NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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I wrote a blog post the other day and made an offhand remark about acetylcholine and how important it was to know what the hell it is and what the hell it does.
A reader posted in the comment section, "I’m a basic thinking about going to medic…got any other tips?"
Oh, do I have tips. Enough that I felt it warranted it own post, rather than just a reply in the comment section.
So, here’s the stuff you need to think about before you even apply to medic school.
Pre-education:
Unfortunately, today’s prerequisites for many medic programs are pretty lax. If you really want to succeed at paramedic school, and in turn be a well educated medic, you really need to go beyond the bare minimum of what is required.
If your paramedic program only requires that you complete a 5 credit A&P “survey”, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Take a FULL 10 credit A&P series. Of course, you must take a college level Bio prior to A&P. And here’s a big tip: Keep those books for reference. Don’t sell ‘em back! If you have time, take a chemistry and microbiology course, too. It’ll help. Trust me. And hey, if your college offers it, Pharmacology is a safe bet, too. (I didn’t take Pharm, and wish I did. I do plan to take Pharm as soon as medic school is finished.)
One item that often gets overlooked. Study skills. If you haven’t been at school for a while, your study skills may have gotten rusty. It’s vitally important that you have a good grasp on college level study techniques, have good writing skills, completion of basic composition (English 101) and solid test taking skills.
Also, make sure you have a good grasp on basic math skills. The medical math portion of the paramedic program isn’t difficult, but many people have trouble with it. If you need remedial math help, get it now and get comfortable with multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. It’s really just basic algebra for drug doses. Conversion of weights and volumes and decimal conversion to fractions are essential. Practice it every day until it becomes second nature.
If you have poor study habits, now is the time to fix that. Get some help. The sheer volume of information that you’ll need to take in is amazing. Medic school isn’t like a foreign history course, where you can cram for the exam and forget it all in a few weeks. This is information that you’ll need for the remainder of your career. It’s stuff you’ll put into practice every day on the job. It’s important stuff. You’ve got to comprehend the material when you study, and you need to remember it.
EMS Skills
There is a lot of debate about the time that you should work as an EMT before taking on medic school. I believe the length of time as an EMT should be dependent on the individual and vetted through scenario testing. If you’re a competent EMT, have good, solid BLS skills and are comfortable around patients, you’ve got a great foundation on which to build your paramedic skills and education. If the idea of simply talking to patients scares you, if you still fumble when you backboard or C-Collar a patient, maybe you need to spend more time building confidence and basic skills. I think a year on a busy BLS truck is a good foundation for “getting your sea legs” in EMS. But, that’s me. Everyone has a different opinion.
Balance/Wellness
This may be the hardest element to include in your “pre-paramedic” prep. It’s vitally important that you still have a life when you’re in medic school. Time with friends and family will allow you to decompress and keep you grounded. The wellness aspect should be an ongoing lifetime commitment. Make time to exercise, really focus on eating healthy and remember that YOU are number one. Without a well functioning body, you’re just going to be another broken down Paramedic with a sore back that wishes he or she worked out and focused on core strength before that devastating career ending injury.
I’m sure there more I could add to this, but I’ve got a cardiology quiz on Tuesday to study for, I’m still trying to fit more ER clinicals and work into my busy schedule then there are free days and the dogs are barking to go out.
If you’re planning to pursue a paramedic education path, I wish you the best of luck and I hope some of these tips help.
A reader posted in the comment section, "I’m a basic thinking about going to medic…got any other tips?"
Oh, do I have tips. Enough that I felt it warranted it own post, rather than just a reply in the comment section.
So, here’s the stuff you need to think about before you even apply to medic school.
Pre-education:
Unfortunately, today’s prerequisites for many medic programs are pretty lax. If you really want to succeed at paramedic school, and in turn be a well educated medic, you really need to go beyond the bare minimum of what is required.
If your paramedic program only requires that you complete a 5 credit A&P “survey”, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Take a FULL 10 credit A&P series. Of course, you must take a college level Bio prior to A&P. And here’s a big tip: Keep those books for reference. Don’t sell ‘em back! If you have time, take a chemistry and microbiology course, too. It’ll help. Trust me. And hey, if your college offers it, Pharmacology is a safe bet, too. (I didn’t take Pharm, and wish I did. I do plan to take Pharm as soon as medic school is finished.)
One item that often gets overlooked. Study skills. If you haven’t been at school for a while, your study skills may have gotten rusty. It’s vitally important that you have a good grasp on college level study techniques, have good writing skills, completion of basic composition (English 101) and solid test taking skills.
Also, make sure you have a good grasp on basic math skills. The medical math portion of the paramedic program isn’t difficult, but many people have trouble with it. If you need remedial math help, get it now and get comfortable with multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. It’s really just basic algebra for drug doses. Conversion of weights and volumes and decimal conversion to fractions are essential. Practice it every day until it becomes second nature.
If you have poor study habits, now is the time to fix that. Get some help. The sheer volume of information that you’ll need to take in is amazing. Medic school isn’t like a foreign history course, where you can cram for the exam and forget it all in a few weeks. This is information that you’ll need for the remainder of your career. It’s stuff you’ll put into practice every day on the job. It’s important stuff. You’ve got to comprehend the material when you study, and you need to remember it.
EMS Skills
There is a lot of debate about the time that you should work as an EMT before taking on medic school. I believe the length of time as an EMT should be dependent on the individual and vetted through scenario testing. If you’re a competent EMT, have good, solid BLS skills and are comfortable around patients, you’ve got a great foundation on which to build your paramedic skills and education. If the idea of simply talking to patients scares you, if you still fumble when you backboard or C-Collar a patient, maybe you need to spend more time building confidence and basic skills. I think a year on a busy BLS truck is a good foundation for “getting your sea legs” in EMS. But, that’s me. Everyone has a different opinion.
Balance/Wellness
This may be the hardest element to include in your “pre-paramedic” prep. It’s vitally important that you still have a life when you’re in medic school. Time with friends and family will allow you to decompress and keep you grounded. The wellness aspect should be an ongoing lifetime commitment. Make time to exercise, really focus on eating healthy and remember that YOU are number one. Without a well functioning body, you’re just going to be another broken down Paramedic with a sore back that wishes he or she worked out and focused on core strength before that devastating career ending injury.
I’m sure there more I could add to this, but I’ve got a cardiology quiz on Tuesday to study for, I’m still trying to fit more ER clinicals and work into my busy schedule then there are free days and the dogs are barking to go out.
If you’re planning to pursue a paramedic education path, I wish you the best of luck and I hope some of these tips help.
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