When?

Amelia

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Ok, EMT school starts a week from today (eeeek!) and I am looking at all of these threads about awesome boots, sheers, stethoscopes, etc... My question is, when should I start purchasing these items? Beginning? Mid? or end of class? I'm not sure when clinicals are (which we're doing in the ER, although I may ask to do a ride along too).

The boots I want to get are pricey but are known to be great EMS/Fire boots and they dont need much break in, but, yes, I do want plenty of time to break them in.

Thoughts?
 

DesertMedic66

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When you get hired at a company/department as an EMT. You may seem interested now and then change your mind during class and waisted $300+.

Just go with cheap stuff during school. A pair of <$50 boots will last way longer than you need for school. A cheap $20 stethoscope is more than capable for an EMT program. $5 sheers are again more than capable.
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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Ok, I"m assuming Amazon is the place to go for the medical equipment? :)
 

PotatoMedic

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Yup! Good oal amazon. And honestly I did not buy a good stheoscope till I got accepted to medic school.
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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Well I'm going to work for a year before going to P. school. I wonder if my husband can get me a discount since he's in the medical field. hmmm.
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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Another question (I'm full of them) Do you have to get your own emergency bag and supplies, or does school generally give you a basic bag?
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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I -may- just have to get those Leatherman sheers though. Push comes to shove, if it doesnt work out, I can use them camping. ;)
 

Jim37F

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Check to make sure you have to buy anything first. My EMT school provided all the BP Cuffs and Stethoscopes and all the other equipment we needed. We had to buy the text book, but that's about it. Same with my EMT jobs, the company always provided everything we needed to run all our calls on the ambulance already. I did have to buy my first pair of boots for my first EMT job though, but other than that the only thing I've bought was a steth after I got tired of the cheap bottom of the barrel ones provided, but they were provided and didn't need to buy one if I didn't want to. Even my current job either gave us everything we needed, either stocked on the rig, or said "Here's your brush jacket and hi-vis vest and helmet, don't lose 'em", or for uniforms gave us the vouchers needed to just go to the proper shop, hand them the paperwork, and walk out with all our uniforms, jacket, and even boots.
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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how do you get that EMT discount anyway?
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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Thanks, Jim! Just wondering so I can budget wisely and not go broke all at once. :)
 

DesertMedic66

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For leatherman you need to have documentation stating you are/work as an EMT/Medic
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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Well for that, then, I will most definitely wait. :)
 

OnceAnEMT

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Don't cheat yourself by going with the Raptor right out the gate. Get 3 pairs of shears off Amazon in any color you could imagine, for a total of $5, realize how great they are, and never look back.

As mentioned, for school purposes, get the bare minimum. When you do clinicals you'll have the crew's stethoscopes (or whatever is in the truck) available to you if you look as clean as you should and they aren't princesses.

About bags: I mean, perhaps some programs are different, but I've never heard of students needing to bring their own jump bags. The program brochure or website should tell you all required purchases for the course, and my bet is it'll just be uniform including boots, BP cuff, stethoscope, CPR class if you haven't, and maybe a 3rd party drug test. And of course the textbook.
 
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Amelia

Amelia

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Ok. Thank you guys so much. I got the book for like $50 off of ebay and she also sent me 2 workbooks which was awesome. :)
 

BayAreaEMT

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IMO I would just buy a decent steth, like a Littmann classic II, it'll serve you well from emt school thru medic school and probably then some. Same thing with boots, I'd buy a decent comfortable pair now, don't waste your money on buying cheap versions of these now only to buy better ones down the road. As for shears and other tools, you can buy those cheap since once you start working your employer will supply you with everything you need.
 

CALEMT

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For leatherman you need to have documentation stating you are/work as an EMT/Medic

Damn wish I would have known that before I bought my multitool could have saved me a couple bucks.

Oh and I agree with Desert, I would wait till you get hired somewhere to spend the money and get the good stuff. If it were me, I would buy the cheap boots, stethoscope, etc. for EMT class and save the expensive things till you get hired.
 

DesertMedic66

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Damn wish I would have known that before I bought my multitool could have saved me a couple bucks.

Oh and I agree with Desert, I would wait till you get hired somewhere to spend the money and get the good stuff. If it were me, I would buy the cheap boots, stethoscope, etc. for EMT class and save the expensive things till you get hired.
Depeding on the tool it may save a lot.

Every single semester I teach there is always a student who buys all nice stuff and then end up dropping out because they decide they don't want to become an EMT.
 

NomadicMedic

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I'd say a Littmann lightweight IIse is a decent, but inexpensive stethoscope. It is more than adequate for an EMT, will last forever and certainly beats all that double tube noise you'll get with a cheap sprague scope. And you're not tossing $100+ down the stethoscope hole.
 

ViolynEMT

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I'd say a Littmann lightweight IIse is a decent, but inexpensive stethoscope. It is more than adequate for an EMT, will last forever and certainly beats all that double tube noise you'll get with a cheap sprague scope. And you're not tossing $100+ down the stethoscope hole.

That's what I ended up getting and I like it. The only thing I notice is that I can hear my fingers "creaking". Maybe I'm just getting old.
 

chaz90

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That's what I ended up getting and I like it. The only thing I notice is that I can hear my fingers "creaking". Maybe I'm just getting old.
You have musician ears. A decent stethoscope might be of more benefit to you than most. Then again, you're probably more likely to pick up all kinds of noise artifacts most of us wouldn't notice anyway. The single best person at auscultating I've ever met is a cardiologist who plays an instrument semi-professionally. She could probably differentiate S3/4 on a gnat in mid-flight in the back of an ambulance.
 
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