# Is there any easier way to memorize the trauma assessment?



## Tuxkitteh94 (Mar 20, 2014)

I'm just having a really difficult time memorizing all the steps for my emt b practice skill. Any help would appreciated.


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## STXmedic (Mar 20, 2014)

Repetition. Have somebody watch you perform it. If you miss a step, have them immediately stop and correct you and make you start from the beginning (instead of telling you what you missed once you're finished).


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 20, 2014)

STXmedic said:


> Repetition. Have somebody watch you perform it. If you miss a step, have them immediately stop and correct you and make you start from the beginning (instead of telling you what you missed once you're finished).



This. Practice.


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## mycrofft (Mar 20, 2014)

Slow is steady and steady is fast. Plus "you want it fast or good?".

As above, and make sure you never repeat anything done the wrong way, it will stick.

What are you doing now to learn it? Just reading? If so, try writing cards, or making a flowchart, or use an imaginary patient's case. Try actually saying it out loud. Develop a mnemonic for yourself. Find what makes it work for you, but do figure out their system; if you know _*how*_ they are trying to be systematic, then you can use that to make your thought process more systematic too and be able to reason out what they want when your memory does't work. As in real life.


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## Ridryder911 (Mar 20, 2014)

I always tell students....

Teach me.. perform it as you are teaching the examiner on how to perform. Detailed discussion and hands on assessment. 

If you script it out as it should be performed with emphasis on critical areas, you should do fine. 


Best of luck, 

R/r 911


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## mycrofft (Mar 21, 2014)

Ridryder911 said:


> I always tell students....
> 
> Teach me.. perform it as you are teaching the examiner on how to perform. Detailed discussion and hands on assessment.
> 
> ...


I've done that as a student. As I'm going through it manually, and verbally to the instructor, I would stop and ask a question. The instructors always seemed more prone to give me an excellent answer…or maybe the hands-on made me ask an excellent question?


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## Carlos Danger (Mar 21, 2014)

Tuxkitteh94 said:


> I'm just having a really difficult time memorizing all the steps for my emt b practice skill. Any help would appreciated.



I think if you really understand why you are assessing each point, and think of the assessment as less of a checklist and more of a systematic, head-to-toe rapid assessment, it may be a little easier.

Memorizing a checklist is hard. Learning a systematic, orderly way to do something that already makes sense to you is probably a better way to go.


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## Ewok Jerky (Mar 22, 2014)

Halothane said:


> I think if you really understand why you are assessing each point, and think of the assessment as less of a checklist and more of a systematic, head-to-toe rapid assessment, it may be a little easier.
> 
> Memorizing a checklist is hard. Learning a systematic, orderly way to do something that already makes sense to you is probably a better way to go.



...to use different words to say the say thing...

Literally go head to toe:

Look at the head, what could be wrong? lacerations? blood/csf in the ears? pupils? lateral gaze? bloody/deformed nose? oral trauma?

Look at the neck, what could be wrong? trachial deviation? JVD?

Look at the chest, what could be wrong? obvious trauma? pain? flail chest? equal chest rise? blah blah blah.

Systematic inspection, not checklist memorization.  But if you use the same system on every patient, you won't miss anything.


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## JPINFV (Mar 22, 2014)

Ridryder911 said:


> I always tell students....
> 
> Teach me.. perform it as you are teaching the examiner on how to perform. Detailed discussion and hands on assessment.
> 
> ...




Classic medical training... see one, do one, teach one.


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## mycrofft (Mar 22, 2014)

beano said:


> ...to use different words to say the say thing...
> 
> Literally go head to toe:
> 
> ...



yes!


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## mycrofft (Mar 22, 2014)

JPINFV said:


> Classic medical training... see one, do one, teach one.



…have one blow up in your face, as in "You're not really a surgeon until you kill someone".


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