Jeepluv77

I'm surprised this hasn't been raised yet, and forgive me if it has, but aren't you a medic crotchity? It's terrifying to think of a critical white patient in your care with your thirst for payback and your level of hatred towards whites. You really need to reign this in and get some help before you kill someone through negligence because you just don't care due to the color of their skin. Just like I wouldn't want a KKK member in the back of an ambulance with a black patient, I question whether you should be back there with a white patient. I don't think you would intentionally hurt them(but then I didn't think you would conduct yourself as you have these last 12 pages either) but I can see you slipping up and missing something because you don't give crap and just want them out of your way because of what their ancestors may have done 200 years ago.

I have to agree with dust. I seriously doubt anyone taking any of these tests were held back from education prior to the 1960s. As far as educational opportunities today, I lived in my Jeep, worked 55 hours a week at a minimum wage job just to be able to eat and pay for gas to move when the cops ran me out of another parking lot, and had horrible credit from the divorce that landed me in my Jeep. I got every dime of my college paid for without claiming the minority status that I could have. Oh, and I've consistently gotten the balance of my grants(grants, that don't have to be paid back) sent to me, which comes in real handy when you need clothes to put in job apps. So, yeah, if you are willing to fight for it the money is there. It requires swallowing some pride but it can be done. I'm tired of people saying they are poor and living in the ghetto so they can't get money for school. That only makes you more eligible. Add being a minority to that and you're set. So find another excuse. This is also for all the lowlifes that think they need to sell drugs or prostitute to make it.

We have 30 seconds from the time pre-ventilation is stopped until ventilations are started again in which to drop our tube as per testing requirements. They have told us it usually doesn't work that way in the real world but that manikins are too easy to take longer than that. That if we can't drop the tube on a manikin in less time than that then we are going to be in trouble when it comes to a real patient. Needless to say, most students are in a competition to see who can do it the fastest.

Let's hear it for the Honorable James David Manning. That's all I'm saying.

It's okay, guys. I'm Melungeon so I'm extremely confused. We've got European, sub-Saharan African, and Native American lineage. I guess I'm supposed to feel superior because I'm oppressed and proud of it. Or maybe that's oppressed because I'm proud and superior? Or proud because I can be superior and oppressed at the same time? Or proud and superior because I'm oppressed?

Congrats!! I noticed you were a little more quiet lately. All that studying, huh? Hope you get a nice pay raise, too!

I hope she's okay. I'll be praying for her. I'm glad things are looking up so soon and I hope she can go home soon.

I've always been interested in medicine and started reading medical encyclopedias at 12. It took me a long time and a lot of research to decide where to go with it. I'm one of those people that thrives on high speed and high stress, so EMT is just a natural fit. At first I thought I'd be perfectly happy working as a tech in an ER till I finish my paramedic and can get a paid job with the city. Our EMT-B's, EMT-I's(who run as medics), and inexperienced EMT-P's are all volunteer. So I'm going to do my two year stint as an EMT-I while I finish school and go straight to paid when I get out. Anywho, now that I've done three ambulance shifts it's like crack and being a hospital tech for two years is going to be trying but worth it. My ambulance shifts were the slowest on Earth(the call me the white cloud because calls grind to a halt when I show up) but the few we've gotten have made up for the hours of nothing going on. It's not for everyone though. Some of what you see would make other people hit the floor. You've got to have a strong stomach, even stronger backbone(to stand up for your patients), a lot of patience, and a different mindset than most.

We learn how to identify difficult airways, but not really any ways to get around it. I'm going to set up a day to go in with a proctor and get some extra training and practice.

I'll have to look into these other procedures. We haven't gone over any of them and I'm hoping to test National on August 7th. We've actually only had 30 minutes of training on difficult airway. Not counting the 30 minutes of lecture. As for the scoring, something about Malla...something score(used in the OR was mentioned for about 45 seconds in class but we were told not to worry about that as it didn't apply to us. I've started to notice I'm probably not getting as much training as I'd like to have. Hence stopping at EMT-I for now and completing my Paramedic through my city's training academy when I can be sponsered or find the funds.

Sure thing spenac. I'll get right on that.

We don't get to do rotations in the OR as EMT-I students here anymore for whatever reason. So goodness knows when I'll get my first live intubation. But I've been practicing the difficult airway scenarios so I can challenge the station for National Registry. Cricoid pressure has become my best friend. We were taught it for our EMT-B so, at least here, anyone on the medic or fire crew should be able to do it for you. Same for in the OR or ER. Next time if you are having trouble visualizing the cords ask some to help you out with cric pressure. From what I've been told the benefit of it on a live patient is even greater than on a dummy. And, no, you won't look silly or incompetent for asking. I wondered about that and was told you will actually gain more respect because you don't let your pride or insecurity compromise what you need to get done. Just a thought.

I'm shocked at how far all this has gone. Really. If people would stop pulling the race card every time something doesn't go their way racism could truly be over. But every time that card is pulled and people are expected to feel guilty about it only breeds needless resentment where there was none to begin with. We all have our stories. I'm willing to bet that not one person in EMS was born with a silver spoon in their mouth. I'm not on rescue yet, but I've met several black EMS members in both my clinical and field shifts, including supervisors. They have all been every bit as competent as any white member. How about living in the here and now instead of the past? How about instead of telling people that are living in the projects(regardless of race because not everyone in the projects is black or even a minority) to use that as motivation to change things for future generations rather than as a crutch? And, Crotchity, on another thread I mentioned that there were several members on this forum who's advice and input I value greatly. You were one of them. However, the way you've conducted yourself through all this makes me have to step back a bit. You are no doubt brilliant. But, seriously, you need to make peace with the anger and hostility you have. I know you'd make it a lot further in your career if you relied on your obvious brainpower rather than your race and what happened 200+ years ago. My family never owned slaves and, in fact, came here as indentured servants. I don't expect anything for that and I refuse to apologize for something that neither I nor any member of my family had any part in. Please, set a good example for future generations. You mentioned the civil rights movement of the 60's and how many people made great sacrifices. They did that for you. Appreciate that and take it a step further by inspiring the next generation just as the great men and women of that era inspired you instead of just feeding them excuses. No one gets a free ride. I've had to overcome an abusive childhood, an abusive marriage, living in my car to get out of that marriage, and major medical issues to get to where I am today. I'm in treatment right now for PTSD due to all this. But instead of letting it continue to hold me back like it has for longer than I care to think about I've decided to fight my ass of to get through it so my children won't have to. As with any type of abuse(and yes, racism is a type of abuse regardless of what race it's directed at) the cycle has to end somewhere. You make the choice of whether to continue it or to let it end with you.

I was faulting the spotter not the crew. With that big a crowd, I would rely heavily on a good spotter backing me up to provide warning about idiots with cameras so I didn't run any over.

Idiots being the operative word. There ought to be a law protecting the general public from lawsuits if one of these morons gets flattened by, say, an ambulance trying to transport a critical patient. If we can't pass that law, maybe we can pass one keeping them 100 feet away from any emergency vehicle at the very least. This would still give them good shots with their super zoom lenses. The paparazzi have gotten completely out of control to where they often pose a threat to public safety. I don't think retarded photographers standing in front of/behind moving vehicles is what our founding fathers had in mind when they guaranteed freedom of the press.

I'm so glad to hear he's okay! Don't you love you when friends nearly give you a coronary?

I have no information to offer, but I wanted to say I hope the rumors aren't true and your friend turns out to be okay. Maybe someone will have some news for you soon.

Same here, CBEMT. I mentioned to my doctor that I was having some real trouble with my med math and I have to recheck it several times for accuracy. He asked how I'd done in school and I told him I'd always aced everything but algebra. I took algebra 1 twice and finally passed the second time with a D. I never a full geometry or statistics course but the parts included with the algebra 1 were easy. English, science, civics, you name I could do it with my eyes closed. But with algebra it just never stuck. Anyway, he wanted to have me worked up for dyscalculia but I want to look into it first. I can learn it eventually. It just takes me a lot longer than my peers. I usually have to find a different way to do it than what is considered "normal". I can't really explain it, but I have my own system that I generally use to. It makes no sense to anyone else, yet I always arrive at the right answer. I use more logic than anything else. But this means that I have to understand how it works first. And, yes, I was one of those kids that was always asking why. It took me two months to learn med math and now I find out that there are situations that include a % solution and now my brain is about to explode. We never went over these and after hours of re-reading the same chapter I'm no closer to getting it. Hence the fact that I'm finally starting to consider there may be something there with the dyscalculia. At first I just blew it off but maybe I can find some info to help me figure this out. I don't want to kill any patients and I know I'll get it with practice but right now I can't even figure out what to practice. I noticed it said difficult with differentiating direction which I've always had too. My mom's the same way. We have to make the "L" hands to figure out right and left; even though I know the sun rises in the east I still have trouble figuring out north, south and west around my house; if I travel somewhere I've never been I have to have return directions because I get confused if I just try to reverse the directions I used to get there. It's frustrating because I know I'm not dumb. I got a 95 on the ASVAB and I'm holding a 3.665 in my courses right now.

Actually, VentMedic, that looks like it's the best of all so far. I'll have to dig through it a bit, but rather than just info it appears to have resources, too. Thanks!

Kevin EMT, you may want to re-read my post before you go off on a tangent. I was not saying I was against DUI checkpoints. I'm, in fact, very much for them. I'm against telling drunken morons where they are going to be. Just like it's one thing to advertise that there will be checkpoints it may be a deterrence, but again you don't go so far as to say where so idiots can get drunk and avoid the checkpoints. Keep in mind, you don't have to be plastered to be above the limit and drunk enough to have impaired judgement and reflexes. As for entrapment, I don't go more than 5 over. Not 120mph. I don't know if you live in an area where there is a 115mph speed limit, but we don't have any here. I also said I'm all for "entrapment" if they are catching the people actually posing a threat, unlike the jerkoff that wrote me a ticket for going 52 in a 50 while two people swerved on by. One of which actually wrecked and seriously injured a family of four a few blocks past us. He could have been stopped if he hadn't been trying to meet that quota cops claim they don't have. Oh, and if you're wondering why I was "flying by" at 52, my son was in the back seat in the middle of an asthma attack. He had a silent chest by the time we got to the ER. So again, re-read the posts(all of them) because it seems to me that you have very little clue as to the points that have been raised in this discussion.

Still helps though. I'm just trying to find out everything I can about it, even though I know to take wikipedia with a grain of salt, or maybe even a bucket in some cases.

I, personally, didn't witness this but one of the students in my class did. He brought in the rhythm strip, which was awesome to read. He had a 45 year old male complaining of chest pain. Before they could get him packaged, he went into pulseless torsades. The medic on board gave amiodarone(we still don't know why, instead of mag sulfate) and shocked. The guy converted to sinus rhythm. They again started trying to load him, and he went back into torsades. More ami and another shock he converted to sinus rhythm again. They went through this routine for over an hour total between on scene and transport. He said every time the guy would convert he was A&Ox4, speaking, and only complaining of chest pain that was worse each time he woke up(gee, ya think?). I would be interested to see what happened with this guy at the hospital.

Thank you! All of them I found wanted money just to read them. I'm still getting used to this whole technology thing.

I am looking for information on a disorder called dyscalculia. I tried google and google scholar and couldn't find anything reliable that didn't cost $30 to read. If anyone has heard of this disorder or knows where I can find information, that would be great.

I hear you there, VentMedic. At least the human animals have the ability to choose not to participate in trials, even if it's by proxy. I hate animal testing, yet the reality is we wouldn't have nearly the technology we have if it wasn't for the testing that's been done. It's kind of a catch 22 isn't it? However, things like cosmetics shouldn't be tested on animals. It just isn't necessary. Medicine is a whole different ballfield, but even then if it's not something that has the potential to save a life then it shouldn't be done. Women that want to shoot their faces full of chemicals can let those chemicals be tested on themselves.

I love the ear idea! We're being taught "secure with tape" but no actual technique.