Knowing how to handle emergencies

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smallbiz2doc

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When I am at the point where I can add clinical work, I was thinking about becoming a scribe. However, while it is an especially good shadowing experience, I wonder if I would just be avoiding what I really need to work on personally. I don't even know how well I can handle emergency situations. Is it really hard to get EMT training and then get sufficient experience in it while being a full time student (and maintain A's, I have to beat out an old GPA)? Is development in handling emergencies/initiative already addressed through some kind of required training program early on in med school?

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You take BLS first year, but honestly not that many people are keeling over from heart attacks at the library...
 
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Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but don't a lot of EMT jobs allow for you to study while you wait for a call on your shift? Versus scribing where you definitely won't have time to do homework or sleep. Just a thought if you're on a tough academic schedule. Also if you're an ED scribe you'd at least get to witness the doc in time of emergency. And be a part of it. That's gotta count for something.
 
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When I am at the point where I can add clinical work, I was thinking about becoming a scribe. However, while it is an especially good shadowing experience, I wonder if I would just be avoiding what I really need to work on personally. I don't even know how well I can handle emergency situations. Is it really hard to get EMT training and then get sufficient experience in it while being a full time student (and maintain A's, I have to beat out an old GPA)? Is development in handling emergencies/initiative already addressed through some kind of required training program early on in med school?
I would say there is absolutely no expectation that you need to know how to handle emergencies when you enter med school. No one is going to turn you loose to run a code on your own you first day on the wards. You will have a ton of exposure various emergent situations during your rotations before anyone expects you to be able to handle it yourself. If being prepared for what you will be responsible for as a med student is your concern, stop worrying about it, you will not be expected to know anything about actually caring for patients before they teach you how to care for patients, in an emergency or otherwise.
 
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When I am at the point where I can add clinical work, I was thinking about becoming a scribe. However, while it is an especially good shadowing experience, I wonder if I would just be avoiding what I really need to work on personally. I don't even know how well I can handle emergency situations. Is it really hard to get EMT training and then get sufficient experience in it while being a full time student (and maintain A's, I have to beat out an old GPA)? Is development in handling emergencies/initiative already addressed through some kind of required training program early on in med school?

Oh my... :)

Scribe: It's great for shadowing. You will not touch a patient.

Emergency situations: Stand out of the way. I've been an ED nurse for some time now...when I first started, and I already had "training", my first true emergency situation was OMG. Now, please stand out of our way. You don't know what you're doing and we need to get this pt stabilized and if you're not trained, you're in the way. I can't have you stand between me and the stuff I need; you can't be standing in the way of the physician/trauma doc while they do their thing. Trust me...it sounds as if you've never been there. It's not the same as you're reference point; it's a different world in real life.

Congrats on the A's!!

BTW: even the residents (PGY 1 and 2) where I'm at still observe (trauma) while the PGY-3's do. That's many, many years from where you're at today. Blessings to you!!!
 
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Thank you everyone for your input. It is sounding like something I don't need to be worried about for a while. I have to just trust that after years of school and observation, I won't freeze up and be unsure of myself.
 
What has been said is true. I only have one addition.

There IS a possibility that if you have 2 arms and are a 3rd or 4th year med student and most of the code team is tired, you MIGHT have to do chest compressions. And that IS based on the fact that you have been BLS/ACLS trained.

Like Jewels conveys, you are so horribly low on the "totem pole", you are used basically as muscle. And even at that point, you have a sr resident yelling at you if you can't even do compressions right. "Deeper! Faster!!"

And this is almost exclusively when you do Night Float. If you aren't overnite, there are so many people ahead of you in the hospital, you don't even have to respond to a Code Blue most of the time. Cuz you WILL be in the way! :)
 
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Well then. Glad you asked.

The first thing, in practically any emergency situation is to first, above all else make sure you have this:
3182066-479588-vintage-still-life-with-yellow-scroll-and-quill-pen-near-old-books.jpg


The quill and scroll. Obvious. The bespectacles. Because you'll just look f'n smart. And who needs dumb people in an emergency. The book--a first edition copy of harrsion's. Gives the impression of being old school. And that you when it comes comes to evidence--you don't give a f@ck--you're all about action.

That should cover it.
 
Oh my... :)


BTW: even the residents (PGY 1 and 2) where I'm at still observe (trauma) while the PGY-3's do. That's many, many years from where you're at today. Blessings to you!!!

I've never heard of any program where this is true. I'm familiar with dozens of programs (lots of friends at different programs, plus, as med students, we all compare notes during interivew season), and not a single one has residents observing, espeically not PGY-2's. Ridiculous waste of time. Most ED's even have M4 med students doing something small (ABG's, hooking up monitors, handing over the ET tube, etc) and not just observing.

Is this a DO program? (I am not familiar with any DO program - maybe that is how they do things?)
 
Not a DO, at least not ours. Our EM Interns intubate and do procedures while senior resident runs the code.
 
I should have clarified...major traumas; semi-truck major. Yes, the 1st and 2nd years are involved with most and even students as well but typically its the 3rd years are "doing" with something that super major. Sorry for the confusion :)
 
I'll throw my two cents in as a recently-minted EMT. EMT school was interesting, but, to be honest, it's not going to "prepare" you for med school. The med schools will teach you what you need to know when you need it, and you'll be ready when you get to clinicals.

Now, that said - there are a few reasons you might consider the EMT route: (1) you've done the ED tech thing before, needed additional qualifications to be competitive in this job market, and you're biding time (and banking $) until med school (my reason); (2) you want some good clinical experience and/or want to get a taste of medicine to see if it's really what you want; (3) you're also considering PA school and need the clinical experience; (4) you're bored. If you're bored, take some advanced science classes or get a hobby. :)

Best of luck to you.
 
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