. Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry ft. Dr. Amy De La Torre As Amy was wrapping up high school, she became aware of certain programs [GPPA at UIC] within college that would maximize her experience and future. She took the EMT class her freshman year and began working with UIC EMS immediately after. She's been an active member of our group all the way through medical school. She revisits us as she rounds out her second year as a psychiatry resident. We also explore ways we can possibly improve how we handle mental health in the prehospital setting. Please enjoy our conversation with Dr. Amy De La Torre.

]]> As Amy was wrapping up high school, she became aware of certain programs [GPPA at UIC] within college that would maximize her experience and future. She took the EMT class her freshman year and began working with UIC EMS immediately after. She's been an active member of our group all the way through medical school. She revisits us as she rounds out her second year as a psychiatry resident. We also explore ways we can possibly improve how we handle mental health in the prehospital setting. Please enjoy our conversation with Dr. Amy De La Torre.

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15446598 Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0500 4531 full false Meet Your Instructor: Jon Sanchez and Ruthie Picha Meet Your Instructor: Jon Sanchez and Ruthie Picha Jon and Ruthie hop on to share their respective journeys into healthcare. We've come a long way since their time as students in the EMT class. We could not be prouder. Grateful for the time they get to share with our students. 

Connect with them:
jonsanz773@gmail.com
pichachica1@gmail.com

]]> Jon and Ruthie hop on to share their respective journeys into healthcare. We've come a long way since their time as students in the EMT class. We could not be prouder. Grateful for the time they get to share with our students. 

Connect with them:
jonsanz773@gmail.com
pichachica1@gmail.com

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15443156 Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:00:00 -0500 2438 full false 2. Wajdey Returns after PA School! 2. Wajdey Returns after PA School! It's always a joy to have our previous instructors come back after they've completed either nursing/paramedic/medical/physician assistant school. In this case, it's been about 12 years since Marty and Wajdey has seen each other. Wajdey had some time this summer before he starts his first job as a PA so he decided to spend some time with our EMT students. Please enjoy our conversation with Wajdey Nesheiwat

https://www.instagram.com/wajdeynesh
https://www.instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
Become an EMT!

]]> It's always a joy to have our previous instructors come back after they've completed either nursing/paramedic/medical/physician assistant school. In this case, it's been about 12 years since Marty and Wajdey has seen each other. Wajdey had some time this summer before he starts his first job as a PA so he decided to spend some time with our EMT students. Please enjoy our conversation with Wajdey Nesheiwat

https://www.instagram.com/wajdeynesh
https://www.instagram.com/chicagoemttraining
Become an EMT!

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15388408 Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:00:00 -0500 3678 full false 1. Where you go, I go. 1. Where you go, I go. We reflect on our individual and collective journeys through EMS. Although we are the founders of Chicago EMT Training, our three years wouldn't be as successful without the team that helps them deliver the content and ensure a positive learning experience for each of our students. This podcast will be a space to discuss current events, catch up with other healthcare adjacent professionals, and give you insight into why we continue to do what we do. Thanks for being here.

]]> We reflect on our individual and collective journeys through EMS. Although we are the founders of Chicago EMT Training, our three years wouldn't be as successful without the team that helps them deliver the content and ensure a positive learning experience for each of our students. This podcast will be a space to discuss current events, catch up with other healthcare adjacent professionals, and give you insight into why we continue to do what we do. Thanks for being here.

]]> Marty Walsh and Victor Chan Buzzsprout-15174512 Sat, 01 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -0500 2557 full false