jbrehm

Annie, That's really a great point. I really do know a lot more now than I did when I first started. I think I've gotten more confident with myself as I've explored this section of the boards and found that most people feel the same way I do right now and most of them ended up fine. Doesn't mean I shouldn't be taking a *very* active role in memorizing all of my skills sheets and knowing as much of my book as possible, but I can relax a little a enjoy the ride. Thanks for helping me with that a bit I still would like to know what books to get though since I ought to get the exam prep book ASAP. I'd just rather learn from other people's experiences and get the right book for me the first time as opposed to sort of experimenting. Thanks! Josh

Wendy, You have no idea how jealous I am of you for being able to handle a cadaver. I would love to be able to get my hands on one and sort of "explore" what I've learned about in classes. Have fun with it! And regarding the book, I'm not going to get the paramedic books just yet cause I'm still working on Basic. I have enough on my plate for the remainder of this term as it is. I was referring to Basic exam prep books. So, with the description I made in my last post, does anyone have any recommendations? Trevor, I like the idea of studying pharmacology as opposed to the specific drugs I'll need to memorize for my paramedic classes. Kind of reminds me of the saying: give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. If I can work on just the study of drugs, the memorization of the names, dosages, etc., would probably be significantly easier. Do you know of any specific books that I ought to get my hands onto after I get my Basic cert? Dwayne, No worries, I'm absolutely horrible with names, so I have no room to talk! I wasn't planning on doing any studying of paramedic material until after I got my Basic; as I said earlier in this post, I have enough on my plate this term as it is. You have no idea how nice it is to know that I'm not supposed to have all of this figured out already. You pretty much nailed it on the head with your description of how I feel right now and how I'm guessing I'll feel once I start really dealing with patients. Luckily I'll get some exposure once I start doing regular ride alongs and when I eventually get a job as a Basic. Thanks! Josh

Wendy, You're taking anatomy and physiology separate from each other? I haven't heard of people doing that before. Hope you do well! Yeah, the assessments take a lot of practice. That's why I'm planning on doing as many ride-alongs with my department (I'm a volunteer FF) to get as much exposure as possible and perhaps getting a job with them as a basic once I get my cert. The reason I'm actually taking a&p and getting my basic and all my other classes is so I can become a paramedic. At first I was only going to get my basic because it was a requirement for my fire science degree. After starting the classes though I really got into it all. I realized though that the training for basic isn't that thorough and I really wanted to understand, like you said Wendy, WHY this and that are happening, what's causing it, and what can be done about it. So, I decided to go for my paramedic. So, when it comes to getting a book, which one should I get? I don't mind putting down the cash for it, but I want to make sure I get what will help the best. Like I said, I'd prefer one that didn't just have tests and answers, but also rationales behind the answer and ques to determining if the question is trying to trip me up. Josh

Trevor, Thanks for your reply! I really like the idea of getting a paramedic textbook to study before I get into my college's program. Hopefully I can find out what textbooks they're using so I can study the one's I'll have to use later on. On the note of studying prior to my paramedic training, would it be wise of me to study as much about medications while I study the paramedic text books? Back to the original topic of EMT-B training ... I definitely do recognize the difference between training to be a good Basic and training for the exams. I'm going to use your idea of studying the paramedic textbooks as my means of becoming a better basic, so that's set. But, I still need to find a way to prepare myself for the written exams. The practical obviously just depends on my ability to memorize and be able to perform all of my skills (not a big deal aside from the medical assessment for which I need to make sure I have my drugs and S/S down); but, as I'm sure everyone here knows, there's a big difference in testing style between the exams you have in your classes and the state and national exams. Because of that, I need to practice taking tests that simulate the type of exams I'll be faced with. Do you or anyone else know where I can find a good number of tests that I can take that do a good job of preparing Basic wanna-be's for the state/national tests? It'd be great if I could find a source that also provided the logic behind the correct answers and any other beneficial info for me. Thanks! Josh

Thanks for the welcome guys! (except my name's Josh, not John :wink: ) Dwayne, I've been hearing that a lot, the keeping to the basics when taking your test. I don't seem to have that much of a problem with that in class so far, but I do need to make sure I remember that. Thanks for your encouragement, it helps! Eydawn, I'm doing fine with the class materials. My first term I got a 99% on the final and a 98% in the class and I think I might have gotten a B on one of my exams so far this term with the rest being A's. If my goal were simply to pass the class with an A, I wouldn't be NEARLY so stressed out, the class is relatively easy. But I obviously need to pass my state and national tests and become a good medic. I like the idea of having a conversation with the patient more than simply sticking to SAMPLE/OPQRST. By sticking to the latter, I know how to cover everything, but if I can transition to asking my own questions then I'd probably learn how to better determine what's possibly going on. I'm actually already in my second out of three a&p terms, and I absolutely love them! I never knew how amazing the human body was. I got an A in my first term of it and it looks like I'll receive an A for my second term so I understand the body decently well (for someone who only took classes on it). I guess it's just the way my emt class is taught that I'm not understanding the emergencies and their signs and symptoms. I really need some kind of study aid or something that will cover everything I need to know for being a Basic to supplement my basic text book. Thanks for your help so far guys, and sorry if I'm rambling. I'm excited and absolutely nervous/terrified about all of this, so it can get the best of me Josh

Hey all! My name's Josh Brehm, I'm 20 years old and live in Dallas, Oregon. I'm a volunteer firefighter with Dallas Fire and I'm going to Chemeketa Community College to get a dual degree in fire science and, most importantly, emergency medical technology. I'm currently within 4 weeks of finishing my EMT-B class and I'm not feeling all too confident in myself right now. I don't think I have down everything I need to have down (mostly in the area of assessing, i.e., medical assessment). I don't feel like I know how to connect signs and symptoms with what's going on and I just overall don't feel like I've necessarily gotten out of the program what I need to. I'd like to know if there are any studying materials I should get to make myself a better medic and to help me pass the written/practical exams coming up ever so soon. I learn best by working on something as opposed to passively reading. So doing practice tests with rationales behind their answers and having worksheets I can do, or anything else of that nature, would be the best options for me. I think I'll do okay on the state and national exams (though, being myself, would much prefer having one of the top scores of course), but I really want to have something I can use to make myself the best EMT-B I can be. That's what I want the most. Thanks!