tamaith Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 hi, i was wondering what ppl thought. i have been a basic ( emt) for 2 months now only doing transporting. i just found out that there is a paramedic class being offered in jan. the class is 13 months long mon wed, thurs class and tues clinical with some sat and sundays. my question is do you think i should go or have more time in the street? honestly i am quite nervous about medic school. i always here classes end up with 25% finishing the course. part of me says go and do it and part of me says try to volunteer with an als company then do it next year. also if anyone knows of any good paramedic textbooks / workbooks that may help i would appreciate it. thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher.Collins Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Well, if your nervous about the class, only been teching for 2 months as a basic and have to ask then that should be your answer. Dont mean to sound blunt, Im not by any means trying to be harsh. Take your time brother. In my personal opinion... transport service is a great way to gain experience. Yea, sure your not running 9-1-1s most of the time but being with the patient in a non-emergent situation gives you an advantage. 1) without a reason to rush you can build skills and confidence treating/talking to people, rather than just treating an injury/illness, 2) being able to review intrafacility transport forms (W10s for example) and any paperwork being sent with the patient will give you a perspective of types of and common medications, history, treatments... learning to read :evil: Dr/Nurse handwriting lol :twisted: 3) when you get a chance to work with a medic partner youll have more time (not rushing) to learn their equipment, how to use it and how they work. I could go on but Im sure you may get my point. Personally brother... Id wait. I dont know about your area but here in Connecticut most schools have interviews and backround checks to keep new EMTs from going for their medic right away. I dont per say agree with it because some people are quick learners and hard workers... but I do think that anyone going medic should give some time at the BLS level before serious consideration. Best of luck in your journies. Stay safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamaith Posted August 31, 2008 Author Share Posted August 31, 2008 thank you...for your reply. im in pennsylvania, and yes there will be an interview and application to get in. unlike basic school. also this is a little off track but this past dec i moved back home after living on my own for the last 10 years if i would go to school i would have to cut my hours back and stay at home. if i don't then i want to move out and have my freedom ( own place) again asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 There is no reason to wait. With more education comes more confidence. You can practice your basic skills while taking paramedic or even after you get paramedic. Trust me you will do your patients more good as a paramedic than you you ever could as a basic. I regret I waited so long to go for paramedic. Now I live with the fact some died that would be alive had I had my paramedic. Don't let that happen to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher.Collins Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Hey spen, Im sorry about your incident. I know I dont know any more than what youve said but dont be hard on yourself about it. If you were sent as a basic you were sent there as a basic... its not your fault by any means. Maybe a higher level of care could have saved that person, but that would have been like me saying if I got into EMS a year sooner my grandmother may still be alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Hey spen, Im sorry about your incident. I know I dont know any more than what youve said but dont be hard on yourself about it. If you were sent as a basic you were sent there as a basic... its not your fault by any means. Maybe a higher level of care could have saved that person, but that would have been like me saying if I got into EMS a year sooner my grandmother may still be alive. Actually had I gotten my paramedic as soon as I completed my EMT-B there would have been a number of people that could have survived that died because I was highest level of care. Yes in the ambulance or on scene I did all I could legally do but sadly it was not enough. Examples are seeing heart rhythms that as a paramedic are treatable but as a basic you sit and wait for the inevitable. There are a lot of familys that were robbed of loved ones because I chose to wait and my service was to cheap to get paramedics. All my years of experience have done nothing but teach me bad habits that have hampered my paramedic education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentMedic Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 One of the reasons students have a difficult time in Paramedic class is that they have no prerequisites to prepare them for medical education or even basic writing/math/reading comprehension. One is expected to memorize instead of actually understanding or to critically think about how to anticipate and proceed with patient care. It doesn't matter if you have been an EMT for 1 month onr 10 years. You will still be no more prepared for the study of medicine at a higher level even if you think you've "seen" more. What counts is what you understand when you see it. You may "work" with a serious trauma patient but do you really understand enough to know what is happening to the patient to assess if the situation is going well. Cool looking skills are just one part of patient care. The number of times you will perform many of your Basic skills do not warrant delaying the start your education for Paramedic. However, I would suggest you start with some college level A&P, Pharmacology and pathophysiology classes first for a better understanding of the body's functions and what medicines actually do. Then, you will have less memorizing to do in Paramedic class. By then you will also have achieved some study discipline make the Paramedic program's 10th grade text book easier to get through. Too many people also don't take full advantage of the wealth of information those routine transfers can provide. Reading patients' histories, lab values and then looking up these things later to see what they are can be helpful. Noticing different venous access devices, pacemaker locations, insulin and pain management pumps can also be useful further down the road. Assessing the patient thoroughly and not just doing (if it is even done) that one "mandatory" routine BP can fine tune your skills. You can also perfect your communication and interviewing skills. Many of these patients like a little extra attention and are willing to cooperate with you. You can become very accomplished with these skill sets in a short time if you take it seriously and not blow these transports off as BS. To be a successful clinician, you have to put a little effort in both the patient care aspects as well as the academics. Just because your state only requires a minimum of 700 hours of training does not mean that is all you should do. Being better prepared for the Paramedic Program, even if the program doesn't require prerequisites, will definitely be more helpful than the number of years you are an EMT-B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamaith Posted August 31, 2008 Author Share Posted August 31, 2008 thats not a bad idea , ventmedic, thanks. i have taking a&p in college, i went for health promotion. i remember someone on here posting hundreds of FREE online classes ( now i just have to find them ) i could prob take those classes and more online for free ( hopefully) and more now and then next year actually sign up for the paramedic class and have a better understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustdevil Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 i remember someone on here posting hundreds of FREE online classes ( now i just have to find them ) i could prob take those classes and more online for free ( hopefully) and more now and then next year actually sign up for the paramedic class and have a better understanding. Or you could simply get serious about becoming a paramedic, and treat it as a profession instead of just an advanced first aid course that you can home-study. There are no home studies or books that you can buy that are adequate preparation for professional education. Period. Take the classes or forget it. A full year of A&P, including labs. Microbiology. A full year of psychology. College algebra. If you're serious about being a professional, then a full year of chemistry and physics too. This question doesn't even need to be asked. Just go to the closest community college that has a paramedic degree programme, take all the listed prerequisites, then go for it. Quit trying to find the "easy" way, the "free" way, or the "faster" way. The curriculum is set up this way for a reason. Just do it. If you're not prepared to devote one hundred percent effort to it, then simply don't do it. Go drive a truck or flip burgers. There is no shortage of half-arse medics in EMS without you. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emt322632 Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 thats not a bad idea , ventmedic, thanks. i have taking a&p in college, i went for health promotion. i remember someone on here posting hundreds of FREE online classes ( now i just have to find them ) i could prob take those classes and more online for free ( hopefully) and more now and then next year actually sign up for the paramedic class and have a better understanding. You will get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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