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jnsangel33

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I was curious if there is a way for me to begin studying to become a medic BEFORE I have the hours I need to get into medic school?? I finally started working as an EMT 1 1/2 mos ago and would love to get a jump on medic school though it is still probably at least a year away. Any suggestions such as websites, books, etc that I can start with?
 
Ask tons of questions

Look up every medication you see

Learn the medications you will be using

Walravens Basic Arrhythmias

Dubin's Rapid Interpretation

Ask tons of questions
 
If you haven't already .... Take an a and p course with lab. There are others that will help but that it probably the one that will make medic school much easier.
 
Medic Tim said:
If you haven't already .... Take an a and p course with lab. There are others that will help but that it probably the one that will make medic school much easier.
Click to expand...

Pharmacology
 
All of the above are true however I would like to suggest that the best studying you can do is seeing patients and doing calls at the EMT level. What you learn there - how to talk to people, touch them, run a call, deal with other rescue personnel, is invaluable.
 
Medic Tim said:
If you haven't already .... Take an a and p course with lab. There are others that will help but that it probably the one that will make medic school much easier.
Click to expand...

ya +1 to this. If I could only choose 1 course for you to take that will help the most, it would be A&P. Many programs require either A&P 1 or "Human Bio/ Physiology"(200 level) as a pre-req.
 
I am 4 weeks from finishing the didactic portion of my paramedic program. I would absolutely suggest focusing on field experience. Textbooks and classes are a plus, but you can't replace field experience. I was an EMT for 3 years before my medic program and sometimes still wish I'd gotten more experience before starting. (I didn't work the full 3 years - I was a full-time college student and didn't work EMS consistently for a while). By no means am I struggling in class, but field experience is ABSOLUTELY the most important thing going in. To be completely honest, I think you should wait longer than you plan to.
 
PoeticInjustice said:
Ask tons of questions

Look up every medication you see

Learn the medications you will be using

Walravens Basic Arrhythmias

Dubin's Rapid Interpretation

Ask tons of questions
Click to expand...

I was gonna say that too.. That's been a time consuming skill for me to learn.
 
Amber2313 said:
I am 4 weeks from finishing the didactic portion of my paramedic program. I would absolutely suggest focusing on field experience. Textbooks and classes are a plus, but you can't replace field experience. I was an EMT for 3 years before my medic program and sometimes still wish I'd gotten more experience before starting. (I didn't work the full 3 years - I was a full-time college student and didn't work EMS consistently for a while). By no means am I struggling in class, but field experience is ABSOLUTELY the most important thing going in. To be completely honest, I think you should wait longer than you plan to.
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I would recommend against delaying entry unless your EMT experience is of high quality or your Paramedic program is of poor quality. There is no need to gain field experience prior to Paramedic school unless it is to supplement a poor didactic and clinical experience.

Field experience merely helps you drive, use a radio, operate a stretcher, and find things on the truck. These are not items which make a good paramedic.

I'd much rather have a new Paramedic who lacks operational experience than one who lacks education.

Front load Paramedic school with A&P, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and more A&P and more pathophysiology, and more pharmacology, and more...
 
jnsangel33 said:
I was curious if there is a way for me to begin studying to become a medic BEFORE I have the hours I need to get into medic school?? I finally started working as an EMT 1 1/2 mos ago and would love to get a jump on medic school though it is still probably at least a year away. Any suggestions such as websites, books, etc that I can start with?
Click to expand...

I enjoyed the following books (they have meat and they lack "tricks", these are good things):

- Emergency Pathophysiology: Clinical Applications for Prehospital Providers
- The Art and Interpretation (both 12-Leads and Arrhythmias, please skip Dubin's. Please.)
- Brady's Pharmacology (either the spiral bound or the 7ed textbook)
 
Christopher said:
I enjoyed the following books (they have meat and they lack "tricks", these are good things):

- Emergency Pathophysiology: Clinical Applications for Prehospital Providers
- The Art and Interpretation (both 12-Leads and Arrhythmias, please skip Dubin's. Please.)
- Brady's Pharmacology (either the spiral bound or the 7ed textbook)
Click to expand...

I've also heard good things about Jeffrey Guy's Prehospital Pharmacology, though I've never used it personally. It's got a podcast that follows the book to help with reenforcement as well.

I'll +1 Garcia's also. Excellent for practice and repitition.
 
Just snagged a used copy of Walraven's BAsic Arrhythmias from Barnes and Nobles online for $6. Lets hope its readable, lol
 
Once you get a grasp on basic cardiac rhythms I would suggest Amal Mattu's ECGs For the Emergency Physician books as well as his youtube videos.
 
I strongly disagree. Field experience is MUCH more than driving, radio, and cots. It's putting what you learned in class to the streets and learning how things are really done. I had both a fantastic EMT and paramedic program, but class doesn't cover everything. You can practice a million trauma scenarios in class and try to make them as realistic as possible, but nothing can compare to working with a FD to extricate a patient and managing them in the meantime. Sure, you know what to do, but there is a sort of fluidity, for lack of a better term, that comes with working in the field. You can't be a good medic if you're not a good basic first- and no basic is a pro from day one. There is a significant amount of learning that takes place on the job.
...in my opinion.
 
What are you talking about? Did you even read the original question?
 
Amber2313 said:
You can't be a good medic if you're not a good basic first- and no basic is a pro from day one. There is a significant amount of learning that takes place on the job.
...in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Umm... So... I call BS. What is so terribly difficult about a skill set that only takes 120hrs to obtain? And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't everything that's taught in basic covered again in paramedic, but in more depth? Assuming your paramedic program isn't horrible, you should have plenty of internship hours to get down "the basics".

I know plenty of excellent paramedics that never worked as a basic (myself included). Also realize that most basics will not get the opportunity to sit with a critical patient while fire extricates, because they'll be too tied up playing the dialysis derby. The "skills" a basic performs is not something that takes years (or a year) to master. If they do, you may want to find a new line of work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on basics. I think they are an invaluable member of the team. But learning how to be a "good basic" is not a prerequisite to being a good paramedic.
 
Hmm..

PoeticInjustice said:
Umm... So... I call BS. What is so terribly difficult about a skill set that only takes 120hrs to obtain? And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't everything that's taught in basic covered again in paramedic, but in more depth? Assuming your paramedic program isn't horrible, you should have plenty of internship hours to get down "the basics".

I know plenty of excellent paramedics that never worked as a basic (myself included). Also realize that most basics will not get the opportunity to sit with a critical patient while fire extricates, because they'll be too tied up playing the dialysis derby. The "skills" a basic performs is not something that takes years (or a year) to master. If they do, you may want to find a new line of work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on basics. I think they are an invaluable member of the team. But learning how to be a "good basic" is not a prerequisite to being a good paramedic.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's an "in my area"-thing. It's something that's preached on around here. "You can't be a good medic without being a good basic first" Idea being that BLS should always come before ALS. Every patient doesn't need drugs and electricity. Sometimes simply opening an airway does wonders -I'm sure you're aware. I didn't say basic skills are difficult. I did say I was in a great EMT and currently finishing a great paramedic program. I am a good EMT and take offense to your statement that I should find a new line of work because I believe in field experience. You can assess as many patients in basic class scenarios as you want, but nothing compares to assessing an actual patient. And that can only happen with experience. Sure, you get experience in medic class, but you should have experience before going in, too.
 
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