# EMT-B With Other Classes At The Same Time?



## MeetTheVirus (Jun 29, 2010)

Hi all First time poster.. but I have been reading this forum for a couple months now and I have learned quite a bit!

I have looked for my question in search bar but have yet to find anything related.. I was wonder what everyone's opinions on doing other classes in college at the same time as doing my EMT-B would be?

My current situation; I'm on unemployment at the moment with a lot of free time (besides helping out the wife) I start school at the local community college early July for my basic course.. But I am also able to fit in Medical Terminology and a Anatomy class at the same time. Sure it would be full time Monday-Friday but is possible with the time frames.

So my Questions are:

from what I read anatomy is a great class for EMT's and future Paramedics (as well as a requirement for a lot of paramedic classes) but should I not take the extra stress load with the Basic Class and do it another time?

I haven't heard many people talk about Medical Terminology course and not sure if it would be worth it or just causing a waste of time but its only like 1 day a week 3 unit class. Any one here actually done the class?

Would waiting to take the classes after I pass my NREMT be better as it would count towards my CEU's?

Sorry if I sound dumb founded.. been very interested in the career since I was a freshman in high school about a good 8 years ago but I finally have the time and little extra money to start working on my goal for paramedic I would just like the best advice 

Thanks in advance! Here is a song I found on You Tube a little while back that a lot of the users on here might like if they haven't heard it before that I hope I can someday be a part of 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AysCMwyArk&feature=related


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## JPINFV (Jun 29, 2010)

MeetTheVirus said:


> from what I read anatomy is a great class for EMT's and future Paramedics (as well as a requirement for a lot of paramedic classes) but should I not take the extra stress load with the Basic Class and do it another time?


Personally, I think college level anatomy and physiology (either as separate courses or as a combined 2 semester series) should be a pre-req. Also, personally, I didn't have any trouble with EMT-B when I was taking it with O-Chem, biochem, and philosophy (I think, might have been another course in there), however everyone is different. 


> I haven't heard many people talk about Medical Terminology course and not sure if it would be worth it or just causing a waste of time but its only like 1 day a week 3 unit class. Any one here actually done the class?


I haven't taken a specific "medical terminology" course and never felt like it has held me back. Again, though, everyone is different. 


> Would waiting to take the classes after I pass my NREMT be better as it would count towards my CEU's?


Especially with something like anatomy and physiology, it's better to build the foundation first and then the house. There's plenty of other college level courses that can be used for CMEs instead.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jun 29, 2010)

It really depends on you. Everyone can chime in with what they think but how do you do at school?

Ill just share with you my experience. A&P for me... was one of the hardest classes I have taken. I had to study for hours every day in addition to the class itself and any homework. A&P was harder than my EMT-B,EMT-I, or EMT-P, it was harder than any of my English classes, any of my biology classes, ANY OF MY CLASSES PERIOD! I would not take A&P at the same time as my EMT-B unless I had prior experience in health care or A&P. Thats just me though, Some other forum contributers might tell you to go for it. I would take A&P with some laid back general ed classes or by itself.

PS: I hate country shame on you for making me click on that youtube link!


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## MeetTheVirus (Jun 29, 2010)

Thank you both for the quick reply it was much appreciated! ^_^

I haven't been to school in years with no medical background so maybe it would be best to do the anatomy afterwords by itself as you suggested.

Still kinda curious on the Medical Terminology course if any one has ever taken one and how useful it is.. maybe I'm just over hyped about going back to school 

and sorry about the link ill put a disclaimer for you and others who hate country (I dislike it as well but the lyrics were pretty damn meaningful :blush


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## DaniGrrl (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm starting a Paramedic program this fall. Our first semester classes are essentially EMT-B, driving and communications, and A&P. I think taking them at the same time makes perfect sense.


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## Aprz (Jun 29, 2010)

Some people can take multiple classes and have no problems.
Some people can take multiple classes and do have problems.
Some people can take one class and have no problems.
Some people can take one class and still have a problem.

I think you can see where I am going with this.

If you think you can handle it, do it.

Personally, I don't believe taking them at the same time is going to help through any of 'em unless they are in sync with each other e.g. EMT instructor goes into detail why you'll experience such and such signs and symptoms associated with such and such condition, and break down some medical terms to help you understand the condition and the A&P that backs it. How I imagine it really goes is this though:

EMT: You're learning about keto acidosis.
A&P: You're memorizing the names of bones in your hands.
Medical Terminology: You're learning root words related to your cardiovascular system.

It's not in sync. It might not make sense until you finish with all three classes, and the benefit of understanding it isn't as great as what it's made out to be. If you pass understanding what's going on versus another student who just did it cook book style, if he memorized everything, you and him shouldn't be any different at providing care and assessing patients. Some may argue that understanding helped them memorize signs, symptoms, and the appropriate treatment, but I feel like it's really more memorizing on top of more memorizing.

In the end, I really like knowing A&P and medical terminology, and if you think you can do it, I recommend it. For me, it's a great feeling to be able to explain what's going on, and be able to throw a few fancy words.

If I could redo things, and you could only take one class at a time, I would recommend in this order: medical terminology (will help you with A&P), A&P (will help you with recognizing signs, symptoms, and treatment in EMT), and EMT. I think taking them in sync is even better though since you get spoon fed on how everything connects rather than having to do that yourself, which for some may never happen even if they take all three classes.


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## Sassafras (Jun 30, 2010)

I did chem, bio, and algebra while taking first responder.  However our instructor taught us at the EMT level and we tested with EMTs.  It made taking EMTB by it self a few months later very easy LOL.


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## John E (Jun 30, 2010)

*Hmmm...*

the medical terminology class is probably aimed at people interested in doing medical billing or front office work in a doctor's office.

Which is not to say that you won't learn stuff, you will.

Are you planning to continuing your EMS education? If so, the terminology class will come in handy for later.

As for your comments about using the college classes for CEU. I'd check into that with your local EMS authority or whomever issues the license you'll be working under. As strange as it may sound, a lot of college classes don't count as CE in EMS. 

As for actually taking more than just an EMT-B class at one time, the EMT-B training and the NREMT test are both high school level. If you can handle 2 college level classes and 1 high school level class, you should be fine.

Good luck.

John E


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## Meursault (Jun 30, 2010)

Aprz said:


> and the benefit of understanding it isn't as great as what it's made out to be. If you pass understanding what's going on versus another student who just did it cook book style, if he memorized everything, you and him shouldn't be any different at providing care and assessing patients.


I'd dispute that conclusion, but more importantly, it's impractical to memorize everything needed to properly treat and assess patients. Your knowledge will be deficient somewhere, even if you don't memorize everything. However, if you've learned, rather than memorized, your subject, you'll have the skill set to function when you don't know exactly what to do, and you'll be prepared to continue learning.



> Some may argue that understanding helped them memorize signs, symptoms, and the appropriate treatment, but I feel like it's really more memorizing on top of more memorizing.


Only if you're DOING IT WRONG.

Some others may argue that understanding what you're doing is a good idea in general, and one of the perks of being sapient. 

Still others might argue, on a more practical note, that medical professionals should have some gorram idea about the function of the bodies they care for, because it allows them to do more than follow the cookbook, it leads to better decision-making, and it allows them to advance educationally. 

Some might even argue that this sort of idiocy is one of the most significant problems in EMS and a major barrier to fixing many of the others.


Oh, and OP, if you can handle college coursework, you'll hardly notice the EMT-B class. The only issue you might experience is the time commitment, which might cut into the time you devote to more demanding courses. That depends on your other courses and the format of your class, but I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Theo (Jul 1, 2010)

> I have looked for my question in search bar but have yet to find anything related.. I was wonder what everyone's opinions on doing other classes in college at the same time as doing my EMT-B would be?



It's not a big issue at all. I took A&P the same semester that I took EMT-B while working a full time job. Keep up on your reading and studies and it will not be a problem. 

A&P is highly recommended if you're going into EMS and especially if you plan on going onto Paramedic. It's not easy, but it's well worth the effort. 



> Still kinda curious on the Medical Terminology course if any one has ever taken one and how useful it is.



I have taken Medical Terminology and I found it to be a nice complement to A&P. The course is kind of dry... learning root words, prefixes, and suffixes. But, it reinforces alot of knowledge gained in A&P. If you're going to take Medical Terminology, take it a semester after you've taken your first A&P class. The course takes it as a given that the student has prior A&P experience. It'll make more sense and give you more confidence with your A&P. 



> the medical terminology class is probably aimed at people interested in doing medical billing or front office work in a doctor's office.



I disagree. If anything, Medical Terminology is aimed at nursing students. The course I took dealt a great deal with pathology as well as treatment procedures and terminology.


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## jjesusfreak01 (Jul 1, 2010)

I'm taking my EMT-B course while studying for the MCAT fulltime (8hrs class and 10+ studying). I have 19 hours of EMT class a week, and usually 1 ride along day. For me, the only thing even remotely difficult about the EMT course has been doing the readings. Reading a hundred pages every two days with everything else going on is tough. The class itself is easy, imho.


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## usafmedic45 (Jul 1, 2010)

> but should I not take the extra stress load with the Basic Class and do it another time?



Seriously, if you're stressed out by the basic EMT class, there's a problem.  It's a 150 hour course with the material written at an elementary school reading level.  I've literally seen a retarded person pass a practice examination that we used to give to students before they would go take their state examinations.



> I haven't heard many people talk about Medical Terminology course and not sure if it would be worth it or just causing a waste of time but its only like 1 day a week 3 unit class. Any one here actually done the class?



Unless you are looking to pad your GPA a little bit or have some form of speech or language learning disability, there is probably no good justification for taking a separate medical terminology course.  It is simply another way for the school to make more money from stupid people and those who don't know any better. 



> Oh, and OP, if you can handle college coursework, you'll hardly notice the EMT-B class


Allow me to correct that for you:  "Oh, and OP, if you passed sixth grade without having to repeat it, you'll hardly notice the EMT-B class"



> the EMT-B training and the NREMT test are both high school level



Not even.  Both are conducted at a 4th to 6th grade comprehension level (depending on whom you and what scale they are using) like most programs that have their standards determined by the government.  



> Some might even argue that this sort of idiocy is one of the most significant problems in EMS and a major barrier to fixing many of the others.



Amen.  It is the number one problem we have in this field.  The morons and the "I want to be a firefighter so I'm becoming an EMT!" types (many of whom are morons) are irrevocably damaging our field.  Until we raise the bar and reduce the number of people allowed to pass the classes, this field will continue to flounder because of the folks who think that marginal is good enough and the companies that are able to hire those idiots for minimum wage.  



> Some people can take multiple classes and have no problems.
> Some people can take multiple classes and do have problems.
> Some people can take one class and have no problems.
> Some people can take one class and still have a problem.


Read as:
-People who should be in EMS
-People who should not be in EMS, but can still may be able to work in other profesions.
-People who should not be in EMS nor any other profession that involves the safety or health of others or their possessions;  training should be limited to training them to ask "Would you like fries with that?" and "Will that be for here or to go?"
-Those who have no hope and whose brain function probably consists of a voice in their head going "Breathe in, breathe out".  My brother is a good example of this.  I question whether these people have any real claim to living in modern society and functioning as a fully independent citizen.  



> Would waiting to take the classes after I pass my NREMT be better as it would count towards my CEU's?



The classes won't count in most states towards your CEUs.  



> Here is a song I found on You Tube a little while back that a lot of the users on here might like if they haven't heard it before that I hope I can someday be a part of



I can't politely express how much the fact that you closed your first post with that makes me wail for humanity, so I will stop writing now and simply refer you back to some of my comments above about what is wrong with this profession.


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