kndoug1

I'm a little late to this mess, but can I just ask....what exactly does Crotchity do for a living? From his previous comments, I'm assuming he's a paramedic. So, if he can get through all of the schooling, the NREMT-P exam, and get through the hiring process and get a job, why can't other black people do the same? What makes him so different from the other blacks in this country? I don't mean to come off callous or rude, but seriously...I really think the majority of the problem is lack of ambition. Crotchity decided he wanted to do something, and he found a way to do it, so why can't everyone else? It doesn't matter where you come from, it only matters where you see yourself going. I have been brought up to belive that YOU determine where you are going in life. I have many friends that came from nothing. They lived in the poorest of neighborhoods, had nothing, worked in whatever jobs they could get at such a young age, and yet they still managed to make something of themselves because they believed that they could. Many went off to medical school or joined the military. And while the thought of "you determine your future" may be a little naive, I still believe that it holds some truth. Crotchity, you made something of yourself, so why can't others who are decendents of blacks who were mistreated make something of themselves? I feel like you are crying that life isn't fair for a particular race and yet you have not once include yourself. You said earlier that you are the only african american speaking up here, yet you have not included yourself in the "damaged by the past" group you keep clumping all blacks into. You also spoke earlier of compensation for the past...well what about those who did make something of themselves? What about those blacks who are considered upper class? They have made something out of themselves and their so-called situations. I am not saying that it is possible for everyone to dig their way out of a hole, but those who are "stuck" in said hole have a lot of other problems...I can pretty much guarentee that them being black (or any other race for that matter that has been discriminated against and mistreated in the past) is not the problem, and is the least of their worries.

I'm not exactly sure what it is the PCAT is since I cannot actually log into the site unless I want to purchase an account...which I don't. However, I think it is like the fisdap exam that my program required us to pass. I believe fisdap is free...it's a great study tool. This is what my program used as our final exam and it's a great way to see how good your chances are at passing the NREMT. If you log onto fisdap.net you should be able to take their practice exams and use their study tools for free. This should help you with your PCAT as well. Also, if you prefer a book, I would highly recommend anything from Pearson. I have always had great experiences with Pearson and they offer a lot of great online study tools as well. You can try pearson.net as well. Hope that helps! Good luck.

I feel your pain. My first ride out was a total bust as well. As students, we were told to show up 10 minutes early to check in and what not, and I ended up beating my crew to the station and got assigned to a completely different unit. These medics were not expecting to have a student that day. They were climbing in their rig when the director came up and told them that they were going to be stuck with a student. Of course, they were not happy and I had to hear about it all day! I spent 12 hours with them and for most of the time they complained about how much they hated having students tag along because they never got good calls, etc etc. It made for a very uncomfortable situation. They were foul-mouthed and extremely rude, and I was a bit offended. HOWEVER, the paper work for my review on them asked nothing about a personal experience. It asked about how my preceptors practiced medicine and if I learned anything. They got a good review because yes, I did learn things even though they did not explain what they were doing or why they were doing it...which I actually found more helpful than them just coming out and answering my questions. I ended up looking up the answers to my questions in my text book (which I took with me). So after we would drop patients off, I would pull out my book as they were filling out their PCR and look for the answers to my questions. But because of the crappy environment, I attached a note to my review for our director to read and explained what happened and how I would not necessarily recommend that they set up anymore students with this set of medics (we didn't schedule our own, the director set them up for us). Thankfully, I was one of several who has said the same thing about this group, and was told that no other students were scheduled to ride with them for this reason. Point of this long-winded reply? You should make the review about the medicine practiced. If they did a good job and treated their patients with the respect they should have, then the review itself should be a good one. But you also need to make it known about the comments and the uncomfortable situation/bad learning environment. If no one says anything, more students will end up with this group. And it sounds like you did not learn much, which is the point of the ride outs. Don't let one bad experience ruin this experience for you! Our program required us to partake in 50 hours of ride outs in 5 weeks. I met a lot of people, and each have their own way of teaching and dealing with students. I found some that I really liked, and some that I couldn't stand. Make it known to at least your program director about any problems you had with your crew. Nothing is going to change if you don't say something. Hopefully you will meet someone who loves to teach and who will make a positive impact on your life! Good luck!

When I was taking my EMT-B course, the instructors would always tell us that your pillow is your best patient. While it may not talk back to you and give you feedback, it is something that allows you to practice your skills without the stress of an instructor breathing down your neck. If your patient assessment skills are what you are struggling with, honestly try physically doing the assessment on a pillow or something similar and just get the feel for what it is like. Read your skills sheet as you actually do the assessment. This will help you commit it to memory. Once you get the motions memorized, all of the verbal questioning and critical thinking skills necessary to do a great assessment will follow. Right now you are probably thinking too much about the motions to even start thinking about questioning your patient, so this may be a good way to start. And as someone else said, be a patient. If you ever get the chance to be a volunteer victim somewhere, do it! I did this a few times before I took my NREMT and it really helped to solidify the knowledge and the thought process needed to treat a patient. As for the exam itself, just breath. Think about all the possible options before you look at any of the answers given (if it's multiple choice). You are still learning the information. Don't expect to know everything right now. You are only half way through and still have a long way to go. This is a career in which you will never know everything, and will never stop learning. But make the mistakes now in the classroom, so you don't make them when you have a real patient. Ask lots of questions and make your own mnemonics and acronyms if you need to in order to remember the ones the instructor is giving you now. Patient assessments are difficult, that is why we are given these mnemonics when we are learning. But they don't necessarily work for everyone. So just don't stress...at least not yet. If you get to the end of your program and are still feeling totally lost, then start to worry. There are a lot of great study materials out there. Lots of A&P coloring books that also give detailed descriptions on the physiology that may also help. Borders or Barnes and Nobles are great stores to look at if you have any in your area. Good luck with everything!

You absolutely need to take the 2 year medic program...especially if you are going to consider the bridge to nursing program. Even though people say that the stuff you learn in paramedic school won't help you in nursing school, truth is that all of that training will help you. I have friends that have done the bridge and say that all of their EMS training helped them get through RN school. But the thing is, you still have to take all of the nursing pre-rec courses and meet the grade requirements. That still includes your full year of anatomy and physiology (and all the pre-recs for those classes). I start paramedic school in August and have already started buying the textbooks and it seems like way too much information to learn in just 12 weeks...I don't know of any school here that even offers that. I have seen a 10 week EMT-B program, but never a medic program that is less than 18 months. So go for the longer program...it will serve you much better in the long run, especially if you are going to do the bridge to nursing. And, despite what people here have said, the bridge to nursing is not cheating yourself or your patients if you have a good foundation going into it. The RN programs here are separated into 4 semesters...the first 2 consist of review of the anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, dosage calculations, and introductory concepts of nursing...All of which are available to take before you actually get into the program if they don't fill up with nursing students. I took advantage of that and took all of those courses already, so for me to take up a seat in the RN program for the first 2 semesters that someone else could benefit from seems silly. So when we do the bridge here, you get placed into the third semester where there will be new information and skills are introduced. So, if you go into it with a good foundation by taking these courses before hand, I honestly see no problem with doing the nursing bridge later...after you take the 2 year medic program and start bettering your skills as a medic. But that's just a personal opinion. Good luck in whatever you choose!

It's a great way to learn! I volunteer my time every chance I get with the school I did my EMT training through! It's really helpful to see those more experience do something...I actually learn better by watching someone do the skill first, rather than reading. If you ever get the chance to be a "victim" for and ALS class, do it! I have recently moved away from doing just the EMT/BLS classes, and have started volunteering at ALS courses (AMLS, ACLS, TCCC, PHTLS) and I have learned so much! Not only do you get to see the BLS skills used, but you also get to see and learn about the ALS side of treatment. I learned so much. So yea, it teaches you a lot and I would recommend even when you are done with your EMT class that you continue to volunteer if the opportunity is available! It will keep your skills sharp!

I did some ride outs with AMR and heard nothing but negative things about the company. The medics that I rode with did nothing but complain about the constantly rotating partners and how they were nothing but a number to management. The only positive thing they said the whole day was that the pay was good. But unfortunately, where I live you don't get any 911 system experience unless you work for AMR or the FD, so I applied and had an interview with them about a week ago. The written exam was really easy...thought it was a lot easier than the NREMT. It was almost all case based scenarios, and most of mine had something to do with altered mental status. The physical exam was interesting though. I did both on the same day. They sent a list of work outs you should do at the gym to prepare for it, but I honestly didn't think those did much...the exam just seemed really different. But as long as you can lift about 130+ lbs, you should be fine. As for the written exam, I would recommend just brushing up on any information you are a little unfamiliar with and you should be fine. Good luck!

So I am getting ready to move down to LA from Sacramento and I am being told that I have to take an expanded scope of practice course, but I am having trouble finding information on it. I have contacted an LA County EMS office, but they were extremely unhelpful. I have seen that there are a few people on here that have either moved down to LA County from other places or people who did their training down there and I was hoping someone could give me some information on this. I saw one online course, however I'm not sure if I should try to get an in class course or if online would even be sufficient. Can anyone tell me first of all, what this extended scope thing entails? Is it really just a few medications and tubes that I would be able to deal with or is there more? The information I found was really vague. Also, if anyone knows a good place to take this course, I would appreciate the information! Thanks!

Not that I have much room to give advice being fairly new to EMS myself, but I would definitely just say to relax and don't let the age thing frighten you. I know how you feel. Being only 20, I know how it feels to be the youngest in your area. Even during schooling and clinicals I was always the youngest one, but that doesn't mean that you are less qualified or able than whoever you are working with. And don't worry about being new! There will always be someone with you that knows more than you do that will help you out! You obviously know your stuff because you passed the NREMT, so just relax and remember what you were taught in school and you will be fine! They showed you the right way to do things (or so I would hope) so just remember what they taught you and also take each day as a learning experience. Just because you are done with school, doesn't mean you are done learning. Good luck!

Welcome! I too have mainly customer service experience and so I use that to my advantage. I don't care how smart you are, if you cannot make that connection to your patients, you are not going to last at a decent company for long. When I was sending out resumes and cover letters, I played to the fact that I have have been working in a customer service based environment for a number of years and talked about how that will help me connect with the people that the company serves. While you may not have medical experience, EMS is not solely about the medicine. It is also about being a person and connecting with your patients and getting them to trust you and allow you to do your job. You have to be able to put your patient at ease, and that is where your customer service experience will come in handy. So just play to your strengths. Don't make a big deal about not having medical experience. Just show them that you are a good person as well as a good medical provider. Good luck with everything and hope that helps!

Welcome! Congrats on passing your EMT exam. Check out craigslist for job postings! I have seen several postings for my area on there in the last few months. Also, you can check the websites of any company you are interested in...they usually have open positions posted on their sites. Welcome to the site and jump right in on the conversations. There are a lot of experienced people here, and you will definitely learn a lot from everyone!

Mobey, I found this course online. After I finished EMT school, I needed to be able to do EKG's for the ER Tech job I applied for. I went through this free online course and also picked up a copy of Dale Dubin's "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's" at Borders and was able to challenge the hospital's course requirement and got 100% of the questions on their exam correct, so I would say that these two resources combined were extremely helpful! The book has like 30 practice strips and also walks you through each type of abnormal finding and why they occur, as well as lead placement and a review of each component of the EKG strip. http://www.rnceus.com/course_frame.asp?exam_id=16&directory=ekg or just go to www.rnceus.com and you can check out their entire website. Good luck!

Hey all! So I have started working on my CE units so I can re-cert and I have done several courses with the school I did my EMT training through. The only problem with that is that the school is 2 hours away from where I live, and there aren't any campuses up where I live that offer courses unless you are a registered student with them because they are private colleges. So, I was wondering if anyone in California knows of a good place to take in class courses? Also, does anyone know of any good online websites that offer CE units for EMTs? I came across EmCert.com. Has anyone heard of them? I did their free online class, and I really liked the way it was structured, but I'm not sure if there are any benefits to online vs. in class courses. If anyone has any opinions on in class vs. online courses, I would love to hear what you think the best way to do the CE courses are and if you prefer the online, what websites have you found to be the best? Thanks!

Like everyone else has said, A&P is a difficult subject. When I took it in college, my instructor suggested using a CD called Physio Ex as well as My A&P lab...I think you can find them at any local college bookstore or any place such as Borders or Barnes and Noble. They are interactive CDs that have exercises for learning the anatomy as well as simulations and concept maps for the physiology stuff. It gives great visual aids on how the hormones and medications work on the body as well as dissections of the human body. I found them extremely helpful. There are also tons of coloring and excercise books by Pearson that I found at the local book stores, and those really helped me. If you are into study guides, I have found that anything by Pearson have been the most helpful, but that's just a personal preference. Last, if you are just looking for something to simplify the information as you start out, there is a textbook called "Essentials of Human Anatomy&Physiology" by Elaine N. Marieb, 7th edition. It comes with an interactive CD. We used it in my high school A&P class and really simplified everything. I reffered back to it through out my college A&P class when I needed the information simplified so I could understand the basics of any given concept, and then I was able to go to the big text book and really understand the information. Good luck and just memorize, memorize, memorize!

Hey Kyle! First of all, welcome to the City! You will find some great information here. As for any advice on your EMT course...the biggest thing I can say is just don't get behind in your reading or on your skills practice! I found that catching up once you got behind is extremely difficult and that you don't learn the information as well when you are trying to cram at the last minute for an exam! And just practice your skills whenever you get the chance! That part of the exams was always more difficult than the written exams (at least for me). As for your ride outs, get involved! Your school would not send you out on clinicals if they did not think you would be ready. The only way you are going to learn is to be hands-on with the patients. Ask the medics you are with lots of questions. They will be your best source of information. And when you have a patient, ask if you can take the vitals and whatever else you feel comfortable doing. When I did my ride outs, I had one crew that would not let me do anything unless I asked, and then I had another that made me do everything from the initial assessment on scene to loading the patient into the rig and doing the complete detailed assessment on them and turning them over to the ED. So definitely just get involved in your ride outs. You will be surprised at how much that will help you with your exams and really learning the procedures, instead of just being able to regurgitate them for an exam. Good luck!

And, I know the irony is thick in this, my eyes aren't as young as they used to be, if you could break up your posts into paragraphs I'd appreciate it. You always present your points and yourself well, so this is truly not a criticism, it's only that I really look forward to them and it makes them easier to read. Will do Dwayne.

I never said anyone was an ass hole for attempting to correct it...all I said was that it's comical that every time there is a grammatical error on a post, ten people seem to feel the need to correct it. If everyone wanted to be an English teacher, then I guess they got lost on the way to class...Yes, it is extremely important to be able to communicate effectively in English (I actually JUST had this conversation on a job interview) so I'm not saying it's a bad thing to correct. Just saying that it's a little funny that EVERYONE has to comment on the terrible grammar of some people. If you look through some of the posts, the same thing is said over and over in regards to someone's terrible grammar. That is what is funny, the need for EVERYONE to comment on it, not the bad grammar itself. It irritates me that people come on websites like these and try to communicate with others in a way that either: 1. the post is so incomprehensible that no one has any idea what is being said or asked, or 2. that the post is understandable, but the way it is written is so unprofessional that no one wants to respond...I think it was you who actually responded in the "meet and greet" section to tvfdmedic. You gave him some great advice on how to actually communicate to everyone on here. And that's great, I am really happy you did that because I honestly had nothing positive to say to him because what he wrote was so grammatically incorrect. However, watch. Now that you have said something about it, I can pretty much guarantee that at least five others will now comment on the poorly written post. And that's what's funny, not the horrific English skills our public schools are teaching.

Yes, everyone here thinks they are English critics...and it's pretty funny. But I would say go for it. If you think this is what you want to do, it's never too early to start looking into it. And, if you can find a way to get experience through an explorers program, take it! Finishing high school is important, but if you think you can do that while looking into and/or starting an EMS class, you might as well. But never completely dismiss the idea of going to college too if you become even a little unsure about what you want to do after high school.

I am a new EMT also, and I have found that with no patient experience, it was hard to get a job. I don't know what your past employment history is like, but one big area that I focused on for my applications was my customer service experience. I have worked in restaurants for 5 years, so I focused in on my organizational, time management, and customer service skills that I gained through that. Another thing you could do is volunteer with your local red cross, blood source, etc. Even though with those you probably won't have direct patient contact, I have found that volunteer work with any company (especially those in medicine) help as well. The school that I did my EMT training through also asks for volunteers from previous classes to be "victims" at their courses (EMT-B class, PHTLS, AMLS, etc) so that is another good way to get experience if you have any programs in your area that look for people to help out with those types of things. You learn a lot and can put it on an application. Unfortunately, it is hard to get a job when you have no paid experience, but I have found that volunteer work is almost as good. Plus, those that you did your ride outs with would probably be useful in getting information on where to look for jobs and/or volunteer opportunities. If you made any good connections with them (or anyone you met during your training) I would highly recommend contacting them and seeing if they have any advice for you. The ones that I rode with were a huge help in job hunting and preparing me for the interview process! Hope that helps! Good luck!

Good luck with your medic program! But I honestly think that you are doing it the right way. RN school is so competitive and difficult to get into, that by becoming a medic you are at least getting involved in the career of your choice. Plus, most states have a medic to RN bridge program that is MUCH easier to get into...I think that's what I'm going to end up doing, but we shall see. With the 3-5 year long wait lists here for acceptance into any RN program, the bridge may be better. And while I would love to go straight to RN school, I think doing the medic thing may be a better option first...some experience would definitely be beneficial! Thanks for your thoughts and good luck! Dwayne, I just saw your post and kinda feel bad I ignored it... I was really looking for some information on how the paramedics on here actually like their jobs. As much as I would like to think that everyone loves what they do, I have definitely seen that that is not true. The medics at the FD that I rode with for 3 weeks were so burnt out that it was torture being with them.. every time the alarm went off they moaned about it...and then there were the super young ones at the private companies that I was with that were always super happy to get a call. Having the two extremes made it hard to get a real feel for how the majority of the medics actually feel about their jobs, so I'm just kind of looking for some feedback on how the career choice has settled with people...and like I had said before, RN school is just so difficult to get into and takes on average 3-5 years, so I was also looking to see if anyone thought it would be worth me spending the time and money to go to medic school while I wait. I don't know how beneficial it would be for me to spend the time getting my medic cert while I am waiting, or if I'm better off just working as an EMT for the time being, so I was just looking for some other opinions before I actually sign up for classes next semester... "God bless Nate, but do you really want to base the next several years of your education on the advice of someone that is unable to spell, punctuate or develop halfway proper sentences and paragraphs? You sound smarter than that."...as good as his intentions are, I do have to agree that the lack of basic grammar etiquette will definitely make me think twice before taking advice from anyone! =)

So in your several weeks/ months experience as an EMT B tell us how many times you've made a difference in peoples lives. Then in ten , fifteen 25 or 40 years come on back and see if you still believe in the granola crunch life, warm & fuzzy BS that was obviously imbedded in your brain by a proud member of the fruits & nuts society of California is all sunshine crap that you are lecturing us with. Once you've dealt with the dregs of society for years , with an occasional sweet little old lady who really needs your compassion and hand holding, let us know how it works for you. In reality you will spend most of your calls trying to figure out which agency needs to take charge of your pt. The corrections system, the mental health system or the local undertaker. My guess is you won't last very long based on the thousands of newbies I met over the decades. tough love is sometimes needed. It's time for you to open your eyes and have a reality check sunshine.

If you read my response to the OP, you will see that in no way did I condone what he said. But I was able to express my disapproval in a professional, unaccusatory manner. And as for your comment about the fry cook...while you may not have come directly out and said that it is a bad job, the way you referred to the position was clearly meant as an insult. If a fry cook saw how you referred to that position, I can guarantee you they would be offended. I also think it's funny that you found the need to go look up those definitions. I went to college and took my fair share of English classes, so I don't need a dictionary lesson thank you very much. I don't really care what the dictionary definition of a job or trade or profession is...a profession is something that someone does for a living, same as a job. It is something that they choose to do. If you actually asked a fry cook what their profession is, they would tell you that they are a fry cook...so it doesn't really matter what the dictionary definition is, all that matters is what someone thinks of themselves and what they do for a living. And using a "job", any "job", as an insult speaks very poorly of the person that said it. And as for EMS not being a profession known for it's "warm fuzzies or sunshine and belly rubs"...hate to tell you but that is EXACTLY what you are paid to do. You are a patient advocate, and whether you like it or not, sometimes that means holding their hand and being the sunshine in their cloudy day. You are there to take care of them and treat them with respect and compassion. We see people at their worst, and sometimes all they need from us is a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on. When you come across a hyperventilating patient, how do they tell you to first treat that? They tell you to verbally try to calm them down, to coach them. So you sit there and speak kindly to them, breathe with them and try to get them to relax. No concous patient is going to just let you stick a BVM on their face, so we are taught to, yes I'm going to say it, HOLD THIER HAND and coach them to get their breathing under contol. And that's just one example. And, last time I checked, the schools teach 5 core EMS values, Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Empathy, which spell ICARE respectively. So yes, EMS is all about 'warm fuzzies and sunshine' when it comes to your patients. Those values are what EMS is all about, but why does it have to stop at our patients? Why can't we continue to practice those when it comes to our co-workers? It is a tough profession, don't get me wrong, but why do we have to make it harder on each other by attacking someone who made a mistake? I am not in any way saying that the OP was right in posting what he did. What he posted hit home with me. I have lost people very close to me who have had mental disorders and have done similar things as a means of suicide, so for you to say that by stepping up for him I am condoning his behavior, actually is very offensive. However, just because I do not agree with what he posted, doesn't mean that I should verbally attack him and post insults for the world to see. Attacking someone is NOT the way to get things changed. All it does is put them on the defense, and then they don't listen and nothing changes. Simple as that.

Believe me...I wasn't one for "warm and fuzzy hand holding" either, until the last thing I said to someone who meant the world to me was very similar to the posts that I have seen here in response to the OP. I have been surrounded by friends and family with mental disorders, and I have my degree in psychology, so I have spent many many long hours with mentally disabled patients. I have seen them smash their heads into walls, cabinets, their bed posts, etc. These patients often times are the nicest people you will ever meet, they just don't know how to deal with their disease. I have built relationships with so many of these patients as I did my internships, so I trust me when I say that I get being sensitive to this thread. I recently lost a friend who had a mental illness. He took his own life by running his car into a brick wall, so I get it. Someone busting their head open against the concrete, not funny. But the last conversation I had with this friend had ended with me acting in the same way that so many people who have responded to this thread have: attacking and bombarding them with terrible accusations and comments. Having a friend who went through through a situation similar to what the OP posted, I have taken a huge step back and looked in the mirror. I don't know if anyone here has ever lost someone like that, but it is the worst feeling in the world to know that your last words to someone were so unkind. That is why I when I saw what was being said here, I had to say something. There are so many ways to deal with a problem other than yelling at someone. An experience like that really makes you think about how you treat people, whether it is a friend, family member, or some random stranger on a website. You never know when your time, or theirs, is over, so I try every day to be a better person and give someone the benefit of the doubt. I do my best to teach them right from wrong without attacking them. I do apologize if I upset you guys, but I really see no reason to attack someone just because we disagree with what has been said. Harsh words never solves anything, all it does is piss people off. Sometimes, all you need is that one person to talk to you and treat you how you would like to be treated to make the difference. And while yes, some people do need a kick in the butt, most do not and a few simple friendly suggestions will usually solve the problem.

Thank you...and I did respond to him FYI...no attacking or belittling...just a few friendly words of advice.