Any EMT's around here?

[wladziu]

So,
I'm taking the EMT-Basic course at my local community college, and I was just wondering if there were any motorcycle-riding medics on the forum.  Maybe you could be so kind as to give me a heads-up about things to expect. 
I'm hoping that the "combat lifesaver" courses in the military have prepared me, so I won't have to study very much more on top of the 18 hours of college courses I'm already taking.  Am I wrong? 

Also, I would very, very, very much like a new jacket with the serpent and staff on the back.  How cheesy is that?    

[Toogoofy317]

I was an EMT in Fl for six years. Had to give it up due to my heart problem. For me the course mentally was easy but we started with 35 half made it to the end of the semester and of that only three of us past National Standards. It was 13 credit hours plus clinicals so quite demanding. That was my job what I thought I was born to do but guess life had other intentions! If you've done combat medic in the military it shouldn't be to bad. Don't expect to make much money unless you get your Paramedic as well as Fire Standards. At least in Florida you don't make krap as a EMT-B I made more hourly in security and did a lot less work.

Mary S.

[wladziu]

I wasn't a medic, just did "combat lifesaver" training. 

What were clinicals like for you?  Can you describe it to me in as much detail as you can muster? 
How much time does it take up, besides the class, of course?

I've looked through the texts, and it seems like a good course.  Some refresher material and some things that are new for me.  Pretty interesting looking. 
I'm a pretty small guy, so should I anticipate a lot of difficulty getting people onto gurneys and stuff? 


I'm not interested in the pay, only the experience. 

[BeerGarage]

I took the EMT B a few years ago.  To prepare for having kids.  Now if they drown a little, eh, so what, I can revive them.

I read all the assigned text and stayed awake durning class and the multiple choice tests were fine.  I'd say easier than college level biology.  Perhaps the hardest class I have taken where they took attendance. 

We never strained ourselves lifting anything or anyone.  Mostly just remembering to ask the "patient" are you breathing, are you conscious, what is your name, where does it hurt, when did it start, what were you doing when it started, what did you last eat, are you taking any medications, and nine more questions I can't remember.

Have fun!!

[spc]

Combat Lifesaver: Ah the memories of bleeding profusely over a freshly laundered set of fatigues while a hungover idiot tries to place an IV for 15 minutes.

[Toogoofy317]

I am a BLACK CLOUD the fire units hated me! My very first call was intense which usually isn't the case. It was a three car accident that needed two life flight units. I walked up expecting to just kinda observe first but didn't happen. The first driver had his femur stiking out (nice compound fracture). Passenger unconsious with apparent head injury. Second, car 55 yo that bent steering wheel with his chest. His passenger had back pain laying on the ground. Didn't see the third car 'cause they were still extracting. My preceptor looked at me and pointed to the one on the ground said "that one is your's". "uhm whddaya mean that one is mine". C-spine her and don't kill her. So yeah, hands on from day one! Soon after we had a roll-over, a domestic-violence, asthma, and five other calls. They were so sick of me they sent me home two hours early!

My first clinical in the hospital was similar as well. Just as I was getting ready to go home we had a full blown code come in. I was the only one in my class that actually got to do CPR on a patient and it happened on my first clinical.

I've seen just about everything. The worse call I guess I ever had was a head on collision between a mini-van and a sedan. The little girl in the car was gone. We asked the people in the car where she was sitting only to find out she wasn't a passenger in that car! She was running around unrestrained in the mini-van the collision threw her from the mini-van through the windshield of the car. Needless to say she was DOA. Her parents were relatively ok because they were wearing seatbelts! My roommate worked in the OR and he was on the organ harvesting for the little girl. He came home upset and noticed I was kinda upset and found it was the same case!

Scrapped up a quite a few squids off the road too! Road Rash on bare skin is some nasty stuff! Enough that I won't ride with any of my skin visible!

We had a total of eight 12 hour clinical shifts four hospital four on the ambulance.

Mary

P.S I'd love a nice leather jacket with the Star of Life on the back!

[yamahonkawazuki]

Damn, that sounded like a fun day

[wladziu]

What's a "Black Cloud"? 

Seriously, this class is easier than Biol 101?  Get outta here.... 



I think I just saw a potential mentor on "Trauma".  The guy worked as a paramedic through med school to be an ER doc (except third year, one would think), then picked up a second job as chief paramedic after residency just for the he11 of it.  Anybody on here live in Houston?  I'd like to get in contact with him. 



You like my idea for the snake and staff?  The star of life would be cool, too.  Not sure which one I like better.  Either the star or the MedCorps cadeceus. 
I wanna use retroreflective material for it.  Do they sell material like that (besides the stickers)? 

[97gs500e]

Im enrolled in a 9-credit EMT-B course which starts tomorrow.  As of now, I am technically an "EMS first responder."

[Toogoofy317]

Uhm, to me EMT was more demanding. I took college biology my freshmen year of high school. Imma geek. Biology you don't gotta think on your feet! Oh my goodness I remember one of my first scenarios. I got on "scene" assesed the situation and all of my civilian CPR "skills" kicked in. I looked at the professor and said "you go call 911 and report back to me". She starts crackin up and like WTF. Then she calmly states you are 911! Never lived that one down.

Mary

[yamahonkawazuki]

lmao ive done things like that to teachers and instructors before lol

[Paulcet]

You like my idea for the snake and staff?  The star of life would be cool, too.  Not sure which one I like better.  Either the star or the MedCorps cadeceus. 
I wanna use retroreflective material for it.  Do they sell material like that (besides the stickers)? 

Look up Scotchlite (made by 3M) and Phoslite (made by somebody else, Dupont maybe?).