I'm sorry if this question has been asked more times than anybody cares to count. But I'm curious to know the experiences of a student in paramedic school. Either past or present. Specifically what makes paramedic school so difficult? The medics I talked to had the same teacher who was very militant and strict. But from that they all learned and still remember what they were taught.
paramedic school
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Difficult is a very relative term. What is the most difficult thing in the world for one person could be a cakewalk for another.
That said, many likely find it difficult because it's a decent amount of information in a short amount of time. Most paramedic schools also have negligible prereqs, so students go in without a background in science, and often with very poor study habits.
That said, many likely find it difficult because it's a decent amount of information in a short amount of time. Most paramedic schools also have negligible prereqs, so students go in without a background in science, and often with very poor study habits.
That makes sense. The schools around me are only a year long and the list of topics covered are long and varied. The biggest complaint that comes up is always about clinical hours.
If you don't mind me asking. What did you find difficult about paramedic school? How did you cope with stress?
If you don't mind me asking. What did you find difficult about paramedic school? How did you cope with stress?
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The biggest complaint is clinical hours? That would be more of an annoyance than a difficulty I think... And if it is an annoyance, then the student probably isn't making the most out of their clinical time.
Me personally? I honestly thought paramedic school was fairly easy. If I had to pick something that was was hard, it was that much of what you learn is rote memorization, because you don't have the time to learn things the ideal way (i.e. Pharmacology- you learn drugs without a solid understanding of physiology)
Me personally? I honestly thought paramedic school was fairly easy. If I had to pick something that was was hard, it was that much of what you learn is rote memorization, because you don't have the time to learn things the ideal way (i.e. Pharmacology- you learn drugs without a solid understanding of physiology)
joshrunkle35
EMT-P/RN
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The material in school itself is fairly easy provided that you actually study, meaning: go to every class, ask questions about things you don't get, take notes on things to look up later, and then read the assigned readings and do the assigned homework. The material itself is dumbed down to high school level reading.
What many people find hard are the different paces of different programs. One school near me is 1 year long (with an additional 4 month prep course in anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology), and time is split very evenly between ride time, clinical time and class time.
The school I went to was 8 months in length, no prep course required (although, I had taken one elsewhere and taken good prereqs that weren't required), and then the ride and clinical time was condensed into about 4 of those 8 months, which meant 100+ hour weeks during those 4 months, plus working anywhere in between. The schedule was very prohibitive to sleep, and I got very little sleep for 4 months, and that "very easy" material suddenly became very hard when faced with no sleep. But, I completed school and passed everything on my first try in 8 months. In contrast, some friends of mine went to the "other" program, it took them 16 months in total (all of this excluding EMT school), and many still said they found school to be hard for various other reasons.
Additionally, are you going to school while trying to feed a family of 6, or are you 19 and live at home with mom and dad who are helping you pay for school. Those things greatly effect your performance as well.
What many people find hard are the different paces of different programs. One school near me is 1 year long (with an additional 4 month prep course in anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology), and time is split very evenly between ride time, clinical time and class time.
The school I went to was 8 months in length, no prep course required (although, I had taken one elsewhere and taken good prereqs that weren't required), and then the ride and clinical time was condensed into about 4 of those 8 months, which meant 100+ hour weeks during those 4 months, plus working anywhere in between. The schedule was very prohibitive to sleep, and I got very little sleep for 4 months, and that "very easy" material suddenly became very hard when faced with no sleep. But, I completed school and passed everything on my first try in 8 months. In contrast, some friends of mine went to the "other" program, it took them 16 months in total (all of this excluding EMT school), and many still said they found school to be hard for various other reasons.
Additionally, are you going to school while trying to feed a family of 6, or are you 19 and live at home with mom and dad who are helping you pay for school. Those things greatly effect your performance as well.
Gurby
Forum Asst. Chief
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Another factor is that a lot of people work a lot of hours in addition to doing school/clinicals/ride time.
Current student. Honestly, it isn't that hard to understand the material. It's just a lot of info which means it takes a lot of time, especially when clinical, work, etc. are figured in. And you have to make time to review old material, use it or lose it. So there is that pattern. Time. Otherwise? It's easy. Things like EKG's, meds, IV's, intubation, ACLS, and all those other cool skills are actually pretty simple after you learn the patterns/muscle memory/physiology behind them and do it a bunch of times.
Biggest things to do are (that work for me) 1. Manage time 2. Adapt how you learn/study to what works for you 3. Ask questions and learn the little details behind everything. Those have made life so much easier for me.
Biggest things to do are (that work for me) 1. Manage time 2. Adapt how you learn/study to what works for you 3. Ask questions and learn the little details behind everything. Those have made life so much easier for me.
A respected member of the community suggested studying pathophys and his textbook of choice is this one.
jlw
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It's a lot of information in a relatively short time. Hardest part for me was time management. My class was less than a year fulltime, (8 hour class days) and I was working 24/48 and part time at another job, neither of which counted towards clinical time.
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Yes, but before you learn pathophys, you need learn physiology. You have to know how something works before you can understand how it's broken.