Medic School and the advice of My Elders

juxtin1987

juxtin1987

Forum Crew Member
Messages
70
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Kind of a vague question to those of you who've been around EMS for a while and probably do have an opinion on this matter. I've recently finished my BLS class and am scheduled to take registry on the 5th of January. I felt as if this class was a complete joke, and while others struggled with it pretty harshly, I was able to blaze through it and feel comfortable/confident in what's expected of me on registry. My question is simply this... how many years experience as a Basic do you guys think is an ample foundation before starting medic school? I only ask this because i know my personality and I'll be the one who gets antsy just meeting the bare minimum for medic application, but i do want to be a well rounded emt. So is this more of a personal experience/interpretation as to comfort level and perhaps area worked in relation with experience gained, or do you guys have a recommended number of years that would be suitable for someone like me who's eager to advance?

Any information you can give would be well appreciated, i would like to set a goal for myself before i begin as a basic, i suppose my OCD ways like to see a timeline mapped out, but my ADD ways would rather it be now if you know what i mean.

Thanks Guys!!!

-JC
 
0 years is always good. There is no need for basic experience. But, as you live is the nation of Cali, you will most likely need 1 year experience. The great wonders of their educational system think this is best!
 
juxtin1987 said:
Kind of a vague question to those of you who've been around EMS for a while and probably do have an opinion on this matter. I've recently finished my BLS class and am scheduled to take registry on the 5th of January. I felt as if this class was a complete joke, and while others struggled with it pretty harshly, I was able to blaze through it and feel comfortable/confident in what's expected of me on registry. My question is simply this... how many years experience as a Basic do you guys think is an ample foundation before starting medic school? I only ask this because i know my personality and I'll be the one who gets antsy just meeting the bare minimum for medic application, but i do want to be a well rounded emt. So is this more of a personal experience/interpretation as to comfort level and perhaps area worked in relation with experience gained, or do you guys have a recommended number of years that would be suitable for someone like me who's eager to advance?

Any information you can give would be well appreciated, i would like to set a goal for myself before i begin as a basic, i suppose my OCD ways like to see a timeline mapped out, but my ADD ways would rather it be now if you know what i mean.

Thanks Guys!!!

-JC
Click to expand...
I would say just get started when you can. Unless the school has a requirement for you to be an EMT for so long, start as soon as you like. I know I am starting school again in the Spring, and I still have to go through the "EMT Portion" even though I already have mine, just part of the program.
 
Yah the schools out here require a minimum 1 year field experience as an EMT-B.
 
juxtin1987 said:
Yah the schools out here require a minimum 1 year field experience as an EMT-B.
Click to expand...

Then I would say do the minimum or look for a school somewhere else. Depending on how quick you want to get started. :P
 
Get any experience or education you can get like EMT-I, ACLS, PALS, Basic Arrhythmias, A&P, or PHTLS just to name a few. If you can work or vollunteer at a FD, EMS, ER, or ICU do it. Medic school is tough the more preperation you have the better. No matter what you know, it will test what you are made of.
 
juxtin1987 said:
Kind of a vague question to those of you who've been around EMS for a while and probably do have an opinion on this matter. I've recently finished my BLS class and am scheduled to take registry on the 5th of January. I felt as if this class was a complete joke, and while others struggled with it pretty harshly, I was able to blaze through it and feel comfortable/confident in what's expected of me on registry. My question is simply this... how many years experience as a Basic do you guys think is an ample foundation before starting medic school? I only ask this because i know my personality and I'll be the one who gets antsy just meeting the bare minimum for medic application, but i do want to be a well rounded emt. So is this more of a personal experience/interpretation as to comfort level and perhaps area worked in relation with experience gained, or do you guys have a recommended number of years that would be suitable for someone like me who's eager to advance?

Any information you can give would be well appreciated, i would like to set a goal for myself before i begin as a basic, i suppose my OCD ways like to see a timeline mapped out, but my ADD ways would rather it be now if you know what i mean.

Thanks Guys!!!

-JC
Click to expand...

Elders? Whell...I resemble the remark ^_^

I went to Basic then straight into Medic with some volly work along the way. Did just fine. But then again, I was no spring chicken when I started. My reasons were different than the norm. I was way too advanced to do anything else...in years that is! :P
 
RALS504 said:
Get any experience or education you can get like EMT-I, ACLS, PALS, Basic Arrhythmias, A&P, or PHTLS just to name a few. If you can work or vollunteer at a FD, EMS, ER, or ICU do it. Medic school is tough the more preperation you have the better. No matter what you know, it will test what you are made of.
Click to expand...

Yah i'm signed up for an A&P Class through the college as well as a basic EKG analysis class through the local hospital. I'm volunteering regularly in the ER which is giving me a good amount of exposure which so far seems to be the best training i've received. Seeing it in a book or on a video doesn't justify what it looks like in real life. I damn near threw up the first time i had to do CPR on a pt who didn't make it, they don't teach you about the smell of death in BLS class. Not to mention they don't teach how to take a set of vitals on a patient who doesn't really want you to but is ALOC, that :censored::censored::censored::censored: can be very interesting and ive found that when they ask you to go to the moon its best to just pretend you're in 0 gravity already to shut them up. As far as medic school itself i can't find one on the westcoast that doesn't have a 1 year BLS requirement and relocating out of state is just not feasible for me at the moment.
 
juxtin1987 said:
the ER which is giving me a good amount of exposure which so far seems to be the best training i've received. Seeing it in a book or on a video doesn't justify what it looks like in real life. I damn near threw up the first time i had to do CPR on a pt who didn't make it, they don't teach you about the smell of death in BLS class. Not to mention they don't teach how to take a set of vitals on a patient who doesn't really want you to
Click to expand...

Pretty much the existing threads split down the middle, or a bit on the "barrel-through" side (because it's primarily an INDUSTRY and needs warm bodies), but, as you're finding, there are a lot of subtleties to master on the basic end, least of which is lunch-control.

I see the value of actually working on being a good EMT is to bring yourself to the point where you don't think at all about the basics, you just do.

Scene management on your own so you can effectively use your bells and whistles is a year of not only doing, but PAYING ATTENTION to the basic things you're asked to do.
 
Well, after getting my basic, I hung out at that level for almost 10 years before getting my medic. In the beginning I just didn't want to go to medic class. After that, life seemed to get in the way. At first, it was a matter of having the finances, then I was pregnant, then I took a year away from the street and worked in a nontraditional setting, then I took a new job and was able to get school paid for 100% by my employer if I was willing to wait until I got my first year in on the job. (Two months after my anniversary date, I was in medic class.) Looking back, I wish I had gone alot sooner, but hindsight is always 20/20, right?

Keeping in mind whatever requirements there are in your area to get into medic class, go when you feel you are ready. There are arguments for both sides of the "should I wait to go to medic school" debate. For most people, I personally think going as soon as possible is the best thing. For others, it may be best for them to get 6 months to a year in before hand. I do not recommend anyone waiting several years, like I did, though. You can hone your basic skills while in medic class and the fewer bad habits you have to break going in, the better off you will be.

If you are reasonably comfortable with interacting with patients, then go as soon as you can. If you are one of those people that can be a little socially inept at first, then take some time to get comfortable with interacting with others in what they consider stressful situations to build your confidence. Only you know what is best for you, but if the tone of your post is any indication of your personality, go as soon as you can.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah i see the argument from both angles myself which is the main reason i posted this question. Going right into medic school allows me to not develop bad habits etc. but on the other hand i would hate to blast right through medic school, get on as a medic and then run my first code without the foundation necessary to manage that situation. While I've been involved with a number of codes in the ER setting, i wasn't the one calling the shots, i think more than anything this will be the toughest encounter i face in my future development into this field, as far as text book/testing is concerned, none of that troubles me whatsoever, I took the "above and beyond" approach to my BLS course and have spent countless hours researching physiolgy well beyond my level of expertise. I feel that it helps a great deal to know why i'm doing a certain thing rather than just doing it because that's what i was told to do.

I think the best suggestion i've read is that i should go when i feel i'm ready to go, I think this couldn't be more true.

Thanks for all the insight, you guys have been great and i'll be sure to bug you in the future about anything I encounter =P
 
juxtin1987 said:
I think the best suggestion i've read is that i should go when i feel i'm ready to go, I think this couldn't be more true.
Click to expand...

But, you also need to go before you learn/develop bad habits.

You seem like a smart guy, go as soon as you're ABLE.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top