Starting Paramedic School, Advice Please!

ZootownMedic

ZootownMedic

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Hi everyone! I am starting P school at the end of August and was hoping any of the current Medics could give me some advice on how to prepare. I am not quite a zero to hero but have only been out of EMT school for a year. I love the field and am very excited to get going with training. I have been studying drug cards and pharm and learning the basics of EKG interpretation, plus practicing my assessments and pt questions. My best friend just graduated from the program that I am attending and he has told me that the instructors will teach you their own way so I am not trying to learn 'everything' just the basics so I can keep up with other, more experienced students. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
 
The pace could be pretty fast, depending upon the program. The faster paced ones is a lot like trying to sip from a firehose. The instructors will teach you what they think is important and what's going to be on the NREMT-P exam. If you already have your textbook, read it. Just to go over it a bit so that it won't be unfamiliar when you do hit it again in class. Also, don't stress. Lots of people make it through P school without going insane. If you can, consider taking an A&P course. You might not have a compatible schedule for that until you finish P school though.
 
If you can, consider taking an A&P course. You might not have a compatible schedule for that until you finish P school though.
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Now that I'm officially half way through medic school, I'm glad I spent all those extra hours studying during A&P 1 and 2 ^_^
 
SmokeMedic said:
Hi everyone! I am starting P school at the end of August and was hoping any of the current Medics could give me some advice on how to prepare. I am not quite a zero to hero but have only been out of EMT school for a year. I love the field and am very excited to get going with training. I have been studying drug cards and pharm and learning the basics of EKG interpretation, plus practicing my assessments and pt questions. My best friend just graduated from the program that I am attending and he has told me that the instructors will teach you their own way so I am not trying to learn 'everything' just the basics so I can keep up with other, more experienced students. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
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Focus on the why's and how's of what you're doing. Once you understand those things the rest comes easier. Following protocols and flow charts won't make you a good medic; critical thinking, common sense, and a strong knowledge of the science of medicine will make you a good medic (and a healthy dose of compassion).
 
Thanks guys! Fortunately for me my program requires A&P I and II so I had to take them before acceptance. I don't know if I would have taken them had I not be required to but I did them and passed and feel I learned a good bit. I don't know what a 'fast paced' course is but we start Aug 22 and techincally 'graduate' in the middle of may. Then I think we still have to do a 500 hr internship to get certed plus NREMT of course. Again, thanks for the advice though. I will take it to heart.
 
One thing that really helped me was buying and repeatedly listening to Jamie Davis the Podmedic's "EMT-I and EMT-P ALS Med Review". It is a CD that you can buy from iTunes, and it has almost every med that a paramedic can push (depending on where you practice, of course). I bought that about a month or two before I started up in school, listened to it almost every day on my commute and at work, and by the time class rolled around, I had already memorized most of the drugs and their indications, uses, dosages, and actions. Super helpful. Check into it if you think it would be useful.
 
Read the Dubin book 3 or 4 times before medic school starts. You'll be way ahead of the game when it comes to cardiac rhythms and it won't seem so daunting when the rest of the class is trying to figure out if that jot and squiggle really is a P wave... you'll be able to just pick 'em out.

Most importantly, make sure to schedule some decompress time. P-School is fast paced, you're expected to perform at the top of your game every day, and if you family/girlfriend/kids aren't on board with that, you'll added stress to deal with. So, make some family time where there are no books, no drug cards, no EKG strips... just you and the people that are important to you.

Medic school didn't destroy my marriage, but it sure didn't help.

Good luck on your journey!
 
Cool sounds good. I googled Dubin's book and it seems like its THE guide on cardiac rhythms and EKG interpretation. Thanks alot for the heads up. Keep it coming guys!
 
remember ALS means Aint liftin S*** so delegate thats the only way you'll pass your internship
 
n7lxi said:
Most importantly, make sure to schedule some decompress time. P-School is fast paced, you're expected to perform at the top of your game every day, and if you family/girlfriend/kids aren't on board with that, you'll added stress to deal with. So, make some family time where there are no books, no drug cards, no EKG strips... just you and the people that are important to you.
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That is a great call. Gotta have your down time. And preparation now is the key to getting plenty of that decompression time in the future. Enjoy it man. It is so much fun!
 
Question everything, even your text. Especially if it doesn't make sense to you. You'd be surprised how many people just sit there and smile and nod at crap given to them as if it was the Gospel. For example, when I went through, we found numerous incorrect statements in our text.

It will also help you with your Critical thinking and making your own informed decision when you're out in the field- not just taking everyone else's opinion as your own.
 
I can imagine how down time could be important. I love to hike and spend time with my wife and two daughters so I am gonna have to make sure I balance school with play. I'm glad you said to enjoy it and that it is fun. It's cool that I found something I really love and get to learn more about it. Since I got out of the military I have had jobs that suck and that I hate and then I found EMS and haven't looked back. Thanks for all the advice!
 
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