tiedyedbeth Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I have a some classes transferring towards my degree, leaving me with just EMT-Basic, EMS Vehicles/Communications, and Anatomy & Physiology I this fall. Algebra isn't required as part of the degree program I'm in, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't take it anyways? I'm not the best with algebra, so I'd rather avoid it - but then I haven't done anything like it since high school 15 years ago. How much of algebra plays into later things that I will learn like pharmacology (which I'll have in the spring)? Or is it more useful as just in the higher-thinking that it encourages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentMedic Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Principles of Algebra come to play in many areas of medicine. Pharmacology is just one of the disciplines that utilizes it. It will also enable you to understand the basic equations for the cardiac and pulmonary systems. Many aspects of critical care medicine require higher math to understand even the most basic principles. Several healthcare professions require at least a survey of Calculus (and Physics) with 2 - 3 semesters preferred to enable the student to become accustomed to higher analysis and to understand the scientific literature in their profession. I doubt if the Paramedic will require that much math anywhere in the near future but Algebra is not something that should be ignored in your studies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiedyedbeth Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 Thanks, VentMedic. I may have asked this before and not remembered. At any rate, after I posted I thought about it and went and looked up the classes for the Bachelor's EMS I want to obtain, and I realized that Algebra is required along with three Chemistry classes and a couple others so I'm going to go ahead and get Algebra done this fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firedoc5 Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Definately take algebra. It will help. And at least basic physics. Sometimes it seems like the two go hand-n-hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiedyedbeth Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule for this fall. I'm going to get a textbook though, work through what I can, and hang out in the math lab for help with the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDP Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 algebra is a pretty fun unit in math. If you want to really broaden your horizens,take a calculus or finite course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustdevil Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Don't get a textbook. Textbooks are meant to augment instruction. You're getting no instruction, so it will be of little use to you. Get a programmed text/workbook. There are quite a few out there. Something like "Algebra Made Simple" or "Algebra for Dummies" etc... Thumb through a few at the bookstore and find something that looks like it actually TEACHES you as you go. In fact, there are a couple of similar workbooks for medical math that may be more suited to the purpose. When you get the book, treat it as a class. Schedule time daily to work through a chapter, and get it done on a schedule. If you just pick it up ever now and then, do a chapter or two, and never finish up, you're not going to get the benefit you need. I have always been horrible at "school math". Can't hardly pass a class to save my life. But in the field (or in the hospital, etc...), I am usually the one that all the other nurses ask to calculate their dosages for them. And these are all the nurses who made As in math all through high school and college too. My point being, don't let your past difficulties with math classes convince you that you cannot grasp the concepts. Many people, like myself, find that math comes easy, so long as there is an immediate practical application for it, like drug calculations and such on the job. I can solve for mg/kg/gtt all day long in my head and never make a mistake. But if you replace those factors with X and Y, I am lost. So when you are practising calculations in your workbook, replace X and Y with medical terms that give context to the equation, and that may help you overcome that mental block. But yeah, if at all possible, I STRONGLY suggest that you take College Algebra, because drug calcs is only a portion of the math that you need in medicine. There are plenty of other situations that require you to solve for X, and if you get a good foundation in an Algebra class, you'll be way ahead of the curve. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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