Difficulty of EMT-B class?

Started by luv2sd
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luv2sd

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As the title says, how difficult are EMT-B classes in general? maybe compared to other pre-med prereqs such as gen chem and gen bio?

I'm taking 18 credit hours next semester and I was just wondering if I could still take EMT-B class. I study a lot during the weekend.
 
Hey, isn't the EMT-B course factored into GPA calculation when applying to professional schools?

Thanks!
 
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While an EMT-B class may not be technically difficult, it does require a good amount of studying and practicing of clinical skills, especially if you don't have a clinical background. Make sure that your other classes are not affected by participation in an EMT class. I took mine during the summer and while it was definitely not too much fun sitting in a classroom with ineffective AC it was easier just having that to concentrate on versus 5 or 6 college classes PLUS EMT class.
 
EMT-B class was a breeze for me, even while working part time and being a full time college student. That said, don't let it ruin you academically. Being an EMT-B isn't hard, being a good one takes work.

Now I am a medic student and full time college student working 40 hours a week. It is tough...very tough. But in the end it will be worth it all.

dxu
 
luv2sd said:
As the title says, how difficult are EMT-B classes in general? maybe compared to other pre-med prereqs such as gen chem and gen bio?

I'm taking 18 credit hours next semester and I was just wondering if I could still take EMT-B class. I study a lot during the weekend.
Click to expand...

How many credits do you typically take? What year are you in college? Do you currently have a job? Are any of your courses upper level science? Do you have a life outside of school?

For me, I already had clinical exposure and had been a lifeguard. EMT-B was a piece of cake, despite working full-time.

Gen chem, physics, orgo and gen bio were all more time consuming for me.

Hope this helps. Good luck!:luck:
 
EMT-B class is a joke, or it should be. If you struggle in EMT-B class, well, maybe you should make sure you have a good backup plan. It's not hard.
 
I'm considering adding a psych. class to my winter schedule in addition to 3 classes (16 units) + EMT. Is that a wise move or just hold off on it? (I'm on a quarter system).
 
CobraEvent said:
I'm considering adding a psych. class to my winter schedule in addition to 3 classes (16 units) + EMT. Is that a wise move or just hold off on it? (I'm on a quarter system).
Click to expand...

Psych classes are generally a joke too. However, it depends on the rest of your course schedule. What other classes would you be taking outside psych and EMT? It also depends on how many hours a week you'll be working.
 
Writing, chemistry, and an honors science course (not towards major). I might just choose between the honors science course and psych course but I do need the honors units so I don't get dismissed from the honors program. Think I'll just sit in next week and decide then since the syllabus isn't online yet. Plus it's basketball season 🙂. Probably the only year that Kevin Love will stay on campus... and I have season tickets.
 
CobraEvent said:
Writing, chemistry, and an honors science course (not towards major). I might just choose between the honors science course and psych course but I do need the honors units so I don't get dismissed from the honors program. Think I'll just sit in next week and decide then since the syllabus isn't online yet. Plus it's basketball season 🙂. Probably the only year that Kevin Love will stay on campus... and I have season tickets.
Click to expand...

Well, just depends on what specific chem class it is, how many hours you're working, and how many hours you think the writing & science classes will take up. If you have to take something heavy like ochem, I'd say dump the psych class...either way your best bet may be to wait until the first day of class where you can see the syllabi since you can drop the psych class without record within the first couple of weeks.
 
Most people with a pulse can pass the EMT-B class.

Getting college credits for the class will depend on where you are. Even if your college doesnt offer you credits for EMT, you can pay some other college to accept the credits. Then you can transfer those credits back to your school.
 
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Second that, are you breathing? Do you have a pulse?

OK, you passed.

Seriously though, compared to things like your chemistry classes and such its difficulty is a 2/10. Slightly dilligent study, paying attention and practicing your clinical skills is whats required.

-Mike
 
As everyone has said, EMT-B is not hard. You do need to study and with other courses it does take up time in your schedule. At my school, it was 7-10pm Tues/Thurs, and Sat. 8:45-1pm every week. Though it's a lot of time, the material is easy to understand. Those of us that were taking nursing science courses at the same time laughed at the "anatomy and physiology" and pharmacology that you learn. While I love being an EMT and it does allow you to see a lot and work with patients, it also left me wanting more. So if you've taken gen chem, bio and other science classes, this won't be difficult. Airway, Breathing, Circulation.
 
JRJ26 said:
As everyone has said, EMT-B is not hard. You do need to study and with other courses it does take up time in your schedule. At my school, it was 7-10pm Tues/Thurs, and Sat. 8:45-1pm every week. Though it's a lot of time, the material is easy to understand. Those of us that were taking nursing science courses at the same time laughed at the "anatomy and physiology" and pharmacology that you learn. While I love being an EMT and it does allow you to see a lot and work with patients, it also left me wanting more. So if you've taken gen chem, bio and other science classes, this won't be difficult. Airway, Breathing, Circulation.
Click to expand...

👍 can never go wrong with the ABCs at any level. Compared to some of the classes I've taken such as gen chem, yeah EMT was hilarious as far as difficulty (or lack thereof) goes.

If you can put aside a couple hours each week to study the textbook, you'll be fine. If you can't, you'll probably still get an A in the class if you just pay attention in lecture & lab.
 
I took it this past semester at my school. My instructor was reputed to be one of the hardest out there; we were required to know a lot, a lot, more than the natioanl cirriculum to pass the class. While everyone passed, the class was a lot of work (8 hours a week just of regular classes). But even that wasn't bad, it was definately managable. I'd go for it. I'd say it was one of the best classes I've taken.

Simple acronyms to fall back on:

A airway C collar
B breathing O oxygen
C circulation PMS pulse motor sensory
D decide
E expose
 
Here is what you need to know to pass EMT-B class:

People shooting at you is not good.
Air goes in and out.
Blood goes 'round and 'round.
Blue is bad.
 
I think I can summarize most of my EMT-B class with:

BCABC: BSI, C-Spine, Airway, Breathing, Circulation
 
The EMT-B class is pretty easy, especially if you're the caliber of student that's thinking pre-med. The EMT-I and Paramedic classes, though, are much more demanding.
 
Apparently, it depends on where you live. In Nevada, EMT-B is one of the hardest classes around. 60-70% of the 300-400 students failed in my semester.

I finished first, but I put a good amount of study time in. It's not "hard" material to understand, like many college courses, it just takes time and dedication to studying.
 
I don't think SOAP is on National Registry. I know SAMPLE, OPQRST, and maybe DCAP-BTLS and AEIOU TIPS are...but not SOAP. However, I would say SOAP is an excellent way of writing the narrative in your plan. Past, present, future....what happened, what you observe, and what you're gonna do on the way to the hospital. Can't go wrong with a well-thought out SOAP.
 
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leviathan said:
Yeah, it's a dfferent SOAP, for a different purpose. 🙂

Again, it's just a tool to make sure you don't forget any critical interventions in the primary. It was helpful for me when I was doing my BLS training years ago.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of pt's that you could use some actual SOAP on.....
 
And lets not forget IPASSO - inspect, palpate, auscultate, seal, stabilize, oxygen 🙂
 
Medical:
Scene Safe
BSI
ABC(D if needed)
CC
OPQRST
SAMPLE
Treatment
Transport w/ ongoing assessment

Trauma:
Scene Safe
BSI
# of Pts
ABC(D if needed)
CC
DCAP-BTLS (can be done before or after being moved to unit depending on Pt)
C-Spine and Immobilization
During Focused Assessment of Trauma Pts:
SAMPLE
OPQRST
Treatment
Transport (with ongoing assessment)

Remember, ALS = O2, Monitor, and IV


also, my biggest pet peeve is when I get called for an ALS assist for a BLS crew and the BLS crew has nothing done. Things to have done for the medic prior to their arrival:

Demographic Info (Name, Birthday, SSN, Address, and Phone)
HPI including CC with OPQRST and SAMPLE
Vitals including HR, BP, and RR
Package the Pt and if possible move to unit and maybe even start towards hospital (depending on ETA)
If possible, also attach the monitor and print us out at least a 3 lead. If you are unsure of how to do an EKG, don't worry because it's not that big of a deal, it's just helpful.

Good luck!
 
90% of traumas are BLS; and 90% of each ALS trauma is BLS. How often do we have to do a cric, or a needle thoracostomy? Besides, bring a patient to the ED with bilateral needle thoracostomies and femoral artery bleed, and you're in trouble.
 
I'll second the "pulse=cert" crowd. The entire course is painfully dumbed down (hell, the minimum class time is 110 hours per NHTSA). Expect to learn completely useless acronyms (if you learned something from DCAP-BTLS, you don't belong in the field. I summarized that stupid acronym as "If it's not normal, document it."). Half the course time was rah-rah'ing the fact that you get to give (gasp) oxygen (the most 'used' of the 3 non-preprescribed drugs [oral glucose and activated charcoal being the other two]) and how much basics save paramedics.🙄

The anatomy and physiology is 2 hours long and the pharm is only 1 hour long. [NHTSA standards] We're not exactly talking a lot of material, which is sad because I doubt that the average basic can explain the basics of oxygen use past "plug NRB into port, dial to 15 LPM so we can drain the tank extra fast, place tank on patient."

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but:
1. the scope of basics can not expand without significantly more education [education is different than training]. See Canadian primary care paramedics as an example [entry level in some provinces require 2 years of education. This is more education that our paramedics are required to have].

2. EMS will find it hard to advance as long as it's acceptable to have people with less A and P than a high school student who completed AP bio being considered a medical professional.
 
Siggy said:
1. the scope of basics can not expand without significantly more education [education is different than training].
Click to expand...
That's a really good point about training and education not being the same. I agree that most people don't know the difference.

Training = Trainer shows you how to do something with the bare minium of becground learning.

Education = Educator teaches you all the relevent info and then moves on to teach the things you can do that relate to that info.

For example you can train anyone to use an AED.

You have to educate people to get them to be compent using a Lifepack.
 
docB said:
That's a really good point about training and education not being the same. I agree that most people don't know the difference.

Training = Trainer shows you how to do something with the bare minium of becground learning.

Education = Educator teaches you all the relevent info and then moves on to teach the things you can do that relate to that info.

For example you can train anyone to use an AED.

You have to educate people to get them to be compent using a Lifepack.
Click to expand...

well said
 
Siggy said:
We're not exactly talking a lot of material, which is sad because I doubt that the average basic can explain the basics of oxygen use past "plug NRB into port, dial to 15 LPM so we can drain the tank extra fast, place tank on patient."
Click to expand...
I'm studying respiratory therapy right now, and man, there is SO much that even a paramedic education misses out on in regards to pulmonary physiology and the dynamics of gas exchange and oxygen delivery.

See Canadian primary care paramedics as an example [entry level in some provinces require 2 years of education. This is more education that our paramedics are required to have].
Click to expand...
It would be nice to see the US move to a similar system. Our BLS are doing 2 year programs, not 3 week programs, and have wages on par with nurses ($30/hour). What I want to know is why there is such a discrepancy between our two countries? What is different about the US such that they allow EMT-Bs and volunteer services / low-paid services to exist so predominantly throughout the country?
 
leviathan said:
I'm studying respiratory therapy right now, and man, there is SO much that even a paramedic education misses out on in regards to pulmonary physiology and the dynamics of gas exchange and oxygen delivery.
Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct. (I'm not an RRT or anything.) V/Q mismatches! :d
 
Siggy said:
🙄
We're not exactly talking a lot of material, which is sad because I doubt that the average basic can explain the basics of oxygen use past "plug NRB into port, dial to 15 LPM so we can drain the tank extra fast, place tank on patient."
Click to expand...
Very true. It's always weird when a B or an I who's been in EMS for years quizzes me on something, then tells me my answer is wrong (even when it's right) because I answered in more detail than they know.
 
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pseudoknot said:
Yeah, it goes in your overall GPA, but not BCPM.
Click to expand...

What?

You're saying the med schools see how well you did in the EMT-B class? This is impossible because I am taking it at a entirely different institution than my school. My college doesn't have an EMS course.
 
premedmind said:
What?

You're saying the med schools see how well you did in the EMT-B class? This is impossible because I am taking it at a entirely different institution than my school. My college doesn't have an EMS course.
Click to expand...

If you are taking it for college credit, it must be reported on your AMCAS along with all other courses you have taken. It doesn't matter what institution offers the course. Some EMT classes don't give college credit and so this wouldn't apply.
 
pseudoknot said:
If you are taking it for college credit, it must be reported on your AMCAS along with all other courses you have taken. It doesn't matter what institution offers the course. Some EMT classes don't give college credit and so this wouldn't apply.
Click to expand...

That sucks. If I would of known I would have actually studied.

My college doesn't offer credit for the course, but I heard that you could "pay" another college to transfer the credit over to your college. Is this possible?
 
premedmind said:
My college doesn't offer credit for the course, but I heard that you could "pay" another college to transfer the credit over to your college. Is this possible?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Did you take the EMT class at an academic institution? Are you saying you want to use the course toward graduation requirements, but your school won't let you? I think that would be up to your school.
 
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