ACLS: To be or not to be

[Doc Brown]

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Is there any benefit to doing my ACLS course at the hospital where I will be doing residency? Basically, I am certified until NEXT September, but am scheduled to take the course again this weekend. However, since I don't have my appartment yet and the hospital is more than 90 miles away, it is a tremendous inconvenience to commute up and back/find some place to stay for THREE days (1 day of BLS, 2 days of ACLS).
So as the day approaches, I'm thinking of bagging the class, reviewing on my own (I know I'd be zoning out about 6 seconds into class anyway), and just recertifying next year when this will be a little more convenient.

Good idea? Bad idea? SUPER idea?

 

[EctopicFetus]

Why recert if you are good. the thing to keep in mind is that you will have to find your own time to recert which might be tough to do.

 

[DrMom]

My hospital made all of us re-cert together so that we'd all have to do it again at the same time. We also had to do PALS and NRP, which none of us had done before so we'd have had to been there for some of the time anyways.

If *everyone* else is going to be doing it now, it may make things simpler for you in 2 years. Also, you may want to check with your program to see if they have a strong preference.

 

[12R34Y]

I'm just doing NRP and ATLS with the other interns. I've got PALS, ACLS, ACLS instructor and am not due up until roughly 2 years for now. Gets me another week of residency!!!

I don't think it matters at all. personal preference.

 

[Doc Brown]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I had this confangled notion that now since I'm *gasp* a resident, that there would be some sort of difference between the quality of the instructions between the student ACLS and the *gasp* resident ACLS.

I guess I'll always just shock into a rhythm I recognize 😉

 

[Tater]

Keep in mind they may teach you the new protocols as well. Theoretically, the changes don't "take effect per training" (what a stupid thing to say, right?) until July, but they'll probably teach/train the new material.