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Additional training for EMT-Basic?


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What is some additional training for the EMT Basic level that could be taken?

(without getting into Paramedic schooling so soon.)

Or if someone could point me in the right direction.

Thank you.

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Look at taking college level courses such as anatomy and physiology with labs, pre-calculus college algebra, English literature and composition and general or survey chemistry classes with labs. These should greatly enhance your understanding of the physicial world and human dysfunction within the world.

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Take the first three in this order

1) A general chemistry class that includes introductory inorganic, organic and biological chemistry with lab

2) An introductory human biology course with lab

3) Anatomy and physiology I and II with lab

Then take teh basik Engrish compersition class and see if you can find a class that includes biostatistics or scientific research methods, I am not sure what you guys call it but we call it something like Scientific Research Methods.

Some would counsel you to take a general or biological physics class with lab but I am not convinced it is required but then again I do not know much about physics, all I know is if I put my food in the microwave it gets hot and I get cancer but if I put my head in the microwave it explodes so I dno must be a thing ..

Now, some community colleges may have a general pathophysiology and/or pharmacology class which is common to e.g. nursing paramedicine, health science or biomedical science degrees (the universities that teach those subjects do here) so if you can find those take them too!

I think you guys in US really are quite lucky, you can take community college classes for extremely cheap around $100 a credit hour, when I was in Indiana it was $70 a credit hour, so at most you might pay $300 for a class and you can use these types of classes for general education requirements in many associate degrees and transfer them to a four year university. In New Zealand these sorts of classes are only taught at university, the typical university class being $697 NZD + fees + books so it makes doing one or two classes even for personal interest extremely cost prohibitive.

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Biostatistics may be a bit much. A standard undergrad statistics and probability class would be required prior to tackling biostatistics. However, pre-calculus is the highest yield because that allows you to jump off into more complex mathematics but ensures you will understand dosage calculations, conversions and simple porportions. All critical for understanding the basics of medication administration.

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As I said, I am not sure what you call it in the US or if such an equivalent exists but here each University who teaches the health professional programs will have a class that includes basic statistics as well as an introduction to biostatistics so that one can begin to understand the design of clinical trials and some fundamental epidemiology.

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That may be integrated into the core curriculum of programmes in the States; however, proper biostatistics courses are often upper level undergrad or graduate courses and I'm not sure a newly minted EMT who likely has little fundamental course work would benefit from going this route. Honestly, core mathematical literacy is probably the order of the day. Honestly, if somebody is not at the precalc level, I would even suggest taking what are called developmental math classes and the look at a dosage calculation class. Mathematics is frequently an across the board weakness in many students looking at college coursework. I ended up taking a year of developmental math myself and that was well over ten or so years ago. The problem has proliferated in many areas and I would say this is one of the biggest issues students struggle with at the community college level.

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I saw something from the NHTSA which said the biggest cause of non completion of Paramedic programs was a lack of basic math and English ability. Here you must take maths up to Year 12 (of 13) in high school and I honestly suck at maths

I think microbiology might be helpful, maybe, provided it is targeted towards human disease, soil cycling of saprophytes not so much

Edited by Kiwiology
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Then take teh basik Engrish compersition class and see if you can find a class that includes biostatistics or scientific research methods, I am not sure what you guys call it but we call it something like Scientific Research Methods.

Rules you out Kiwi with that NZ'er language that you speak................should it not be "thun tek the besuk........"?

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