2Rude4MyOwnGood

Thanks for all the suggestions guys and gals! Im leaning towards the Littman Master Classic II. I like the easy grip bell feature on it as well. And its not too expensive so i wont get too salty if i lose it. I have been using this one and it does the job, but i wouldnt mind an upgrade: http://www.mystethoscope.com/heine-gamma-stethoscope-p-150.html The cardiology ones look pretty sweet but i dont think ill be needing something that advanced. I just want a good one for school that i will be able to use in the field once i graduate. The technology in some of the higher end steths is crazy!

Im starting the medic program in the fall and was just looking for some recommendations for a solid stethoscope. Littman seems to be a popular choice. Which ones would you suggest?

I finished up Canning's book, "Rescue 471: A Paramedic's Stories", and am about 1/3rd of the way through "En Route" by Kelly Grayson. I thoroughly enjoyed Canning's book, although there seemed to be a few short stories that werent very interesting to me. Overall it was a good read. So far i like Grayson's book more, we seem to have a similar sense of humor, and he goes into a bit more detail about his treatments for each patient. The ALS treatments being spelled out in great detail are of great interest to me since ill be starting the medic program this semester. Im hoping to learn a bit more about advanced care from this book before i get into the classroom. Thanks again for all the recommendations, ill be picking up some of the other books that you guys suggested as soon as i can.

"En Route" by Kelly Grayson looks like a good read, and so does "Rescue 471: A Paramedic's Stories" by Peter Canning. These are exactly the kinds of books that i was looking for. Thanks for the help!

Thanks for the info guys and gals! Im going to hit Amazon.com and pick up these books.

Ill be finishing up my current book, "Better" by Dr. Atul Gawande, any day now and am looking for a solid book for my next read. I'd like to read something related to EMS. Have any suggestions?

First of all, congrats! Talk to your school about what vaccinations you will need for the course. Some programs dont require any, some will require everything under the sun. Of course its always better to be safe than sorry. As others have stated, strengthen your core as much as you can. And since you will be lifting with your legs quite a bit, work on your squats and lunges. The most important advice i can give about taking an EMT-B course is to always volunteer to be part of the in-class activities. Practice makes perfect. There will be plenty of people who are too embarassed/scared to get up in front of the class and try the scenarios, and those people arent getting the most out of the class. Nobody picks this stuff up on their first try, so dont be afraid to mess up, we all did.

Am i crazy or did it seem like they werent in any rush to transport the amputee patient? They just threw some dressings on there and he was fixed! Take your time guys, he probably didnt lose THAT much blood when his entire arm was severed. And everyone seems to be getting a cannula instead of non rebreather on this show, ill let it slide because they have to be able to act, but its still annoying. This episode was the weakest so far for me, i hadnt previously noticed how bad some of these actors are until now.

Haha, i thought i smelled a trap! Im just a new guy around here, and ive got no intentions of trying to piss off the veterans....well, at least not on purpose! Wish i could take credit for coming up with my screen name but i borrowed it from a reggae song by a guy named Too Rude. Anywho, i bet tonights episode really bothered some of you guys. The whole shooting incident was pretty outrageous. I understand that the writers need to keep the intensity up but jeez. The fact that the one medic's wife happened to be on the same floor as the shooter, and then Rabbit taking a bullet...next week hes going to break out his cape and fly around San Fran without his chopper. And last week the Medevac pilot couldnt even insert an NP, now shes treating patients at an MVA. I dunno, ill still keep tuning in, but shit is getting a bit too crazy for me.

This is one of the many reasons that i decided to pursue a career with EMS, ive spent a lot of time feeding people alcohol. Im a responsible bartender, observing the laws on over-serving customers, but of course there are many people who get behind the wheel anyway. Its a crappy feeling to know that somewhere along the way one of my customers might have been involved in an accident. So i decided to start the transition into another career direction. Im still a bartender, ive gotta earn a paycheck somehow! I have done very well for myself slinging drinks over the years so ive already got my schooling paid for, now ive just gotta do the hard part, buckle down and study.

Haha good find! Some of those actors were from Mad TV and that short lived Comedy Central show, Halfway Home....Man i miss that show.

A good night's sleep always helps me quite a bit. Also, spend some time practicing a bit of self affirmation. Repeatedly telling yourself that you are going to ace the exam might help build up some confidence. If your anxiety is really that bad, talk to your doctor about getting a small prescription for something like Xanax just to have around for situations where your anxiety gets the best of you.

Im 28 You're right, im not a full timer, i havent been around the block and seen it all, but im not claiming to. Im just a volunteer EMT-B and havent been working for long at all, ill be starting medic school next semester. But ive chosen this as a career because i love it, not so i can tell people that i save lives for a living. I sure as hell didnt choose this career path for the money! Its going to be quite a pay cut from bartending. I definately dont have enough scope of the profession yet to be as mad as you guys about the show, and i can see how most of you are upset, im just not seeing why people are SO mad. Its just TV to me. There are other shows out there that offend or annoy me, but im not going to boycott them, i just wont watch them. Im not trying to argue with anyone's opinion of the show because we are all entitled to our own opinions, i was simply leaving mine. Is it a great show? Of course not. Does it offend some EMS workers? Absolutely. Ive just never been one to let a TV show get to me.

Sure, its no Law and Order, but i find it slightly entertaining. There are much worse shows on television these days if you ask me. There isnt much else on the tube on Monday nights anyway. Ive been a bartender for most of my adult life, and the movie "Cocktail" with Tom Cruise is a terrible portrayal of what its like in this business. But its still worth watching. "Trauma" feels the same way to me. I agree that the character development needs some work, but people say this about almost every new show, because we have no idea who they are yet.

Wow there sure is a whole lot of hatred for the show on this site! I agree that its corny and unrealistic, but its a drama, they are all corny and unrealistic. Sure it portrays some EMS workers in a negative light, but as long as we dont attempt to emulate these characters on the job i dont see much harm in it. At the end of the day, the show is about EMS workers helping people. Of course the show isnt completely accurate, the viewing audience doesnt care about the ins and outs of this business. They want to see intense drama. I understand some of the displeasure around here, but boycotting a show? Cmon! Its just TV!

Thanks guys! Looks like getting a volunteer job is going to be harder than expected. I emailed a few stations near me and they dont seem to want to hire somebody who wants to do this as a career. I assume they dont want to invest a ton of money in training me, only for me to leave once ive finished medic school. Any of you guys/gals have any advice for trying to land a gig? Id like to get started as soon as i can, the semester already started last week though so ill prob wait until next term. Im going to have to apply for financial aid and what not too unless i can convince the county to pay for me!

The EMT-I is basically being phased out in Northern VA, they really only want medics these days. Fairfax county, where i will most likely be working, is moving towards all ALS units. So once i get some experience im hoping to get the county to pay for me to go to medic school. Good luck to you too buddy!

Just wanted to introduce myself to the boards. I live in Northern Virginia and recently passed my EMT-B state test. Ill be looking for work in the next few weeks but havent yet decided which county id like to work in. Ive spent the last 7 years working as a bartender, but decided that i wanted to do something a bit more fulfilling with my life. Long term, id like to become a paramedic, but im looking forward to getting some experience as an EMT first.