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Emilea PA C

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Everything posted by Emilea PA C

  1. Grin all you want Dust! I decided to do the medic classes in order to meet the qualifications for the local ER as a tech. They'll pay for my PA School!! So, I'm still going to PA school - only this time I don't have to shell out the large sum of moola!!
  2. Oh dear! I just found out today that the paramedic class at the local community college is going to run. It starts Tues, 2/13, with a pharmacology math prep class and the actual class starts in about 4 weeks. So, if you live/work/play in or around Indiana County, PA heed this advice.......stop doing drugs and drive safely because you surely don't want Emilea coming anywhere near you with a needle or any type of medication! I've worked with the three instructors before (during my EMT certification) and all three are highly knowledgeable, highly skilled medics. Here's to the most stressful, hard year of my life thus far!! Bottoms up!
  3. To pass the state practical in PA (as well as other states, I'm sure) you must fill in the checkboxes on the eval form. So, yes, that's mainly what I'm after -- filling in those lil' boxes! I believe it's Dust that always says (maybe it's Rid....maybe it's someone completely different) .... you can't learn this whole profession in 120 hrs of night school! It just doesn't happen... I'm more interested in filling in the evaluator's boxes so that I can start field work are really learn some skills! (EMT-B curriculum in PA doesn't include an ride time :roll: :x
  4. So, I probably shouldn't include the fact that I failed Milkshakes 101 at Dairy Queen?? On a more serious note, thanks Rid!
  5. This question is more focused towards those reponsible for choosing medic students.... What are you looking for in a statement of intent to enroll? What do you not want to hear/read?
  6. Medic school is still in the fact finding stages!! Definately something I want to do, just not sure at what point! I think the ink should at least be dry on my basic card before I enroll!! **wink**
  7. PA Medics and Students, Please clue me in on something! I was talking to the medic instructor at the community college and I'm confused re: time frame to complete the curriculum. The course flyer says 1190 hrs, but this instructor said that there's another 500+ ride along hrs included? Can anyone shed any light on this issue? Also, how much time does the program take? I'm not talking "12 months until completion", basically I'm wondering if I would be able to do the medic program in conjunction with taking college classes? TIA, Emilea
  8. City, First a few details: I am basing this on what has been presented in lectures, as well as from Brady's Emergency Care - 10th ed. I will testing in the Commonwealth of PA. Now, onto the question. Below I have typed on a generic "call flow" for both the medical and trauma stations for the state practical. Am I leaving anything out? Have I included anything that shouldn't be there? Is there a sequence problem (i.e. something should be done earlier than noted?) Are there any recommendations for improving the line of questioning, especially in OPQRST? Medical 4 questions (BSI, Scene Safety, ALS, # Pts) Hi, I'm Emilea. I'm an EMT. Why did you call 9-1-1 today? After pt give cc, I am now applying 15 lpm O2 via NRB. When did this problem start? What were you doing when this problem started? Is there anything that makes this problem better or worse? Can you describe this pain/illness? How would you rate this pain on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst? Does it hurt anywhere else? Have you ever felt this before? Do you have any allergies? Are you taking any medications? Any OTC meds? If women, are you on BC? What is your past medical history? What was the last thing you ate or drank? When was that? Physical Exam, as indicated. Interventions. Call Medical Command. "I am going to keep an ongoing assessment." Trauma 4 Questions (BSI, Scene Safety, ALS, # Pts) Hi. I'm Emilea. Can you hear me? Evaluate LOC & responsiveness (verbal, pain, unconscious, etc.) Rapid Trauma Assessment. Assess PMS in all 4 extremities. Split as indicated. Recheck PMS. Log roll onto LSB. Strap down - start with chest strap, then abdo/hips, legs, feet, then CID and head. Recheck PMS. "My pt is ready for transport." Vital signs. Detailed physical exam of anything found on RTA. Contact medical command. "I'm going to keep an ongoing assessment." So, what do you guys think?? Give me suggestions. I don't want there to be any question as to whether or not I passed the State Practicals!! TIA, Emilea
  9. Whit, Look on the first page, oh 3 or 4 posts down! There's the answer to my question! You're right....I should have know better than to ask such an open eneded, loaded question! Thanks folks!
  10. Not that I feel the need to "air my laundry", but I'm going to do so anyways! Due to financial restraints, I can not persue my schooling on a full time basis right now. So, instead of sitting around wasting time! I have decided to do something about it. I have decided to get my hands wet in a medical field, that field being EMS. As I posted earlier, it's a means to an end.....maybe once I have my basic certification I will fall in love with being a basic and that will be the end of my schooling (meaning no more PA school.....I know that I have con-ed's, etc.) As of 11/16/06 @ 12:31pm, I want to eventually be a PA.......but I know that it's going to take time. I also know that being an EMT and/or paramedic isn't a requirement to becoming a PA. Similarly, being a PA isn't a prerequisite to becoming an MD. And, another point, all of you who are older and wiser.........has there ever been a decision that you have made that has turned out to be the wrong decision? I think that the answer is yes. Bottom line is I want to be an EMT now and I want to be a PA later.....that's my decision. Enough said.....
  11. Rationale for stating becoming an EMT is a means to an end..... Let's work backwards. The end is my becoming a physician's assistant in either an emergency department or on a trauma OR team. In order to get to that end, I must first become a Physician's Assistant. (almost a check -- this is still in progress) In order to get more "field experience" and to survey if I really do want to spend the rest of my life in emergency medicine (let's face it....it's not for everyone!! Y'all here should know that!), I'd like to become a paramedic. In order to become a paramedic, I must first become an EMT. So, in that sense and reasoning, becoming an EMT is, for me, a means to an end. Who knows, maybe I get my certification as a basic, run on an ambulance and love it so much I don't continue to the "EMS ladder." Maybe the same holds true for when I pass my paramedic exams. Who knows? All I know is that is where I see myself in 10 years as of right now! Plans change. Heck, my major had changed as frequently as my underwear there for a while. The "means to an end" comment wasn't meant to offend or be taken as a demeaning comment to anybody on this board, regardless of amount of experience.
  12. Oh, Dust.....that post made it inevitably clear that you do not live in SW PA! There are only two paid departments within a 75 miles radius of my house; there are well in excess of 100 departments within that same radius. This is a breeding ground for tried and true whackerism! And as an aside to your sarcastic (and quite frankly demeaning) remark regarding 120 hours of night school -- the gentleman that enlightened me to the existance of this plate, even going as far as showing me his POV, is the medical director for three local ambulance services.....I'm darn near sure that he has more than 120 hours of night school under his belt. Yes, I am proud of the fact that as a 21 year old I have decided on a career that I see fitting - emergency medicine. Becoming an EMT is simply a means to an end. I am currently enrolled in a Physician's Assistant program. Upon completion of that program, I hope to find work in an ED. If not an ED, I hope to be assistanting in a trauma center's operating room. For those who are outside the state of PA and haven't seen the plate I am referencing, it's nothing bold, obnoxious, or even highly noticable. Anybody that has actually seen the plate care to weight in?
  13. DCMed, THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! That is exactly what I was looking for! For whatever reason my internet searching skills were absent last evening! I appreciate the effort! To those of you who think that because someone has some mark to this profession on their vehicle that denotes them as EMT, Paramedic, MD, RN, whatever.....they are obligated and required to stop to render assistance --- YOU'RE WRONG! Atleast in the commonwealth of PA! As previoulsy posted, you may have a personal moral obligation to render care, but then you are opening yourself up to a whole can of liability worms! We live in a litigious (sp?) society. I prefer to render treatment under the generous liability insurance of my volunteer organization and (once I complete my basic training) my employer! Again, as previously posted, I am getting this plate because I am proud of what I do. And, for some crazy reason, I don't mind being associated with a bunch of rude, crude, and HILARIOUS people! (<--- JOKE!)
  14. Thumper, I'm not sure that I follow your reply. Do you mean that because I were to have a license plate on my vehicle that had the star of life and the wording "Emergency Medical Services" that would obligate myself to stopping if someone were in trouble? A few questions to ponder: If my step-father, who has no medical training & would probably faint at the sight of blood, is driving my car and comes upon an accident he's obligated to stop because of an EMS plate? I am driving down the road and come across an accident. I have no jump bag, no pocket mask, no gloves, you get the point! Do I still stop and "render care?" I'm not looking for the red emergency services vehicle tags that you would find on a fire truck or an ambulance; these plates look identical to "normal" PA plates, just with a star of life on the right and the numbers on the left.
  15. To those of you who live/work/play in PA, Does anybody out there have the EMS specialty license plate from PennDOT? I went to their web-site to get the plate and it says to contact the main office of your organization. DOH doesn't seem to know what the heck I'm talking about; neither does EMSI! If anybody out there has the plate, where in flippin' nation did you get the application?? TIA, Emilea
  16. JPINFV, TYPO!!! That's the situation! Thanks for pointing out my mistake! A hypotonic solution will receive solute across the gradient from a hypertonic solution.
  17. OK, guys and gals.....if you read the first sentence in my post you will see that I come from a biochem background! My post refers to the process not the terms! Perhaps this will help (and again, hyper/hypo/iso is VERY difficult to get a grasp on, simply because it is relative.....see, I even confused you old pros on here!!) You have three solutions. Each solution is 100 mL of distilled water. Solution A has 4 tsp NaCl dissolved. Solution B has 2 tsp NaCl dissolved. Solution C has 4 tsp NaCl dissolved. Sol A is hypertonic to Sol B. Sol B is hypotonic to Sol A. Sol A and Sol C are isotonic. If you were to place a concentration gradient (ie, plasma membrane) between these solutions you would observe the following: Sol A and Sol B ---> the volume of Sol A will increase, the vol of Sol B will decrease. [*]Sol A and C ---> no net change will be observed
  18. Coming from a biochem major in "real life" hypotonic/hypertonic/isotonic are difficult terms to get a handle on! First, they are relative....meaning that just because Solution A is hypotonic to Solution B, Solution A may be isotonic to Solution C. Basically, you must first understand osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a gradient that does not require the use of energy. Water always flows from higher concentration to lower concentration. If you understand those last two sentences, read on....if not, go back and reread them until you understand them! Secondly, you must understand solutions. The solute is the material being dissolved. The solvent is what is doing the dissolving. For examply, salt water.....the solute is salt, the solvent is water. Hypotonic - this solution has less solute than the comparitive solution (see 2nd sentence....these terms are relative); a hypotonic solution will receive solution across the gradient from a hypertonic solution. Hypertonic - this solution has more solute than the comparitive solution; a hypertonic solution will give solution across the gradient to a hypotonic solution. Isotonic - these two solutions are equal in concentration. Equilibrium has occured and no net movement across the gradient will be observed. Hope that helps, Emilea
  19. In Pennsylvania, the EMT class is only an 18 week "let's expose them to it all then let 'em loose" class. No degree required! As for my undergrad degree, I definately wanted to shoot myself 1/2 way through O Chem I & II!!! I'm pretty much done with my science courses, just have to tie a few loose ends and finish my liberal arts......then onto bigger and better things!! And, first test was last night, got an 88....but, if you add in the two that I knew the answer to but filled in the bubble and the two that we challenged as a class that I got right....that brings my score up to a 92.....definately slightly more confident in myself! I just think that the realization that I will, in fact, be performing CPR on a cardiac arrest or transporting an old lady with a broken hip just hit hard, fast, and like a brick!!
  20. Just this evening, we had six kids show up to our EMT class in the squad car from their fire hall!!' You might be a wacker if...... :roll:
  21. So, does ne one out there still have the answers to 100 & 700 (online version) Let me know!
  22. Almost all gross anatomy and cadaver anatomy dissections are done of a master's or higher level. Occasionally, you will see one as a 400-level class -- the reason? Well, if you ask most professor's of higher education they will tell you it is do the scarcity of the media that you will be using! Most undergraduate labs use cats or fetal pigs, it's not until you move to the "big leagues" that it becomes a problem! Coming from someone who had the opportunity to be a lab assistant in a cadaver lab, I will tell you that there are certain things that will freak you out! Every person is different though. I can remember on student who couldn't stomach seeing the head, so he covered it with a towel when he was working with the specimen. Another student couldn't deal with the hands, again, covered with a towel.
  23. NIMS is a series of "courses" that are supposed to prepare many people, on different levels to prepare for disasters/emergencies. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe NIMS compliance stemmed from 9/11. There are certain courses that certain people must have in order for an organization to be NIMS compliant. If the organization is not compliant, they will be ineligible for certain grants, etc. You can go to www.indianacounty.org and click on the NIMS/ICS link, it has a pretty good description of what NIMS it, why it's a good thing (although 99.9% of those of us who are on-line think it's a major pain in the @$$), and the link to the web-site to do the tests on-line. The training and tests are free to take online, but you may want to look into going to a training in your area, especially if you are unfamiliar with incident command!
  24. Thanks guys and gals! I'm still in my undergrad as far as PA goes, but I have shadowed more hours than most (my mom is an RN in the local ER, so I have an "in"). I have completed A & P, gen bio, gen chem, o chem, botany, genetics, etc. I did just fine in all of those classes! It just seems that as I read through the scenerios on this board, everyone seems to know the right answer, and yes, it's overwhelming! I must keep in mind that so far we've only gone over the first three chapters in the book, so I'm not equipped even with the most basic knowledge to apply in these situations! What hit me the hardest is the realization that yes, my actions in the field do, and will, mean something to somebody! It's not the classroom anymore; my eraser is gone!
  25. I started my EMT-B training class last Tuesday, finally! And, I thought that I was going to be OK! The book made me queisy (sp?) and while I was poking around EMT city reading all the posts and scenerios I just keep saying to myself, "Am I ever going to be able to cut it?" While I am an excellent student, and I want to become a physician's assistant, I just can't hack that "am I good enough" feeling. Anybody else feel this way? How did you overcome it? For those of you in PA, did you feel that the course prepared you to go to the field? FWIW, I plan on trying to get in with the local rural EMS so I doubt that I will be seeing too many GSW's or crazy stuff...mostly drug OD's, SOB's, cardiac, MVA's, etc.
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