RescuePro33 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 The reason i am writing this is to ask the question if you ever had a partner in Medic school you just couldn't get along with? The program i am in now is brand new so they are in the process of debugging the program by trying new things and so on, and i have to say that i like the way everything is going now, except this whole partner thing, out of a class of 11 people there are 4 people who are already EMTs and 7 people who have no experience what so ever, now at this point our instructor decided that it would be a good idea for her to pick the partners for everyone in the class instead of letting us pick our own, which sucked from the door because i wanted to be partners with another EMT in my class that runs with a Fire Dept just like me so that way we are always on the same page and we know each others background, well as it turns out i got put with this girl who i knew for a fact was doomed from the door, i mean i was more than willing to help this girl out in any way, but then the drama started, she is one of these types of girls who whole life focuses on her and shes not happy unless she is gossiping or crying and complaining about something, well when i got assigned to her i was willing to take one on the chin for my instructor and work with her and the first week even the second week went fine then it was test time, Chapters 1-4 of the standard EMT Basic textbook which covered ethics and the well being of a EMT and so on, nothing really to do with the meat and potatoes of patient care, Well the Test was all open book except for the people who are already EMTs we took the test with are books closed, but anyways this girl failed her first test and couldn't score over a 80 on the other sections, and thats when i knew i had to jump ship and find a new partner, and when i made my decision known all of a sudden she started crying saying everyone hates her and blah blah blah , i mean does everyone think i did the right thing by getting myself away from her? or should i have stuck it out and see what happens? i think i did the right thing by moving on and know i also got the person who i wanted to be partner from day 1 so it has worked out for the better so far. Do you have any horror stories about who your partner was in EMT class or Medic class if so you should post them and we can compare stories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reaper Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 That is something you need to learn to deal with. On the street, you may get stuck with a partner you don't like, but thats life. I would have gave her another shot and studied harder with her, then see how she did. The more you help her study, the more you learn too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Ok first thing first, please break up your post into paragraphs. I stopped reading after about 1/2 through it. Now to discuss your question In life there are going to be people who you cannot stand and those who cannot stand you. It's something you have to deal with. The instructor had his reasons to pair you up and maybe, just maybe if you stop and think about it, he had enough respect for you and your experience that he felt that you could help this "doomed from the start" girl. Please get over your I'm better than her attitude and step up to the plate and be a gentleman and help her pass the class and learn something too. I'm sorry but all I really hear in your thread is whining that you didn't get your way so you are not gonna step up and help her. Life is not easy and your class should not be easy either. sorry to be so harsh but I had a couple of students like you in my class too and after a while we got tired of their whining. And now after re-reading your post I see where I am completely right about your whining---- i think i did the right thing by moving on and know i also got the person who i wanted to be partner from day 1 so it has worked out for the better so far. I'm going to withhold my comments from here on out but it seems that by dumping this girl who obviously needs some help that you got exactly what you intended on from the beginning. You sound a little petty and childish to me. That's the nicest comment I can say here but I do want to say so much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridryder 911 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Wow ! That was one long sentence and paragraph! The reason for teaming you up is to learn to deal with different type of people, even in the working environment you will get a mixture of different types of behavior. I do understand your frustrations, however; it is ironic that you described her as being dramatic and not being able to cope with situations, when it is you that is here in a forum discussing it... R/r 911 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I agree Rid, theres a lot more to this kid than just gramatically challenged. I want to hear more from the veteran posters on the board but I've got a pretty good description of him in my mind. My assumption is that the partner he wanted in the beginning is very pretty and he was upset that he got the ugly chick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocket Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 IMHO you can't really say you know something until you have proven that you can teach it to someone else. Although many of us wouldn't consider ourselves as teachers, there is little difference between being the teacher and being the student who helps a fellow student learn or understand a concept. The main difference between the two roles is that you as the student need only work in a one-to-one environment while the teacher needs to work one-to-many. Teaching isn't easy. It forces you to rethink and rephrase things over and over again until you find the right way to present the information. When this happens you get to "see the lightbulb go off over your student's/partner's head" and it is a very rewarding feeling indeed. But there is more to the reward than just that feeling. Each time you refine your information and present it to your student/partner you commit a little bit more of it to memory. Maybe you recognize that you didn't really have that concept down after all...and so you are forced to check your facts. Sometimes your student/partner will ask you a question that you yourself should have asked when you were learning. Some students or partners will pick up the ball and run with it, moving on to become really good providers. Some of them just won't get it and will fail out no matter who helps them. Regardless of how your student or partner turns out, recognize that the effort you make to help them learn can only benefit both of you and so it is always worth the effort. The tougher students/partners are actually the best ones because they will make you a better teacher....and therefore a better provider. Sometimes you need to look at your situation and ask yourself if things are really conspiring to hold you back or actually going to wind up benefiting you down the road. More often than not I believe we find things to turn out in our favor when we try to help someone else. Good luck with your learning, -Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaisu Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I'm confused... you mean there are states that don't require an active EMT license (Basic or Intermediate) to get into paramedic school ? Here in Wisconsin that is a prerequisite. It tends to weed out people who can't handle school. I also think that an "open book" test has got to be a joke... whats it test ? that you can read ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneEMTP Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I guess I'm going to disagree with just about everyone here... When I take a class, I pay my money to get an education, not be a resource for other students that don't share my near freakish need to get good grades. I do absolutely agree that teaching is the best way to learn, but that implies that the person you're teaching is motivated to learn and excel. If not? I don't have the time to carry them. An example. At the beginning of every class that I've had at the college level I've started a study group. In the first month or so there are always 3-4 people that are interested in participating, it doesn't seem to matter how large or small the class is. We get together and study 2-3 times a week for about 5 hours or so at a time. I make up flash cards for each chapter, pass them out to the group, and we take turns asking/answering/discussing until we know them so well we want to vomit. It's a great way for me to learn as I remember a lot from creating the flash cards, but it also puts everyone in a position to explain the concepts that sunk in for them easily to the others that didn't pick them up so well...and everyone has some of those subjects. So everyone ends up both teacher and student. The problem comes when my study group has aced their first month or two of exams...then the boneheads, that had no desire to excel, want to join the group to attempt to save their grades before the end of the semester...but they are no longer welcome. It simply takes too much of the groups time to attempt to bring them up to speed, get them caught up. I offered to help, they didn't want to make the effort, I'm not going to carry them now. If I was placed with a student, that was expected to share my work, and therefore my grade, I would absolutely demand to be changed if they didn't share my goals. Again, I paid for my education, not to be a teaching resource for the class. I enjoy being a resource, but only for those that share my drive. Are you not so bright, but truly want to grow and learn? Welcome. Do you simply want a piggy back ride to your C, to maintain your financial aid? Come back when you've grown up. No disrespect intended for typos, I don't have time to reread this as I'm off to class...I hope it makes sense. Have a great day all! Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPINFV Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I'm confused... you mean there are states that don't require an active EMT license (Basic or Intermediate) to get into paramedic school ? Here in Wisconsin that is a prerequisite. It tends to weed out people who can't handle school. I also think that an "open book" test has got to be a joke... whats it test ? that you can read ? I'll disagree with the idea that you should have to be an EMT [b or I] before paramedic school. Medical school, for example, doesn't require you to be trained in a health care field prior to starting, why should paramedicine have such a requirement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eydawn Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I will agree with Dwayne (for the most part) on this one. You are paying money to be educated. It is your responsibility to determine how to modify your environment so that you can adequately master the material and become proficient at *whatever* you are studying. Now, I am not saying you automatically throw a fit when you get a less than optimal partner, nor that you neglect trying to help them while you are forced to work with them... but if it comes down to someone not stepping up to their half of the bargain, distracting me and making it difficult for me to learn, I am definitely going to bail on you and ask for another partner. This is *my* future career, *my* money and *my* time. If an instructor asks me to stay with someone to help them and agrees to help me compensate for lost time etc., then I will do so. I will *not* just go along with the instructor and stay with a loser if I am not asked to do so, for the reasons stated above. I don't play those games. Again, I apologize for the apostrophe and enter keys... stupid laptop! -Wendy; CO EMT-B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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