# First Day Paramedic School... Yikes!!



## SMButton91 (Jan 4, 2011)

So yesterday i just started my first day of Paramedic School at the University of Iowa hospitals... Just looking through all the texts books... I realize i have A LOT to learn :blink:. Luckily I have some EMT-B experience so hopefully that'll help me out... but any advise to a student expected to be done with class by April 15th and then start field and clinical times?? Thanks!!


----------



## rhan101277 (Jan 4, 2011)

My class was 12 months.  It was 3 days a week, six hours a day.

That does not include the A&P I and II needed prior which took a year.

Course seems to short to me.


----------



## fast65 (Jan 5, 2011)

rhan101277 said:


> My class was 12 months.  It was 3 days a week, six hours a day.
> 
> That does not include the A&P I and II needed prior which took a year.
> 
> Course seems to short to me.



Plus one, that's A LOT to learn in a very short period of time, you're going to have to work your *** off to stay on top of the game. Good luck.


----------



## terrible one (Jan 5, 2011)

Hopefully you have solid A and P foundation with other core science classes or it'll be a very long (fast) semester


----------



## Tommerag (Jan 5, 2011)

April 15th? wow thats fast. what are the hours and days for this I'm assuming its M-F 9-5?


----------



## SMButton91 (Jan 7, 2011)

Close enough Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30. Just looking at our schedule we start IV labs next week! Class is broken up into 10 sections for different subjects of the field each with an exam. Its fast, but sure is fun! overall anticipated date for getting EMT-PS certification is in August-October.


----------



## usafmedic45 (Jan 7, 2011)

> i realize i have a lot to learn



lol


----------



## DarkStarr (Jan 7, 2011)

i had a 5 month option but chose the 10 month 3 day per week class starting in less than 2 weeks.. good luck!


----------



## TransportJockey (Jan 7, 2011)

DarkStarr said:


> i had a 5 month option but chose the 10 month 3 day per week class starting in less than 2 weeks.. good luck!



Sounds like my class. Which first day for us is the 19th 

Good luck to the OP and all the other new medic students!


----------



## Phlipper (Jan 8, 2011)

Mine is 12 months with the A&P required before hand, one day a week and one weekend day most weeks.  Plus 500 clinical hrs in ER and on truck.  I love learning this stuff and so far I actually love the job as a basic, so it doesn't seem as daunting to me.  I've never stopped going to school for *something *since I got out of the military (20 years now) and this field has been the most interesting by far.  Wish I'd done it years ago.


----------



## DogPoundMedic (Jan 8, 2011)

Study! Study! Study! my instructors suggested 2-3 hours of study time after class. It worked for me, did lots of flash cards, the drugs had their own supplied cards was great can do those almost anywhere. 

P.S. dont fall asleept at clinicals too!


----------



## SMButton91 (Jan 8, 2011)

Yes no doubt, i'm studying like crazy. Our workbook came with flashcards of drugs and cardiac rhythms as well. Our books also has a website were you can pull up multiple choice questions after each chapter which is really nice to test yourself over what is read.


----------



## EMT-IT753 (Jan 9, 2011)

I know and work with a few medics who came out of the program you are in there in Iowa. Be prepared to get your butt kicked Also, the instructors there mean business and even though the program is short, they produce good medics. From what they have said, when you are done there, you will hate EMS for awhile, lol. 

Good luck and be prepared to eat, sleep, and breathe EMS.


----------



## MidwestFF (Jan 9, 2011)

I don't know what kind of program yours will be, but the program I am in is 2 years and I already have to study my butt off. I still have another 6 months of didactic before we even start our 800 hours of hospital clinicals. Still have another year of full time classes before we start on our 400+ hours of internship. I could not even fathom trying to do medic in 6 months unless you were a RN or similar. That is if you truly want to learn a fraction of what you will need to know so as not to kill your patients.

Good luck, you will need it.

FF


----------



## TransportJockey (Jan 9, 2011)

MidwestFF said:


> I don't know what kind of program yours will be, but the program I am in is 2 years and I already have to study my butt off. I still have another 6 months of didactic before we even start our 800 hours of hospital clinicals. Still have another year of full time classes before we start on our 400+ hours of internship. I could not even fathom trying to do medic in 6 months unless you were a RN or similar. That is if you truly want to learn a fraction of what you will need to know so as not to kill your patients.
> 
> Good luck, you will need it.
> 
> FF



I know ours is 12 months long (3 semesters) and we do clinicals interspersed with didactic once you get to a certain point. That's also the way I did it in NM. We did ambulance internship after the halfway point (3 weeks of 3 13 hour shifts/week) and again after final week of didactic (4 weeks of 3 13 hour shifts/ week) in NM. I loved doing it that way. I'd never heard of not doing clinicals until the end of didactic hours...


----------



## EMT-IT753 (Jan 9, 2011)

jtpaintball70 said:


> I know ours is 12 months long (3 semesters) and we do clinicals interspersed with didactic once you get to a certain point. That's also the way I did it in NM. We did ambulance internship after the halfway point (3 weeks of 3 13 hour shifts/week) and again after final week of didactic (4 weeks of 3 13 hour shifts/ week) in NM. I loved doing it that way. I'd never heard of not doing clinicals until the end of didactic hours...



That is pretty much how the program I am in is. We have classroom for 2 semesters which we meet for 20 hours per week. We also have 16-20 hours of hospital clinicals for those 2 semesters. The third semester (Summer), we will be doing 36 hours a week doing ambulance time only.


----------



## TransportJockey (Jan 9, 2011)

EMT-IT753 said:


> That is pretty much how the program I am in is. We have classroom for 2 semesters which we meet for 20 hours per week. We also have 16-20 hours of hospital clinicals for those 2 semesters. The third semester (Summer), we will be doing 36 hours a week doing ambulance time only.



This first semester we are in class twice a week for a total of 12 hours/week. We also have 2 online courses to complete as well. Next semester (summer) we will be meeting, I think, 3 times a week for a total of 15 hours or so. Not sure about last semester


----------



## SMButton91 (Jan 9, 2011)

Our didactic period is 15 weeks long,than after that 360 hours field time and 260 hours of ER, ICU, labor and delivery, etc etc... than national registry tests after these hours, usually around September-October. To my knowledge, here in Iowa there are 3 different schools that offer Paramedic(Iowa University being the most well know for putting out great medics B)) and all of them are accredited accelerated programs.


----------



## ParaPrincess904 (Jan 10, 2011)

Best of Luck. Make sure you study. Read the sections before the lecture, then read them again after the lecture. Highlighters and notes in your textbooks are your best friend.

My program we did clinical rotations throughout the program. M&W 9-5 with occasional T as well. We had to do our rotations around these classes, and our skills increased as we progressed through class.

It was torture, it consumed my life, but I am so glad I did it.
(My class finished in March of last year)


----------



## mjrett (Jan 10, 2011)

Just take it one day at a time. You are in one of the best training programs there is. Your instructors are awesome.
Mike


----------



## 18G (Jan 10, 2011)

Advice... just commit and totally immerse yourself in the subject. Read the textbook, go back and make highlights in the textbook, type up notes from class and excerpts from the textbook and other sources. Listen to podcasts on different topics (search iTunes - free). Make drug cards. 

I found the Brady book to be very general leaving me with lots of questions and gaps. eMedicine is a great source (http://emedicine.medscape.com/emergency_medicine) to help make the information more complete. The articles even have a pre-hospital treatment section. 

It's a long ride but I think its worth it. Im been experiencing more stress than enjoyment at the moment with being a newer Medic but its still fun. 

Good luck with your endeavor! Keep us updated on how ur doing.


----------



## ENS0 (Jan 19, 2011)

I just started medic last week here in north florida and I'm probably more nervous than you, because i have ZERO exp. as an EMT-B! my class is 11 months and A&P was strongly recommended but not required. thave a 6 month one at a school called FMTI buts its 2,000 more with no financial aid. LAME!


----------



## rhan101277 (Jan 25, 2011)

ENS0 said:


> I just started medic last week here in north florida and I'm probably more nervous than you, because i have ZERO exp. as an EMT-B! my class is 11 months and A&P was strongly recommended but not required. thave a 6 month one at a school called FMTI buts its 2,000 more with no financial aid. LAME!



College level A&P I and II is required here.  I think it is silly for it not to be.  Some places try to cram that A&P for paramedics but it just doesn't compare to a quality class.  It really helps you from not getting lost in medical, trauma, pharmacology and cardiology.


----------



## clibb (Jan 25, 2011)

Long way to go but good luck!


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jan 25, 2011)

I'm just starting the application process now to P school. Limited field experience, should be a fun year. 12 month class, about 1400 hrs total, 500 of which are didactic and the rest is internships and clinicals. Plus I can tack on 56 units from the University here and add an EMS managment certificate too.

A&P is reccomended but not required.

Looking forward to a long year  Good luck fellas!


----------



## Veneficus (Jan 25, 2011)

rhan101277 said:


> College level A&P I and II is required here.  I think it is silly for it not to be.  Some places try to cram that A&P for paramedics but it just doesn't compare to a quality class.  It really helps you from not getting lost in medical, trauma, pharmacology and cardiology.



General Chemistry isn't even suggested, and I will bet the farm that a year of general chemistry is even more useful in paramedic class than a year of A&P.


----------



## Piper76 (Jan 27, 2011)

Our class is on A shift from 0900 to 1700, in addition to our clinical rotations on top of that. The class is 3 semesters on the A shift schedule.


----------

