the 100% directionless thread

[Shishkabob]

Which reminds me... I need to go to my local CC and check to see if my state cert gets me credit for their medic program. If it does, all I need is A&P I & II, speech, and a computer tech class and I'll have my AAS in EMS...which will make me a Licensed Paramedic, and I get a snazzy golden type patch!

 

[mct601]

Interview process with Acadian is taking a long time. Hopefully I hear from them this week, and I hope its positive. If it is positive, I have to pass a PFT and a second interview. Also have to get a Class D driver's liense (Commercial license in LA and MS, intended for commercial vehicles that are under a certain set of parameters) and a TB test. But thats if I get a call back saying they want to advance to the next steps.


I wish I could find an excuse to move to Texas.

 

[TransportJockey]

Interview process with Acadian is taking a long time. Hopefully I hear from them this week, and I hope its positive. If it is positive, I have to pass a PFT and a second interview. Also have to get a Class D driver's cliense (Commercial license in LA and MS, intended for commercial vehicles that are under a certain set of parameters) and a TB test. But thats if I get a call back saying they want to advance to the next steps.


I wish I could find an excuse to move to Texas.

Meh, my excuse for maybe moving is not good. I hate personal drama

 

[Shishkabob]

I wish I could find an excuse to move to Texas.

You mean ASIDE from Acadian having branches in Texas?




I wish I could find a 911 service that will give me a darn call back. This is irking me. I'm limiting myself to IFT for 6 months for fear of being sucked in with no escape like many of my co-workers.

 

[medic417]

You mean ASIDE from Acadian having branches in Texas?




I wish I could find a 911 service that will give me a darn call back. This is irking me. I'm limiting myself to IFT for 6 months for fear of being sucked in with no escape like many of my co-workers.

Might have to go West young man. Possible you might have chance at 911 in small west Texas towns. Some pay better than the big cities others pay as bad.

 

[Shishkabob]

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. I want to be in atleast a moderately busy system to get the experience and confidence I need. I know AMR wanted me to go to their new Amarillo branch.

Any ideas of good systems out west?


One of my class mates is in the background check stage of applying to MedStar in Ft Worth... but every time I call to talk to the lady in HR she is NEVER in her office. Don't know how he got a call back and I haven't. Especially when MedStar is ALWAYS looking for Paramedics.

 

[TransportJockey]

If you're willing to come even farther west, ABQ has a pretty good 911 system. Progressive ish protocols (maybe not so much as TX though), good medical direction, good equipment.

Or come up here to Denver Denver Paramedics is hiring I think

 

[LucidResq]

If you're willing to come even farther west, ABQ has a pretty good 911 system. Progressive ish protocols (maybe not so much as TX though), good medical direction, good equipment.

Or come up here to Denver Denver Paramedics is hiring I think

LOL at jazzy DH medics commercials....

They don't have any openings posted right now though.

 

[TransportJockey]

LOL at jazzy DH medics commercials....

They don't have any openings posted right now though.

So I was wrong I know they had several when I was tossing out lots of applications before I got hired by AC

 

[Shishkabob]

See, I'd apply to DH, and other Colorado based agencies, but I have to have a state cert before applying, and I'm not going to pay and wait for a cert I might not use.


Plus, isn't Abq fire based, JT?

 

[TransportJockey]

See, I'd apply to DH, and other Colorado based agencies, but I have to have a state cert before applying, and I'm not going to pay and wait for a cert I might not use.


Plus, isn't Abq fire based, JT?

The colorado cert is actaully the cheapest I've seen Background check w/FBI fingerprint check is $40... and IIRC that's all the money you pay them to get your CO cert. If you're NREMT you have automatic reciprocity (unless you're like me and then they have to haggle with you over what you are)

And ABQ is yes/no fire based. First tier on scene is AFD/BCFD (depending where in the county you are) and the transport agency is ABQ Ambulance Service (a non-profit run by Presbyterian Healthcare system).

 

[JPINFV]

Complied list of quotable quotes from my psych lectures:

Short primer on the characters:
KJ= pharmacy professor
Heh= course director
Martin= Phisiology professor whose questions come straight from left field.
The rest are various clinicians.

"Of course you could encourage some of these mal-adaptive behaviors in your patients, it might bring more people into your office." Martin on how behavior relates to illness.

"Are we living in a good environment in Pomona? You'd be crazy to get on your bike and ride to school here." Martin on the concept of wellness.

“guns…children find one and shoot someone with it.”-Martin

"… the president of the US should have a degree in anthro..I’m going to wait a long time for that for sure."-Martin

“instead of taking a hike up mt. baldy…WHY DID YOU COME HERE?"-Martin

"The status quo is not being maintained in our country…because some…groups..are reproducing more than others…"-Martin

"Adulters-do they have an illness? Well, maybe the church would say they did like 500 years ago…but I don’t think the church has much room to talk nowadays.” -Martin...oh snap!

“native hawaiians didn’t grow up eating things like spam.” -Martin

“my mom..can’t drink. She’s the cheapest date you’ve ever seen.” -KJ

“tell your pts to put their car keys and their cell phone in their pocket, cause they’re not going to remember where they put them….so I’ve heard…”-KJ, on the effects of marijuana

“let’s make pot legal, make $100 from it and give the $ to public schools…..THIS guy (points to picture of snoop) would be in favor of it…fo shizzle..”-KJ

"You shouldn't give this drug to truck drivers, school kids, and tight rope walkers." -KJ on SSRIs and the side effect of sedation.

These people will have their nose turned up like this :oints face toward ceiling:: - Heh on Manic Episodes.

"When I press the lever, I feel good" - KJ describing an experiment in which a rat stimulates its pleasure centers with electrodes... he is pretending to be the rat...

"My mom had an alcohol problem. But alcohol isn't my kind of thing, I like amphetamines" KJ on substance abuse

"What is so wrong with a baby breastfeeding the mother?" - Martin

"Maybe if you get the patient a new wife... they won't drink..." -Ask on alcoholism as a primary vs secondary process.

"Don't tell my wife, that's my mistress.." -Heh

"These people do not like buffets, they like to go to Black Angus." -Heh on Social Phobia and Social Anxiety Disorder

"If you are ill and you are treating sick patients, that is not cool." - Heh

Ershad: "Do you have any advice for us on how to study for Dr. Martin?"
Heh: ::looks at test, begins shaking head back and forth:: "No, its 15 questions, just do your best."

"Perhaps you should all go into farming, fishing, or forestry if you are prone to depression." Heh on the occurrence of depression amongst health care providers.

"If you try you die..." -Heh on suicide complete rate for MDs ["suicide complete" = successful suicide]

"You might start to think this resembles you, your boyfriend, your parents, etc. Don’t take this to heart." Singer-Chang on studying psych and how students think they have every disorder studied.

“Becoming a high-functioning neurotic person is the most that we can hope for” - Singer-Chang

“they died…unfortunate for them, good for the rest of us cause now we know not to take those things together.”-KJ, on mixing certain drugs with grapefruit juice.

“my dad..oh I shouldn’t say this…nah, he’ll probably never watch this! My dad is probably dysthymic…he can find the cloud in any silver lining.”-KJ

“when I found out that brain cells could regenerate…I celebrated. All those nights in college of doing things…involving funnels and water pipes….”-KJ

“looking at this list..I dunno about you, but my risk of suicide just jumped up.”-KJ, in regards to the dietary restrictions of MAO inhibitors.

“I won’t bore you with the story…oh wait, I already did. Sorry.”-KJ

"Marty... he's out there somewhere probably growing [marijuana] legally and making more money than all of us" - Norcos referring to a classmate of his who was expelled his 4th year of medical school for substance abuse.

“pts with dementia have a hard time tying their shoes, putting their belt on, or putting their pants on. How do you treat this?..... Buy them stretch pants” - Heh on apraxia associated with dementia.

"Take the example of the lady who went into Target and began stabbing people. Is that woman bad? Is this really the product of a neuron in the thalamus that is having a bad day or firing too much?" -Martin on the concept of behavior as a scientific process or illness.

"We have to be concerned about fitness. Is med school conducive to reproduction? Not so much." -Martin

"Since Jerry Springer started our cultures perception of shame has changed." - Martin on emotion.

"In your 20’s alcohol is an aphrodisiac. But in your later years…he wrong head is flushing. Viagra doesn’t work if you drink too much."-Norcross

 

[lightsandsirens5]

what kind of curse?

Apparently it used to be a terrible hospital. Bad pt care in general. Obviously it had nothing to do with the number. It is just funny that it had that code.

 

[Shishkabob]

Silly vanbulance designers.


We have our narc box which we keep on our person(I know...) and it has our Morphine and Valium in it. All our other drugs, including the Haldol, are in a drug bag that is in a cabinet to the right of the patients stretcher. Obviously they didn't think that through, because the Haldol, used for combative patients, is then only accessible by reaching OVER said combative patient, which obviously is no fun.



I corrected this oversight by putting an ampule of Haldol in my narc box.


I'm a genius.

 

[LucidResq]

Hooray! It's that time of year again!

Well, it's actually always that time of year, but now I'm not in school so I get to play more and we have more call volume during the summer.

 

[8jimi8]

Hooray! It's that time of year again!

Well, it's actually always that time of year, but now I'm not in school so I get to play more and we have more call volume during the summer.

is that climbing gear i see?!!

 

[mct601]

Well, Acadian informed me today they weren't interested in me. Rather than calling me to inform me of this after two weeks of waiting, they sent an email. Awesome.

I need to ride AMR hard for that interview now.

 

[Trayos]

is that climbing gear i see?!!

What terrain are you expecting?

 

[LucidResq]

is that climbing gear i see?!!

The green pack on the left is intended for day-to-day use, on the line, out in the field. I keep my rock helmet on it primarily because it has become a statewide policy to wear such on every SAR carry-out, even if it's easy-peesy low-angle big wide open flat trail stuff.

The pack on the right goes with me on most calls, but usually stays at base camp. It has my tent, sleeping back, etc.... and as of right now my harness:

You'll notice it's pretty bare. There's three reasons for this:
a) I'm broke. I'd love to climb but can't really afford it right now. I'm very slowly stocking up... so far I have shoes... hahaha. Also can't seem to convince my friend who used to climb and still has all the gear to show me the way... he stopped after an injury a few years ago and now just wants to rappel.
b) All I pretty much do is rappel. It's all I'm really trained to do on rope besides ascend with a couple of prusiks and a few other basic tricks.
c) SAR team has bags for ropes and setting up systems and the likes... as far as rappeling for fun... my friends have all the stuff I don't

For high-angle SAR fun.... click here. I missed this one but fellow teammates were on it.

Anywho, enough nerdness.

 

[LucidResq]

What terrain are you expecting?

Colorado Rocky Mountain-ish terrain. I do volunteer search and rescue. You can also see the news clip link in my last post as far as why I have a harness and such.

Also use these bags for personal hiking/camping fun as much as I do for SAR. Might not bring the helmet and such for a day hike with friends... but I still like having plenty of extra water, food, jacket, extra socks... etc.