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EMT-B Pre-test


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The question that needs to be asked here is, what is the purpose of your EMT course? Is it college based? Is it primarily preparation for budding paramedics? Is it just an advanced first aid course for first responders? Do they have any chance of actually ever getting a paying job out of this, or is it just the local good ol' boys' hobby club?

This is why I believe that EMT training and paramedic education should be entirely separated. If you wanna be a first aider, go train with the Red Cross. Let them run it, and take all comers, regardless of education, in Ingles or Espanol, and go for it. After alli, it ain't rocket surgery. If they pass, great. If not, oh well. It's their money. And, the more advanced first aiders society has, the better.

This way, we don't even fret over nonsense like this. Unless this is the entry exam for a group of people who are all headed for the EMS profession, I could not care less how smart or educated they are, or how good their Ingles is. if they can pass the course, that is good enough for me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Been away for awhile. Thank you for your varous responses. The pre-test that was developed includes high school math, conversions (lbs /kg), some material for reading comprehension, and material that will be covered.

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Again thank you for your input

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  • 1 month later...

EMT-B is important as an entry level and therefore requires the student have abilities and skills prior to entry. Drug test, background checks and shot records all have good reason. The evaluations of other areas are important as well.

Students do have to have a reasonable degree of intelligence and reasoning ability.

Students should demonstrate emotional stability and sound judgment ability.

Students need to have a good reading comprehension level.

A well structured entry exam would give indications of problems in any of these areas.

EMT-B isn't a "load and go" job description although many medics act like that is all the "basics" are good for. It is mucho more.

So ... yes a well formulated test that addresses psych, IQ, and basic academic knowledge would be beneficial to the student and instructors

Why take a person's money that simply doesn't have the ability to pass the course or who will be a dangerous provider?

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EMT-B is important as an entry level and therefore requires the student have abilities and skills prior to entry. Drug test, background checks and shot records all have good reason. The evaluations of other areas are important as well.

Students do have to have a reasonable degree of intelligence and reasoning ability.

Students should demonstrate emotional stability and sound judgment ability.

Students need to have a good reading comprehension level.

A well structured entry exam would give indications of problems in any of these areas.

EMT-B isn't a "load and go" job description although many medics act like that is all the "basics" are good for. It is mucho more.

So ... yes a well formulated test that addresses psych, IQ, and basic academic knowledge would be beneficial to the student and instructors

Why take a person's money that simply doesn't have the ability to pass the course or who will be a dangerous provider?

Hi there, don't go by the post count, but hear me out. Coming from a different aspect, I've been a pharmacy technician for 2 years. My current field doesn't have nearly the amount of responsibility or pressures as EMS, even at the Basic level, and yet we see the same sort of "pay your $10,000 and get your certification" schools. I have the pleasure of working under a manager (luckily not our RPh) who can't spell 3/4 of the drugs we dispense, and doesn't know what they're for, but can type 40-50 of them in an hour.

In any case, the school I was just admitted to (not one of the prestigious academies of the world, but a local community college) has a fairly strict admissions policy for the EMS/ Fire program, on par with every nursing program I've seen. It requires a minimum test score on several competency tests, or can be substituted with previous college courses. It also requires a 3.0GPA minimum on all classes taken, or you're dropped. While this might not show a level of actual skill, it does show an ability to learn and comprehend. I can understand medical 'jargon' with the best of them, and even sling some stuff that might confuse even the most advanced Paramedic here... but I can't tell you what steps to take when someone has just entered cardiac arrest, because I haven't learned that yet.

Short story made long; I'd like to see the entry requirements firmed up a bit, maybe to include some anatomy, logic, med math, med term, etc type courses to prep students. Maybe even a pre-test that includes basic medical concepts. However, giving me (or anyone) a copy of the NREMT test and basing the class on that... that just shows which of the newbies watches House/ ER more than the rest, and I'd rather not have MY learning based upon lucky guesses.

Hope I didn't sounds like too much of a know-it-all smart-ass. I mean, I did have extra caffeine today.

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