EMT class in three days, looking for advice..

[Pose]

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Hey guys,

I start my EMT class in three days. It runs until December 15th, Mondays and Thursdays 6pm-10pm, and two 8am-4:30pm Saturdays. I just took my BLS (healthcare provider) class yesterday.

I am a bit nervous, as I'm not sure what to expect for the four hour classes (reading, all lecture, all hands on, videos, etc.) Also, they don't give our books out until the first day, so it makes it difficult to read ahead right now as I was hoping I could. I did buy Brady's 9th edition book on Ebay for 6 dollars, though. So I was wondering if it is wise to go ahead and read what I can (a couple chapters or something) out of the Brady 9th edition book, before my class? And which chapters do you recommend?

My last question: Are there certain parts of the class that people generally have the most trouble with that I can start preparing for?

Thanks for advice, and sorry for my poorly written post.
-Jared

 

[thirdunity]

Our class is going by Brady's 9th Edition, too. I find I'm able to read ahead, and the lectures pretty much stick to the text material. My class tends to jump around in the book, but it says in the syllabus/class schedule what chapters are going to be offered, and when.

Do you have the workbook? Definitely use the workbook.

Your class sounds similar to mine - mine is also a semester long, and is Monday and Wednesday from 12:30-4:30pm. I go to Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California. Where do you go?

Airways is the biggest chapter I've covered so far. And the anatomy. Get those down. Get them down good.

When you learn a procedure, practice it lots. LOTS. Have a friend be your examiner, and have friends be your "patients".

 

[southerndoc]

Definitely read ahead as it will make the lectures stick in your brain more.

Good luck with class.

 

[niko327]

Hey guys,

I start my EMT class in three days. It runs until December 15th, Mondays and Thursdays 6pm-10pm, and two 8am-4:30pm Saturdays. I just took my BLS (healthcare provider) class yesterday.

I am a bit nervous, as I'm not sure what to expect for the four hour classes (reading, all lecture, all hands on, videos, etc.) Also, they don't give our books out until the first day, so it makes it difficult to read ahead right now as I was hoping I could. I did buy Brady's 9th edition book on Ebay for 6 dollars, though. So I was wondering if it is wise to go ahead and read what I can (a couple chapters or something) out of the Brady 9th edition book, before my class? And which chapters do you recommend?

My last question: Are there certain parts of the class that people generally have the most trouble with that I can start preparing for?

Thanks for advice, and sorry for my poorly written post.
-Jared

Don't worry, it's all very straight forward stuff, people who have trouble tend not to be serious about the class. Pay attention, stay interested and you'll do fine, usually the rule.

 

[Doczilla]

Don't worry, it's all very straight forward stuff, people who have trouble tend not to be serious about the class. Pay attention, stay interested and you'll do fine, usually the rule.

Agreed. The people who do poorly are the ones who blow it off, don't read or study, and don't practice skills. Take all opportunities to practice skills. Take blood pressures on friends and family and get the rapid trauma assessment down.

Obtain the NREMT skills sheets that they use for testing for the exam. These have all the information you need to work on the practical, which is usually the stumbling block for the exam.

'zilla

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hey guys,

I start my EMT class in three days. It runs until December 15th, Mondays and Thursdays 6pm-10pm, and two 8am-4:30pm Saturdays. I just took my BLS (healthcare provider) class yesterday.

I am a bit nervous, as I'm not sure what to expect for the four hour classes (reading, all lecture, all hands on, videos, etc.) Also, they don't give our books out until the first day, so it makes it difficult to read ahead right now as I was hoping I could. I did buy Brady's 9th edition book on Ebay for 6 dollars, though. So I was wondering if it is wise to go ahead and read what I can (a couple chapters or something) out of the Brady 9th edition book, before my class? And which chapters do you recommend?

My last question: Are there certain parts of the class that people generally have the most trouble with that I can start preparing for?

Thanks for advice, and sorry for my poorly written post.
-Jared

EMT class is cake. Don't sweat it. I never even bought or read a textbook. Just pay attention in class, and you'll get all you need.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Put it this way....I've helped instruct 4 EMT class (in addition to EMT-I and EMT-P courses). Only a brain dead troglodyte could pay attention in a EMT-B class and still fail. It's that simple.

 

[thirdunity]

Put it this way....I've helped instruct 4 EMT class (in addition to EMT-I and EMT-P courses). Only a brain dead troglodyte could pay attention in a EMT-B class and still fail. It's that simple.

In my school, only A or B are passing grades. If you get anything below 80% (a C) they automatically fail you. Plus my school gives LOTS of homework. Much of it is busywork (almost every week we have LOTS of rote copying of procedures). The material may not be super-challenging, but the workload certainly is.

That said, where I go (Los Medanos College) is said to be one of the best programs in California; it's easier for LMC graduates to get hired by AMR than graduates from other schools, and we do our ride-alongs with AMR.

I'm finding the trick with the busywork assignments is to do them during my usual TV time. 😉

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Wow....finally an appropriate grading policy in EMT classes. I tried to get something like that instituted around here and the program director said "But that will wash out too many people". Swing and a miss......

 

[Pose]

Class one is finished.

It wasn't bad. Four hours, and kind of tiring at the end, but not bad.

We'll be finished with Module One on Thursday (second class), and we'll be reviewing it on Saturday (8 1/2 hour saturday), along with going onto Airway, and VS/SAMPLE.

And for the record, we're required to get an 80% or higher on our weekly quizes, and we have an evaluation of our test scores mid-way through to determine if we should continue class.

Thanks for the comments,
Jared