Paramedic Student

[eng41ine]

Hi I am starting Paramedic School tomorrow and was wondering if any of you medics out there had any tips for me. What was the hardest part for you in passing, what should I expect in the next year or so?
Thanks for all of your replies.

-Jonathan
a.k.a. eng41ine

[kghemtp]

Keep up and even get ahead in reading, start clinicals as early as possible to ensure you get at least the required hours in but also increasing the chance of getting more skills than required. Practice everything, no matter how much you feel comfortable. Use the resources of providers at your station as well as those in class to help with scenarios. Try to limit how much you have to do for work or volunteering in the year, as clinicals will consume most of your time and energy. Try to ride in an environment you think you'd want to work in, sorta test-driving the department. If you think private is where you want to be, get into the local one. I chose fire-based, as that's where I wanted to go. Make time for sleep, as you'll do better on tests & in clinicals. Ask questions of peers & preceptors. Be first to try a skill, and jump right in when hospital ER's are doing something you know how to do. Have fun, and practice safety everywhere. Good luck!

[ffemt1361]

Email me and I will be glad to tell you everything good and bad that has happened to me in medic school, since I take the National Registry written test a week from TODAY!!!! I can be reached at firefly1361@hotmail.com or you can aol im me @ firefly1361 Take care stay safe and good luck.

[IAMedic]

Please forgive me for being lazy, but I copied this excellent post from a great, intelligent, and all around nice guy from a previous post when asked about the same thing!!


"Paramedics help save lives and EMT's help save Paramedics"

Go on as many runs as possible. Don't just do your "requireds". In Iowa, we went to Skills Compentencies, instead of set hours. We do have a minimum number of hours, but you have to have so many skills successfully completed before you can actually pass the clinical stages.

Don't ever get the "I Am Paramedic, Hear Me Roar" attitude. You are not God, nor will you ever be. You are not the best provider in the world, nor will you ever be. We are all human and we will make mistakes. If you come off with this attitude, when you do make a mistake, it will burn you ten-fold.

Pay attention to your instructors and ask questions. You should never, NEVER let a question go by unanswered. Even if you thought it is stupid. I never realized how many questions there were until I became an instructor. You can't cover everything being an instructor and you do leave things out or maybe I didn't explain it thoroughly enough. I have had students bring up a very valid questions and have even been corrected in certain areas. I am not perfect, either.

Have fun in class. Don't stress yourself out!! You may have difficulty in one area, but ask the instructor or your classmates how they do it and remember it.

And probably most importantly, NEVER STOP LEARNING!!! Whether you are a life-long paramedic or are using this as a stepping stone, always want to learn. Strive to be the best pre-hospital provider that you can be.

I got into this field after finishing my Bachelors for Criminal Justice. Once I started this I was hooked and thought I would be doing this all of my life. I have decided to attempt Med School now. If you desire to go on to Nursing School or even Med School, do it. This is a great way to see if you have it in ya.

Good Luck!!

[DaSharkie]

Listen to what the instructors tell you. Most of them are experienced providers adn will gladly tell you the "War stories." While they will tell you tehse stories, they are full of little tid - bits of information and tips that will help you be a better Paramedic yourself.

When you hit the streets, practice a variety of skills under your preceptors. Learn from them, they know what works, what doesn't, adn how to it right (and worng).

This is a great job, as well as being very enjoyable. Like IAMedic said, don't stop learning. Paramedic school is just a foundation of knowledge and you still don't know squat in the great scheme of things. Keep learning, keep taking classes, and courses. Better yourself, becuase before you know it you will be precepting students and then you have live up to their expectations.

[mattmedic]

One thing I recommend to anyone who wants to get into medicine, especially paramedicine, is watch the movie "Patch Adams" staring Robin Williams. It really puts everything into perspective. Watch it several times!:D
Four additional things you should do; Study, study, study, and then.... study. "Paramedic" means; along side of.. a physician. You are the eyes and ears of your physician in the field. Don't just be a paramedic. Don't just be a good paramedic. Be the best of the best!

Don't forget, medicine is a science. It's constantly changing. To stay on the cutting edge of EMS you have to go beyond the classromm and learn on your own. There are many wonderful journals that are packed with great information. (EMS Magazine, JEMS, Fire/Rescue, etc.) Also, most areas host great EMS conventions with siminars, etc.

Good luck and don't quit!:rolleyes:

[smurfe]

The biggest thing I can tell you is don't try studying ahead to get a "jump" on a subject such as Pharmacology or cardiology.

Your class is a year and you have PLENTY of time to learn everything in it's alloted space. I have seen too many people fail out of a class on "simple" subjects because they didn't give equal study time to a subject they "thought" they knew well and was studying something else. Give each and every module its due respect.

Learn good studying skills and learn good test taking skills. Learn and try different relaxation techniques.

Learn very quick that no question is a dumb question, only the question you didn't ask is a dumb question. While listening to a lecture, get your hand up in the air if you are confused and keep asking the question until you get an answer that you understand. A good instructor will allow this and encourage this.

Start "toughening" your skin up now. Learn to accept criticism be it constructive or not. Some "Preceptors" have para-god attitudes and just want to "impress" others will take your hand and hold it thru the entire process and assure you know what you are learning.

Do not put anything off till the last minute, do everything you can as soon as you can. As others stated, if your instructor asks for a volunteer to demonstrate something, jump right in. Doing this is a tremendous way to alleviate stress and makes you comfortable with what is being taught. Do not just sit and watch others do it and say you understand or know it. Pace your clinicals and don't cram all in the end.

The biggest thing I can stress to you is that as your near the end of your class and are approaching Registry if you indeed take Registry is not to stress out over it. Realize that you have made it through the class. If you didn't know what you are doing, you wouldn't still be in class. YOU KNOW THE STUFF! (Heather, are you reading this?)I know that most are under great stress with it's stigma of multiple failures but overall, Registry is a very simple process if you aren't freaking out telling yourself you don't know it.

I can go on and on here but hey, I got a year or better to pass more along and as always, ask tons of questions on here. I know it seems like we chat alot here on off topic subjects but you can ask specific questions, particular in the ALS forum and someone will surely give you some type of answer or can help guide you to where you can find the answer.

So, let the games begin and good luck, we are here for ya

Smurfe:D

[hageremtp]

Ladies and gentlemen of any up comming paramedic class,
Drink beer
If I could offer you only one tip for the future
Beer would be it.
The long term benefits of beer have been proven by scientists
Whereas the rest
advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering expierince

I will despense this information now

You are as fat as you imagiane
You really do look like your drivers license picture
Do something about it
No one wants to date a fat pig
If insertiting a 7 inch iced tea spoon down your throat to induce vomiting is what it takes
Well then so be it
Do 1 thing everyday that makes your mother ashamed
Don't floss
Wayward pieces of parsly and beef in your teeth really don't look that bad
You've already had your turn of living in New York
So leave
Now
You're wasting space
And breathing up all of our oxygen
Go live in Northern California
But leave before you simultaniously die in an earthquake and a gang related shooting

Sometimes you'll be ahead
Sometimes you'll be behind
Sometimes you'll be on top
Sometimes you'll be on bottom
Smoke ciggarettes with reckless abandon
When your speaking through hole throat
You can always sue the tabbacco company
And say
I did not know it was bad for me
After all
Ill gotten game is what it's all about
Maybe you'll married
Maybe you won't
But most likely you'll end up divorced
With a litter of children
With 8 different mothers
Spending the rest of your life selling rip off Gucci bags outside court authority
To pay off alimony and child support.
Dont even try to dance
You're a guy for godsake
Not even the electric slide at a wedding
Read GQ magazine and strive to look like the guy on the cover
Undergo elective reconstructive plastic surgery including lipo suction and penis enlargement
Make fun of old people
It's fun
And understand that friends will stab you in the back for price of an extra value meal
And the flame broiled isn't always better
Nevermind
But trust me on the beer.

[smurfe]

Hager, I am taking a couple days off and heading your way. I really gotta check if you got a leak in that nitrous tank LOL



Smurfe:D


ps. that has to be the best response to ANY post I have EVER read anywhere!:D

[IAMedic]

It's not the Nitrous, trust me Smurfe!! The closer you get to the Dakota's the weirder and more inbred they seem to be. No offense, of course, buddy!! I'm 1/2 mile from the South Dakota border and have seen living proof of this theory. Now if only I could get some funds to test my hypothesis!!

[smurfe]

It's not the Nitrous, trust me Smurfe!! The closer you get to the Dakota's the weirder and more inbred they seem to be.


LOL and they talk about the southern redneck! LOL



Smurfe :D

[smurfe]

Hager, very slowly, step away from the peace pipe. :D


Smurfe:D

[hageremtp]

Me Smoke Em Good Stuff!

I thought you would all enjoy that....any similarties to anything are purly accidental!:D (PS Thanks Dennis for some of the lines!)

[wmfrffmedic]

I have read alot of good advice and I would follow most of it. It will serve you well.

The only thing I can add is when you are doing your clinicals, especially the ED/other hospital clinicals, don't go in with the attitude that I am here to do paramedic skills and paramedic skills only. If they ask you to do something like take someone over to xray or bandage a small wound, do it!! If you don't, they will not let you do anything! Now, I am not saying let the nurses walk all over you. If you show interest in everything and are willing to help out with things that aren't necessarily something you need to have signed off in your book, it will pay off huge in the long run. If you show a sincere interest, they will get you involved in everything. I even had them hunting me down so I could do a skill that I needed to get signed off. They could have done it themselves, but they chose to allow me to do it.

This also pertains to ambo rides. I have had newbies say they didn't want to take a BP when I asked them to get one while I was interviewing a patient. I can assure you, that particular person will do NOTHING in the back of my bus if I have anything to say about it!

Learn as much as you can and do as much as you can while you have someone over you who is ultimately responsible. There is nothing more scary than when you go on a serious call and look up and realize you are the only paramedic there and all eyes (bulging out of their sockets!) are on you! Good luck to all starting paramedic school who read this.

[smurfe]

wmfrffmedic makes an excellent post here and is absolutely right. Clinicals are the ideal time to earn the nurses and doctors respect. Play well with others in class and you will reap the benefits in the long run if you happen to work in the hospitals area when you are out of school. Be a team player, earn your dues. Like stated, don't let them "walk" all over you and some will try. Ask lots of questions but don't spout off what you know.

Doing your ride time, do whatever is asked of you by your preceptor. A good preceptor will mildly push you and dump on you to see how you will react. DO NOT have the attitude that "I am here for ALS stuff" you will wash out and have no ones respect. You may notice I use the word respect a lot. In this business respect is everything. If you have others respect (co-workers, supervisors, hospital staff, Doctors), you know what you are doing. Point Blank! I have the same attitude about students as wmfrffmedic, if you don't want to do a task I request, you will get nothing out of your rides with me as you didn't earn my respect.

And finally, do not sluff your BLS skills while learning ALS skills, practice practice practice your BLS assessment skills. I tell every student that all I wanna see is a good BLS patient assessment when they ride with me and they look at me like I am nuts. I tell them, do the assessment and tell me what "pops" in your head while you are doing the BLS assessment. !BAM! you are a paramedic, that is all this job is about. Example, you do a good assessment and realize the patient is in CHF. BAM!, all the ALS treatments pop in your head and you get to use those new skills. So lets say you sluff off the assessment skills and never was comfortable doing a SAMPLE,PQRST,AVPU assessment and now you are on your field clinicals, what do you do now? What is going thru your head? EVERYTHING you have crammed there all at the same time? Plus since you did a poor assessment, you don't really have any idea what is wrong with the patient, your hands are shaking, you are nervous cause everyone is watching you, your voice is quivering cause you are so nervous yadda yadda yadda. So my motto is that when you are in paramedic school? Be the best EMT-Basic you can be. All the ALS stuff will just fall right into place, trust me
;)


Smurfe:D

[medicchick]

I did two semesters of medic school, did not finish b/c I moved up here to VA to be with my fiance (but I fully plan on going back!!!!!), and so here are some tips


1)STUDY STUDY STUDY!!!!
2)If you don't know....ASK!
3)If you don't understand, ASK!
4) Never be afraid to ask questions..the only dump/stupid question is the one that never gets asked
5)If you are having trouble with any particular skills in class, talk to your instructor and see if it is possible to come in early or stay after class to practice and maybe get some one-on-one help.
6)Some classmates are great at helping with tough subjects....don't be afraid to ask for their help.
7) If possible, do more clinical and ride hours than what is required..it'll give you a chance to get extra skills practice in the clinical/prehospital setting.
8) When you get to the section on EKG intrepretation, get the book "ECG's Made Easy." I forget who the author is but she is a RN. This book breaks it down for you and gives you lots of strips to practice reading.

This is all I can think of for now. If I think of more I will post later. Feel free to inbox me if you need anything.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes!!

[bigJ164019]

I just finished Paramedic school in April, so I know first-hand, what you are fixing to go through.

-Get PLENTY of rest, you will need it
-Study, and practice ALOT.
-Paramedic class, clinicals, and ride-out's require a lot of time, prepare yourself for that, and prepare any family & friends you have for what is to come. Most do not and will not understand the pressure you wil be under.
-Ask LOTS os questions. Class can only cover the basics.
-As for testing goes, learn the "book" way of doing things and not the "real" way.


Originally posted by Kobersteen on 03-04-2003
First of all, congratulations and good luck. You are taking steps to make yourself more marketable in a VERY competitive arena.

Take good notes and pay attention to what people say around you.

Different students grasp different concepts different ways. Find how you best 'get' something and stick with it.

Help your classmates and stick together. This is not a competition. My gold patch doesn't say that I made a 59 or a 95 in Cardiology.

Know when to keep your mouth shut. Paramedic school teaches you the basics of how to be a Paramedic. The real world teaches you how to put the basics to use. Just because you made a 99% on your last test or, better yet, the registry doesn't mean that you have superior knowledge to the guy who has been working the street since you were squirting green.

Along the same lines, don't belittle EMTs. I can name a thousand EMTs I would rather have on calls than a Paramedic. Hell, those thousand EMTs most likely know more about being a Paramedic than I do!

DO NOT FORGET THE BASICS. Without "Annie, Annie, are you okay?", all the drugs, defibrillation, surgical airways, intubation and all that nifty crap means nothing! Direct pressure before IV, or your patient will just be bleeding NS or LR.

Find a paramedic in your agency that you admire/can learn from. Perhaps this person can break down some concepts that you are having problems with. This person can also, on runs, bring a 'real world' perspective to what you are learning.

Run with your squad during school, but not too much. Recognize that without being well rested, you won't be able to concentrate in class or on rotations.

Don't forget your family. They are your first line of support. Don't neglect them. They supported you before you were 'SuperMedic' and they'll support you far after you become 'FormerMedic'.

Again, good luck!