# Didn't pass EMT school, now what



## 65654lyfe (Jun 28, 2019)

Full-time university student also works part time, took an EMT class outside of the University with the community college and school's fire department. Class structure requires us to have enough points from class assignments and unit exams to take the practical. First time I took the class I was doing great in skills labs but couldn't take the practical final because I didn't have enough points. This happened probably because I just didn't study enough for unit exams along with my other classes and commitments, so head instructor had be retake the class, labs included. Second time I clearly was able to get enough points to take the practical because I was relearning information, but then failed trauma practical for a critical criteria I didn't know existed and I honestly don't think was ever mentioned in class. Fire Chief offered an incomplete for the class and said I would need to put in extra skills lab hours before being able to do clinical hours but I'm honestly not sure if I want to show my face at the school's fire department again at this point aha.
Probably sound like a total idiot by this point but yall got any advice??


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## mgr22 (Jun 29, 2019)

It sounds like you had issues with preparation both times you took EMT classes. Do you have the same problem with your college courses? If so, I guess you'd need to become a better student. I know of no quick and easy way to make that happen.

If you're doing fine at college and it's just EMS that you're failing, maybe it doesn't interest you enough to be worth the effort right now. Perhaps you should concentrate on your degree and reconsider EMS when you have more time.


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## DrParasite (Jul 1, 2019)

EMT is not rocket science, but it's not an automatic pass.  you need to put forth the time and effort to pass.  It's a decent amount of reading, a decent amount of assignments, plus clinical time, studying and any skill lab hours your course requires.  it's generally the equivalent of a 6 or 8 college credit class.

If you didn't know about critical failures on practicals, that's a failure on you for not being prepared, and your instructor for not preparing your properly.  I mean, the grading criteria for NREMT can be found at https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/psychomotor-exam#tab-2 , so you can see exactly what you need to do, and what the critical failures are.

Do you want to become an EMT?  if so, are you willing to put in the time and energy, on top of everything else you are doing (full time school, part time job, etc), in order to pass?  If not, no harm and no foul, retake the class when you have more time, such as over the summer when you aren't taking classes, or after you graduate.  

Plenty of people have taken the class while full time students and working part time, so it is possible.  but if you are having issues, maybe it's something you should put off until you have more free time?


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## Akulahawk (Jul 1, 2019)

An EMT course really isn't rocket science but you do have quite a bit of studying to do. While I wouldn't say it's equivalent to a 6 unit course, it's definitely not a 2-3 unit course either. You have to devote time to studying specifically for this, as if it's a high value course at the university. When I did the course, I rarely had to open the book, but that's only because I'd already had an extremely good education in patient assessment and treatment - I was an athletic training student. If you don't have an extremely strong background, don't expect the course to be easy. Now then, while the book work for my course was easy, I still paid attention while in class because there was information that I had not seen before and therefore had to learn it well. 

Now as to the practical exams, those things aren't rocket science either. You've been given an excellent resource above. Even if your course doesn't do/use the NREMT as the final exam and practicals (I'd be surprised if they didn't), their skill sheets are quite useful in that they'll show you what most would consider a "critical fail" and what tasks must be completed during each particular skill station. The flow of those skill sheets aren't how things are done in the real world, but the individual tasks are. Just memorize the skill sheets and flow within them and do those things in order and you'll do OK. Just don't forget to verbalize EVERYTHING you do or are about to do or "consider" because then the instructor or proctor knows you are thinking about a step or a condition (they can't read your mind, they have to hear it).


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## Alan L Serve (Jul 3, 2019)

My dear friend,
The OP,
Persevere and you shall be,
rewarded.
Continue with the additional labs/skills,
Then commence your skills,
and an EMT
You
Shall
Be.


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## 65654lyfe (Jul 3, 2019)

DrParasite said:


> EMT is not rocket science, but it's not an automatic pass.  you need to put forth the time and effort to pass.  It's a decent amount of reading, a decent amount of assignments, plus clinical time, studying and any skill lab hours your course requires.  it's generally the equivalent of a 6 or 8 college credit class.
> 
> If you didn't know about critical failures on practicals, that's a failure on you for not being prepared, and your instructor for not preparing your properly.  I mean, the grading criteria for NREMT can be found at https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/psychomotor-exam#tab-2 , so you can see exactly what you need to do, and what the critical failures are.
> 
> ...


Thank you; in my unfortunate case the critical criteria that I failed on was not printed at the bottom of any of the skills sheets we were using; I found out it was a critical fail when they told me it was a critical fail and that I had failed the practical. Is some critical fail criteria just common knowledge that is not printed on skills sheets?


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## DesertMedic66 (Jul 3, 2019)

71374lyfe said:


> Thank you; in my unfortunate case the critical criteria that I failed on was not printed at the bottom of any of the skills sheets we were using; I found out it was a critical fail when they told me it was a critical fail and that I had failed the practical. Is some critical fail criteria just common knowledge that is not printed on skills sheets?


That all depends on how your class runs its practicals. If they are doing the actual NREMT psychomotor exam then all of the fail points are listed at the bottom of the skills sheets.


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## NomadicMedic (Jul 4, 2019)

Sorry, nobody is saying what is really happening here. Sounds like you were a poor student and are looking for an excuse. There are no critical fail points that we keep as a suprise to spring on unsuspecting students.

Either do the make up work, or don't. We can't make the decision for you.

But at least be an adult and admit you performed poorly and didn't meet the (very simple) criteria.


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