Starting Paramedic school in August..1 yr program..what to expect?

[crashh]

I just got my EMT, and will be starting paramedic school in August!

It is a one year program. I'm going in as a basic, so I'm trying to get a leg-up on it all...any advice as to what I could start looking at?

Also, what should I expect?

any and all information appreciated!

ps-i love this forum!

 

[Achilles]

Have you taken any med termonology or anatomy and physiology?

 

[crashh]

not yet, just what I learned in EMT

 

[NYMedic828]

My assumption would be to expect paramedic related stuff...


Idk why there's 3 of these threads every other day. Not to be a **** but why does everyone make EMT/paramedic class out to be like there is some secret stuff that is goin on that isn't in the course outline...

The classes are usually too easy and could be self taught to begin with.


You are goin to sit for lectures, go on rotations/clinicals and take a few tests. That's it... Nothing more, hopefully nothing less. It's just an expanded EMT class that more than likely without going the extra mile on your own won't teach you enough to be at a level respected by the rest of the medical world.

Sorry, guess I'm a bit disgruntled I can't stand my partner today.

 

[STXmedic]

Well... He did love this site... :unsure:

As mentioned before, A&P is an important area to have down. That's the foundation upon everything that you will be learning.

After you've got A&P down, some areas to get a head start in that can be easily self-taught could be ECGs and pharm.

NY does have a point, though. There are currently three of the exact same threads going on right now. This exact question (along with a slew of others) gets answered ad nauseum monthly. So while we are typically more than glad to answer questions, very often you can find your answer much more quickly and just as effectively via searching on here for it.

 

[crashh]

thank you poetic. SHE still does love this site

Sorry to repeat...i didn't mean it..i'm new here and still getting used to this format/content etc....

I just wanted to hear other people's interpretation of their class.....time allowances, clinical hours....what they liked/disliked about it...etc..

...sorry your having a bad day NY Medic :unsure:

 

[crashh]

I know most of you here have been doing whatever it is you're doing for a long time.

Just try to remember what it was like when you started out. Us newbies are only trying to learn. I for one, am a little intimidated by starting para school (but excited!!), and haven't been jaded yet to the whole scene

 

[STXmedic]

Err... Yes... That's what I said... she*

I don't know how your class is set up, but my class went like this:

Two semesters
Semester 1: Class 8-5 MWF, 8-12 hr clinicals TTh, worked PT as a basic Saturday and Sunday. Typically an hour or two of studying each day

Semester 2: Class 8-5 TTh, 8-12hr clinicals MWF, worked Saturday and Sunday. Studying time was similar.

I had zero days off through the entirety of medic school with the exception of a few during winter break. However, that was by choice and I liked it that way.

As far as difficulty, it's just like anything else. Some people get it, some don't. For me, sciences come very naturally and I breezed through the course, enjoying every minute of it. Others struggled significantly, even with considerable tutoring. Read chapters before you cover them in class; that should help tremendously.

Understand that there's the school way and the correct way. While you're in school, learn the school way. While a lot of what schools teach is ridiculous, if they tell you everybody needs 100% O2 via NRB, that's what you put on the test.

Also realize that you are learning the absolute basics that you need to function as a paramedic and not kill anybody. Do not stop learning when you get out; you haven't even scratched the surface of the medical field. Paramedics are not omnipotent beings above all other medical providers. We have a very specific skill set, an are typically completely ignorant to the fact that we do not know everything.

People will scare you about how incredibly difficult registry is. Study, understand the material, an you'll do fine. Don't stress too much about it. Registry tests you on the basics. It's considerably easier than most make it out to be.

So some of that may have been more of the start of mini rants, but so be it My study break is over, so that's all I have to offer right now

 

[crashh]

hah that's what I thought you said :beerchug:


thanks for your input! Ours is set up for 2 four hour classes T & TH...some saturdays...i have nfi yet what my clinical is going to look like, but I'm thinking somewhere around the same as yours.

how long have you been a 'medic?

 

[cranialnerve]

There is a reason there are so many threads on this topic, well, b/c it is a great question/concern.

First, let me say congratulations on getting accepted into Paramedic School! Just like medical school, pharmacy school, dental school, nursing school, getting into the program, and getting started is the most difficult part in my opinion.

Once into these programs, very few fail, but that is not to say there are not really difficult times that will come and go.

What you do over these next few weeks really will not make much difference. Rather, it is more of what you have done in your pre paramedic courses and experience that will make the difference.

Paramedic School will consume the better part of you life for the next 1-2 years. You will have several test per week. The reading can seem overwhelming. The best thing you can do. I will say it again, the best thing you can do is to have the chapters read before you go over them in lecture. This will allow concepts to come together in class and make sense to you. This will also save you hours of study time down the road.

Many Paramedic Schools have a limited part of their clinicals that occur while you are still in the didactic phase. This can leave you will very little personal time.

Clinicals are very long, but that is for good reason. Peoples lives will be in your hands, and some will live or die depending on you.

 

[Akulahawk]

At this point, your best bet is to simply read ahead, stay ahead, and be in class... and try to stay awake. You won't have time to take any other major coursework before you enter school... so don't stress. The classes have to follow a fairly regimented syllabus, and there should be no surprises along the way.

Once you are done, take an A&P course if you haven't already. It will help bring a deeper understanding of why you do what you do as a Paramedic. In fact, if you can, start taking the typical Nursing Prerequisite courses, not so that you might become a Nurse, but rather those courses are the typical prerequisites to much of the Healthcare field and therefore form the foundation of what they (and we Paramedics) do. If you really want to have some fun, try a Biomechanics survey class (whatever it goes by near you...), mine was called "Concepts of Human Movement." That is an interesting course...

 

[Achilles]

Take A&P before you take medic class

 

[Akulahawk]

Take A&P before you take medic class

The OP starts Medic school in August. Not enough time to complete A&P. Otherwise, that's a great suggestion!

 

[bstone]

Here is my suggestion for what should be required before medic school:

1) 1 year of human biology, with lab
2) One semester of gen chem
3) Two semesters of A&P, with lab
4) One semester of medical terminology
5) One semester of psych
6) One semester of expository writing

This would clearly eliminate a paramedic certificate program and instead turn it into at least a 2 year associate degree, with an option to continue on for a BS in EMS. After completing the above requirements the EMT-Basic would be allowed to begin paramedic school.

The old saying, "you don't know what you don't know" rings true when it comes to human biology and medicine. You think you know something then you finish Basic school but then you begin to take these classes and you say, "Wow, I really had no clue how little they taught us."

Just be glad I didn't put in a required semester of organic and biochemistry. I took both when I was an undergrad and they profoundly expanded my knowledge of biology. They would clearly be part of a bachelor's program. As well as at least one semester of physics, with lab.