anatomy study guide

[redundantbassist]

Shots fired!

He's right, its pretty disturbing how few EMTs have medical knowledge beyond that of a high school biology level.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I won't front, it can be intimidating (thinking about) posting on here. I am new and starting Basic school in a couple weeks, then medic school next fall, and I generally don't fear asking a question because ancora imparo and all that... But y'all can be like mother sharks eating their young around here! ;P

I've cruised the forums as a guest long enough to see people throw some grenades at folks asking what I imagine are some basic questions that maybe they should know answers to, and after a decade plus in a leadership role I sometimes look at folks that respond that way and shake my head.

20 years in my profession has given me plenty of jaded snark, believe you me, but I feel like we should provide mentorship folks that are newer than us, not cut them down. (Mostly because I am one of those newbies, and liable to fill my dipey if someone looks at me all crossly) ;P

Did ya see all the sparkly-eyed enthusiasm I had goin' on there?!

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

He's right, its pretty disturbing how few EMTs have medical knowledge beyond that of a high school biology level.

Going to fire school and one of my buddies from class is a medic, classmate asks him how he likes being an EMT.

When I came to I could smell brimstone and something had peeled the paint from the walls of the squad bay.... ;P

 

[redundantbassist]

I won't front, it can be intimidating (thinking about) posting on here. I am new and starting Basic school in a couple weeks, then medic school next fall, and I generally don't fear asking a question because ancora imparo and all that... But y'all can be like mother sharks eating their young around here! ;P

I've cruised the forums as a guest long enough to see people throw some grenades at folks asking what I imagine are some basic questions that maybe they should know answers to, and after a decade plus in a leadership role I sometimes look at folks that respond that way and shake my head.

20 years in my profession has given me plenty of jaded snark, believe you me, but I feel like we should provide mentorship folks that are newer than us, not cut them down. (Mostly because I am one of those newbies, and liable to fill my dipey if someone looks at me all crossly) ;P

Did ya see all the sparkly-eyed enthusiasm I had goin' on there?!

I believe that EMT and Paramedic education should be just that- education. It should further expand on the whys and hows of medicine to the point where all EMS providers the same competency as other healthcare providers with a similar scope of practice. Many members on this forum share this same opinion, and are irritated when they find EMTs lacking very basic medical knowledge who are put in a position of patient care. However, some members wrongly direct this irritation towards the individuals themselves instead toward the flawed training programs.(Which I will admit that I am personally guilty of this)

 

[NomadicMedic]

I don't think it was a personal insult, just a tongue in cheek observation of the general baseline knowledge of most (not all) EMTs.

Sorry if you took it personaly, but if my comment got your panties in a wad, I suggest working on developing a thicker skin.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I'm smellin' what you're steppin' in @redundantbassist , so let me ask you and others a couple of questions, since I am an uber-noober (and mayhap we won't end up waxing too philosophical on this subject)

Why is the system set up this way? I understand an EMTB is educated to a basic level of competency/skill, but why not just have all providers educated to the Paramedic level? In my area there is only one agency and they run Medic/Medic on their trucks, but other places they run Medic/Basic, or just Basic/Basic. And if someone is only a Basic then why cast stones at them for their level of training? If they meet minimum requirements and have no desire to increase/enhance their knowledge and skills then that (while sad because I believe we should all strive to improve ourself) is their choice. I ask that question innocently, not in an accusatory way, g-d knows I don't live in a glass house.

If folks aren't happy with the education level of Basics then how can we change the system to either A: raise the bar on the educational side, or B: change the specs of the education requirements? I'm new to this so I don't know if the National Registry functions in the same manner as NFPA guidlines mandate things on the FF side.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I don't think it was a personal insult, just a tongue in cheek observation of the general baseline knowledge of most (not all) EMTs.

Sorry if you took it personaly, but if my comment got your panties in a wad, I suggest working on developing a thicker skin.

Not at all @DEmedic, I am all about curiosity and questioning because I am new and from what I can tell there is a pretty sweet body of knowledge to draw on around here! Even just as a student and not a seasoned vet I think that there are serious limitations/baggage that go along with only having the Basic level of education, it's one of the reasons that I want to continue with my education to the paramedic level.

I don't get offended at internet characters anyhow, that would be like being offended by monkies flinging poo; much like the shenanigans of folks on the internet it is just their nature. Then again I don't really get offended very easily in the real world either, I've been around the block too many times to be so easily butthurt.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I don't think it was a personal insult, just a tongue in cheek observation of the general baseline knowledge of most (not all) EMTs.

Sorry if you took it personaly, but if my comment got your panties in a wad, I suggest working on developing a thicker skin.

Anyways, that s**t was funny.

 

[redundantbassist]

I'm smellin' what you're steppin' in @redundantbassist , so let me ask you and others a couple of questions, since I am an uber-noober (and mayhap we won't end up waxing too philosophical on this subject)

Why is the system set up this way? I understand an EMTB is educated to a basic level of competency/skill, but why not just have all providers educated to the Paramedic level? In my area there is only one agency and they run Medic/Medic on their trucks, but other places they run Medic/Basic, or just Basic/Basic. And if someone is only a Basic then why cast stones at them for their level of training? If they meet minimum requirements and have no desire to increase/enhance their knowledge and skills then that (while sad because I believe we should all strive to improve ourself) is their choice. I ask that question innocently, not in an accusatory way, g-d knows I don't live in a glass house.

If folks aren't happy with the education level of Basics then how can we change the system to either A: raise the bar on the educational side, or B: change the specs of the education requirements? I'm new to this so I don't know if the National Registry functions in the same manner as NFPA guidlines mandate things on the FF side.

Why? I suppose it mostly comes down to money, or the lack thereof. An EMT-B class costs much less money to put on and take than a paramedic class. Also, for many services it would be financially infeasible to always run medics as a primary care provider. While in a perfect world, every provider would be a medic with a degree, that is simply not practical. All I am suggesting that the bar is raised to the point where all levels have medical knowledge to understand why they are performing the interventions in their scope of practice. That leads to all around better patient care, rather than blindly following protocols.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Read some of these opinion pieces. This might give you some insight on the thoughts that many of us share on EMS education.

http://emspatientperspective.com/2014/03/08/making-our-lowest-common-denominator-emt-even-lower/

http://www.boundtreeuniversity.com/...MS-directors-discuss-hot-topics-in-rural-EMS/

http://happymedic.com/2016/04/educational-standards-in-ems/


TL;DR?


Many of us (me included) believe that EMT is woefully inadequate, the baseline education should be a 2 year degree and even paramedics know just enough to be dangerous. The IAFF and other groups (see me looking at you New Jersey First Aid people?) believe that the education requirements are TOO HIGH and should be reduced. This is ridiculous, yet lawmakers continue to push this agenda. Professional EMS workers need to stand up for themselves and push for real education. If we don't, who will?

 

[Bluemtnsky]

Read some of these opinion pieces. This might give you some insight on the thoughts that many of us share on EMS education.

http://emspatientperspective.com/2014/03/08/making-our-lowest-common-denominator-emt-even-lower/

http://www.boundtreeuniversity.com/...MS-directors-discuss-hot-topics-in-rural-EMS/

http://happymedic.com/2016/04/educational-standards-in-ems/

#1 - Holy ****balls cringe! I have my EMT-B final tomorrow and final lab the day after. My class is only 9 weeks long (M-F 9-5 in class). I cannot imagine distilling all that I have learned in this class down into a measely 80 hrs training. I've easily spent 80 hrs outside of class on studying and clinicals. Whoa, just. yea....dang.

#2 - Don't feel like I know enough to comment...

#3 - On the one hand, I'm a glutton for more knowledge, bring on the school... On the other hand, school is expensive, I have negative monies and am needing the positive monies. Registered for this fall in an AEMT program in addition to the pre-req's I need for PA school because it is hard to imagine myself as an EMT at this point with just the little they require, but just found out that the grant I was trying to get only covers about half of the tuition...before textbooks and extra background checks and whatnot. I could whine some more about my lack of financial aid, but it's not a new story. It's hard to raise the bar on educational requirements, when starting wages are barely enough to get by on. It's not a happy cycle.

 

[Bluemtnsky]

Too funny. Most EMTs have a hard time with anything beyond "the hip bone's connected to the leg bone".

Final description.
Hmm, I don't know how that image will work out but it says: 1x7cm (approx.) linear, open wound, radial aspect of the upper one third of the left voral forearm, perpendicular to long bone, smooth edges, visible adipose tissue, initially blood oozing and controlled by direct pressure

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Read some of these opinion pieces. This might give you some insight on the thoughts that many of us share on EMS education.

http://emspatientperspective.com/2014/03/08/making-our-lowest-common-denominator-emt-even-lower/

http://www.boundtreeuniversity.com/...MS-directors-discuss-hot-topics-in-rural-EMS/

http://happymedic.com/2016/04/educational-standards-in-ems/


TL;DR?


Many of us (me included) believe that EMT is woefully inadequate, the baseline education should be a 2 year degree and even paramedics know just enough to be dangerous. The IAFF and other groups (see me looking at you New Jersey First Aid people?) believe that the education requirements are TOO HIGH and should be reduced. This is ridiculous, yet lawmakers continue to push this agenda. Professional EMS workers need to stand up for themselves and push for real education. If we don't, who will?

Thanks for the articles @DEmedic, they offered me some nice insight into how people are feeling on the education front; incidentally there was some interesting dialogue about this education piece on the EMS Mentoring Society's FB page today. Even as a noob I am in agreement with the view that educational standards should be high(er), and if there was anybody that could benefit from a shorter class time it is me; by balancing a demanding career, VFF, and family life having the class only be 80 hours would be nice.

But cutting corners is not the answer, now is it? Maybe for some, but not for me, nor you I am guessing.

While I have you here, let me solicit another opinion from you, if I may: To A.S. or not to A.S? My original plan when going to school was to pursue a Paramedic Technician A.S., but a friend of mine (medic) and my wife (R.N.) both thought it would be a waste of my time. If the goal was to just get on the truck and run calls that would be one thing, but I'm not really about half-a$$ing an education. What are your thoughts? TIA

 

[NomadicMedic]

Degree. Always a degree. Why do it any other way?

It'll help when you're tired of EMS and want to pursue something else. Like nursing or PA school. You’ll have more opportunity and flexibility. In some cases degreed Paramedics make more money. It'll help in developing additional critical thinking skills. It'll make you a more well-rounded individual. And, you'll be doing your part to become an agent of change, helping to lift EMS out of the hole of voc-ed and drive it toward a degreed allied health specialty.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Why? I suppose it mostly comes down to money, or the lack thereof. An EMT-B class costs much less money to put on and take than a paramedic class. Also, for many services it would be financially infeasible to always run medics as a primary care provider. While in a perfect world, every provider would be a medic with a degree, that is simply not practical. All I am suggesting that the bar is raised to the point where all levels have medical knowledge to understand why they are performing the interventions in their scope of practice. That leads to all around better patient care, rather than blindly following protocols.

I complee agretely.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Degree. Always a degree. Why do it any other way?

It'll help when you're tired of EMS and want to pursue something else. Like nursing or PA school. You’ll have more opportunity and flexibility. In some cases degreed Paramedics make more money. It'll help in developing additional critical thinking skills. It'll make you a more well-rounded individual. And, you'll be doing your part to become an agent of change, helping to lift EMS out of the hole of voc-ed and drive it toward a degreed allied health specialty.

That's where my head is at! Vindication! ;P

 

[OceanBossMan263]

The Anatomy Coloring Book was great when taking my funeral director classes. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the subject with EMT and Critical Care courses in NY, but 3 semesters of it proved that my knowledge was pretty pedestrian.