Finished Classroom, Never Finished Clinicals. Options?

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Jackson11

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Completed paramedic school, received all certifications... 5 Months later, I haven't completed my clinical hours. Backpack was stolen with only a shift or two left for clinical completion. So, there's the gist of it. Meeting with my clinical director tomorrow. Not sure what to expect. If he did allow me an extension to complete some 400 hours... By the time I finished making up the stolen hours. I stand no chance in passing my National exam. Studying doesn't cut the mustard this late after class has finished. Especially if I spend the next two-three months furthering clinical completion... WHAT I want, is to pay to rejoin the class and so I can re-educate myself for my national exam and finish my clinicals in a timely manner like every other student had before me. One obstacle is that the paramedic program started in the fall, I would be rejoining in the spring... I have a grade for both class and clinicals of the fall semester when I was in the program. I have a feeling the teacher will tell me I will have to retake the whole program. Denying me permission into the spring semester. I guess my debate tomorrow will be, Why?! I simply want to pay the school again, retake a class that I kept a 3.5 gpa in. The only thing that is incomplete is my clinicals. I would take an "F" for the spring and summer clinical semesters and start the class in the spring. I would keep the standard of every student in the class grade and test wise. I just wish to re-mediate myself and complete the clinicals in a timely and respectable manner! Does anyone see a problem with this?
 
Not that it really matters at this point but am really curious. Why did you not turn in your clinical shift completion forms as soon as they were done? Why did you hold onto them? My program had a requirement that all clinical completion forms had to be turned in within so many days.

And if they were stolen, why didn't you get new forms or whatever you use to document the completion, and go back to the clinical sites and have them filled out and signed again? I don't understand why you would let all that time spent doing clinicals go to waste because someone stole your backpack.

As far as your current dilemma, you can't just audit the classes? If it's only been five months I don't see why there would be a huge lapse in remembering the material.
 
And when did you last take the national exam? To simply go back to the clinical site and have the paramedics resign a few papers. How in the world are they to remember when I was there and what skills, (iv, intubation, iv push medications) I preformed? That almost seems like falsifying information. Not to mention, every call we went on I had documented just as if I was the lead paramedic on the call. With three vitals signs, OPQRST, SAMPLE, and a narrative. How am I to rewrite these things from the top of my head, even if it is only a matter of days after that specific call? My class did not have a deadline on when a specific :censored::censored::censored::censored: was to be turned in to the clinical director. In fact the director himself gave me back a semesters worth of clinicals because I was lacking a single signature on one sheet. Why did he not just give me back that one sheet?
 
Welcome to EMTLife!

First, I re-named your thread to make it more specific to your issue. Hopefully you'll get more responses.

Second, only you know, but I'm not sure that there is a need to take the classroom portion of the class over. I'm not sure that there is value in doing the whole class over again. I think more specific remediation/tutoring on concepts that you've forgotten would be more beneficial.

Good luck!
 
Jackson11 said:
And when did you last take the national exam? To simply go back to the clinical site and have the paramedics resign a few papers. How in the world are they to remember when I was there and what skills, (iv, intubation, iv push medications) I preformed? That almost seems like falsifying information. Not to mention, every call we went on I had documented just as if I was the lead paramedic on the call. With three vitals signs, OPQRST, SAMPLE, and a narrative. How am I to rewrite these things from the top of my head, even if it is only a matter of days after that specific call? My class did not have a deadline on when a specific :censored::censored::censored::censored: was to be turned in to the clinical director. In fact the director himself gave me back a semesters worth of clinicals because I was lacking a single signature on one sheet. Why did he not just give me back that one sheet?
Click to expand...
Watch the language and the tone. Take a minute to read our rules before proceeding.

Next, I don't think anyone is telling you to falsify anything. The suggestion would be to potentially prove that you've learned what is needed in the didactic/lab portion of the class, and ask for an opportunity for you to complete your clinicals.

Many of our members successfully pass the NREMT AEMT/Paramedic test after being out of class for an extended period of time.
 
Jackson11 said:
And when did you last take the national exam? To simply go back to the clinical site and have the paramedics resign a few papers. How in the world are they to remember when I was there and what skills, (iv, intubation, iv push medications) I preformed? That almost seems like falsifying information. Not to mention, every call we went on I had documented just as if I was the lead paramedic on the call. With three vitals signs, OPQRST, SAMPLE, and a narrative. How am I to rewrite these things from the top of my head, even if it is only a matter of days after that specific call? My class did not have a deadline on when a specific :censored::censored::censored::censored: was to be turned in to the clinical director. In fact the director himself gave me back a semesters worth of clinicals because I was lacking a single signature on one sheet. Why did he not just give me back that one sheet?
Click to expand...

Considering the circumstance I would hope your preceptors and clinical coordinator would be understanding and be willing to cut you some slack with getting the documentation over again. If not all of it at least some.

Hopefully, your meeting will go well and you can get it worked out. But really, 5 months ago isn't that long. I waited that long to take my practical and passed first try.
 
I asked a question in order to get a rational answer. Instead, the two of you; and i'm sure more to come. Seem to downgrade me in a way that you are better. Who are you to judge why I did not complete my clinicals in a timely manner in the first place. And to contradict the one reason why I wanted to re-attend the paramedic program. Which was to reeducate myself so I can become the best paramedic to my abilities. Obviously, I could go test and maybe pass and get my paramedic cert. But, excuse me If I want to be the best at what I do. If I didn't care, I would go finish my clinicals and test out and go get and job and be a horrible medic. People do encounter problems in life. I guess I should have kept my question to myself and visited with my director tomorrow and receive his response. My thanks goes out to you paramedics unwilling to give their best provision!
 
I must have mis-spelled to get those censors. In no way did I cuss or use derogatory language.
 
Jackson,

I incorrectly assumed that you were asking if anyone saw a problem with what you proposed. As an educator and EMT, I saw a few issues, and did my best to articulate them in this thread.

Good luck!
 
re

Absoltely unfortunate set of circumstances. From the very begining you should have been making a second copy of everything for your own records to be kept seperately. Hopefully you do this time around.

Im confused about something though, you say clinicals but also hint at this was preceptorship mentioning having the paramedics sign the stuff off. If it was preceptorship every call you went on can be tracked and each chart generated can be reprinted.

Now as to having the preceptor redo all of your paperwork on the otherhand is another story. I get the sense that you dont own up to mistakes or blame others for them. And i got to tell you if one of my paramedics interns struck me as that way and "lost or had stolen" his entire binder he would be out of luck. Why would I as the preceptor go out of my way for you the student when you haven't shown enough responsibility to take care of your own paperwork and do what it takes to make sure you had a backup plan. Not trying to flame but this is a serious lack of responsibility.
 
deep breath in through your nose..and out through your mouth..

Don't crumble because some events took place that were out of your control. Just settle down, clear your head, and regroup; meeting with your clinical coordinator should help as I'm sure the both of you can come to a conclusion with regards to your situation.

I was in the same boat as you when I was doing my clinicals. My clinical coordinator and I had difficulties locating an OR in my area that had open shifts into which I could step in and get my intubations. Very long story short, I was supposed to finish with the rest of my class in the spring, but had to finish up my clinicals and test out 6 months after my classmates. Did it suck? Of course. Everything will be just fine.

postscript--I don't know if you just happened to stumble across this forum or you've been watching in the shadows for a while..regardless, the majority of providers here are type A personalities, ergo they tend to tell it like it is, whether they sugar coat it or not..you asked, they gave advice..take it in stride..

postpostscript--best of luck and let us know how it goes!
 
As to the instructor allowing more time or even to rejoin the new class will likely depend on what type of student you were. Did you try hard? Did you comply with any deadlines? Were you working hard or just showing up? What was your attitude?

All that and more will be considered. Honestly if you were a good student I would not be shocked if they allowed you in for free or discounted price.
 
While this does sound like a completely unfortunate set of events I don't think you really need to start from the beginning to be the best paramedic you can be. If you're a driven student you shouldn't have much of a problem studying through what you need to in order to pass. If you feel that this will be a problem for you and you want to take the class over again then do it. I doubt you'll have much trouble getting into the class again especially if you tried hard the first time. Just work with the people at your school, clinical sites and internship sites to get back on track to where you want to be.

That being said please realize that the people here are trying to help you. Naturally, we are having a hard time understanding why you would want to start a very intensive program from the beginning because of some lost paperwork and our first thought would be to fix the problem. Only you know what's best for you though. You asked for help and people tried to help. You'd be more likely to get more help if you're respectful of that and instead of being annoyed try rephrasing your question to get answers that better fit your needs.
 
Jackson, you need to check your attitude. Being as hostile as you started, I wouldnt consider helping you if you came to me with that attitude.
 
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