Help! ATLS and ACLS before residency

[surg4me]

I am getting married before residency and my program is allowing me to take the ACLS (acute cardiac) and ATLS (acute trauma) courses elsewhere...

Has anyone taken the certification course before starting residency?
Could you please instruct me on how to go about signing up for both these programs, either in CA or NY?

Are these each 1-day courses?

thanks!

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[po' boy]

acls is a 2 day course, atls i'm not sure. there are lists of course providers in your areas on the american heart association and american college of surgeons websites, respectively -- you just have to call up and ask about schedules and prices.

 

[Sheerstress]

http://www.facs.org/trauma/atls/index.html

 

[surg4me]

thanks po'boy and sheerstress for the help...


i found an ATLS course that I can take...but I can't find a place to sign up for ACLS course (I've search the American Heart Association website without any luck)...

Is the ACLS course an online or textbook course? Or do I need to be somewhere specific to take it like the ATLS courses?

 

[po' boy]

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3011764

under "find a class near you", type in your zip code, and you'll pull up a list of course providers. it is a class that you must be physically present for if it is the first time you are taking it.

 

[Doczilla]

ACLS can be done online only for recertification, not initial training. Check with any hospital or rescue squad near you or near where you want to be, and they will be able to point you in the right direction. Any community college which offers nursing or paramedic training should also be able to help.


'zilla

 

[surg4me]

Is there a difference between a student ATLS course and one given for MD, DO, DDS?

I want to take the ATLS course before residency (due to personal scheduling conflicts) but the ones offered are before I graduate (May 23), thus I'll be only eligible for the student ATLS course.

If I take the student course, do I have to take another one as soon I start residency? Or do I have to no choice but to wait until graduation (with an MD) to be certified for residency?

 

[Doczilla]

Is there a difference between a student ATLS course and one given for MD, DO, DDS?

I want to take the ATLS course before residency (due to personal scheduling conflicts) but the ones offered are before I graduate (May 23), thus I'll be only eligible for the student ATLS course.

If I take the student course, do I have to take another one as soon I start residency? Or do I have to no choice but to wait until graduation (with an MD) to be certified for residency?

Most students taking the ATLS course are residents. I don't think the training site would be able to fill a special class with only medical students. The "Student" ATLS course does not refer to medical students, but rather to anyone taking the course to be a care provider as opposed to being an instructor (perhaps they should list the course as "ATLS Provider" to prevent confusion). It is the same course that any resident or attending will take. Any ATLS student course you sign up for will be just fine to prepare you for residency (you are ineligible for the refresher or instructor course, as you have not yet taken the initial student course). Similarly, ACLS and PALS courses have to cover the same things to give you a card, so there is no difference in classes between that given to residents or students or attendings or nurses. The ACLS Provider and PALS Provider courses can be taken anywhere and meet the same standards of the class offerred through your residency.

ATLS is a standard course for all physicians, so there is no difference for MD, DO, or DDS. It is a certification, not a license, so you don't need to worry about taking it again as soon as you start residency. As an attending, the hospital that hires you may ask you to complete the course again if you haven't done it recently, but that is entirely dependent on them (and they would likely pay you to do it anyway).

Go ahead and take the one before you graduate that fits your schedule. There is only a month difference between when you are planning on taking the course and when most incoming interns will take the course anyway, so your knowledge base is the same.

Hope this helps.


'zilla