Medic School Support

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chendricks92

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Hi all,

My husband is currently in his second week of medic school. Unfortunately, it has been much more difficult and challenging than either of us imagined due condensed classroom and he is also a LT firefighter for Cal Fire. I am wondering if anyone can offer some advice as to how I can support him through his training bc he's got a lot on his plate right now.
I am currently an EMT (but I am aiming more down the nursing route of EMS) so I can understand the nature of his job and help him with studying somewhat. I am just wondering if anyone can give me any insight or tips on how to support him based off of past experiences?

Thanks
 
He is going to need time to pre-read the material and study for exams/tests. Mix that in with work and it can become really tight. So he may not want to do normal stuff all the time (going out to dinner, going on vacations, etc).

I am also in my second week of medic school so I know the feeling.
 
My favorite thing when I'm stressed or busy is a home cooked meal from my girlfriend :)
 
Brevi said:
My favorite thing when I'm stressed or busy is a home cooked meal from my girlfriend :)
Click to expand...

This

LOLz!

While it appears to be a joke, which it is, it is also very true. He needs your support. You be the rock so he can roll. Be an encourager, a supporter, and a good outlet for him to relieve his stress. That will all help him succeed.

In addition, pre-reading the material, following along online and doing "more" studying than the average bear. I found the early part to be the hardest. All of the A&P, the inflammatory vs. immune system, the cellular physiology, getting used to doing drug profiles, etc. All of the things you learn like "oh, I don't need this in the field." Or "I don't even need to know this...." Blah blah.

In reality, it is very important knowledge to remember if you actually want to be a good provider to patients. It all ties together later on. In other words, if you actually want to be a paramedic, or if you want to appear to be a paramedic. It makes a difference, and studying the material relentlessly combined with the loving support of the wife/gf/whatever will help out a lot.

Other people also learn and test differently. He need to figure out what he can do to better understand and steps to help him test better.. I.e. sleeping a full night before tests, eating a nutritious breakfast the morning of, etc.
 
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chendricks92 said:
Hi all,

My husband is currently in his second week of medic school. Unfortunately, it has been much more difficult and challenging than either of us imagined due condensed classroom and he is also a LT firefighter for Cal Fire. I am wondering if anyone can offer some advice as to how I can support him through his training bc he's got a lot on his plate right now.
I am currently an EMT (but I am aiming more down the nursing route of EMS) so I can understand the nature of his job and help him with studying somewhat. I am just wondering if anyone can give me any insight or tips on how to support him based off of past experiences?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Combining Paramedic School and a full time job is quite challenging. Trust me. It becomes very exhausting though it doesn't appear that way. (My ex told me whats so hard about it you just sit in a class room) I was honestly at the point where I didn't even want to sit in a ambulance at one point. The best support is sometimes just the simple things. Tiny little things like a home cooked meal or just offering to sit and study or help with studying goes along way. Being understanding when he says I'm sorry I'm just really tired, or I just don't feel up to going out for dinner tonight etc. Time management is a True challenge facing the fact that because he can't spend as much time with you right now because he wants to be able to spend more time with you later as a more complete provider.

Paramedic school goes in phases where its like building a house the start you build a foundation, and a strong foundation makes a strong house

Most programs I saw start with the basics and A&P, which is much useful later in the course when your discussing cardiology and how the drugs your applying work at the cellular level. Its kinda dry and boring and also makes it what I believe the most difficult section of the program. It does get easier as far as studying when your really into the meat and potatoes of the program but the clinical experiences get more difficult as more is expected of you.
 
Probably the hardest thing about going to school and working full-time is the time management problem. You have a limited amount of time and a lot to do... He's going to need some help to maximize his chances of getting through school, so arrange things so that he's got time to pre-read and study. Make it so that he magically has dinner show up at just the right time and doesn't have to do quite as much around the house as he usually does because it's already done. I'm not saying that you need to do everything for him, but just make sure that some things are just take care of so that he only needs to worry about a few things.

I'm currently going through RN school (last Semester folks!) and the above advice isn't just for Paramedic students, it's for anyone who is undertaking the monumental task of going to school full time (or nearly so) and having to work full time. Trust me, the workload sucks. I have no days off unless a holiday falls on one of my days off from work. From August until December, I had one day off - the day before Thanksgiving. I had no weekends until after I'd completed my final exam.

I wouldn't have done as well as I have (so far) had my family not stepped up to the plate and took over some of my usual duties around the house and somehow managed to make sure that I had the time to study. It's really a lot of little things, but they do add up, and I'm sure he'll notice and appreciate everyone that has stepped up to help him succeed.
 
It's gets even harder once he has to start clinicals. Time management is key with working a full time job and going to medic school. When I look back at last year I am not even sure how I did it.
 
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