Advice From All You Medics

[OneTime]

Oh I know Dan, he's the capt of EP725 A-shift I think, If you remember he was with TIm Hale the Phoenix FF that was killed in the Engine3/Rescue 3 incident back around 1993/94.

Was there a wait list to get in the PVCC class?

Yes the same Dan. I think he is C shift. He left Maryvale (where I work) and took a stop at a station just west of the 17 on Indian School.

There was no wait list. I was really worried about getting in to school this year. There are normally only 2 or 3 unsponsored spots in the class, The rest are typically filled by Departments. This year it is the total opposite. Since the economy has taken a turn, Depts are not sending guys to medic school. That and the fact that many west valley depts are currently Medic fat. So I got lucky. We have class of 20 and only 4 our with Fire Depts. There are a few private ambulance guys and several (including myself) self sponsered.

So to answer your question, no waiting list. They were hurting to find enough bodies this year.

 

[jh504]

We got checked off on IV, IM, and IO access this weekend, awesome! I can stick people now!

 

[OneTime]

We got checked off on IV, IM, and IO access this weekend, awesome! I can stick people now!

Im jealous!! It has been nothing but books for almost two months!!! I think we start ACLS next week then PALS. Im beging to think skills will be a afterthought. Like we will get told....Oh by the way here is how you use all that stuff you read about for the last six months, a week before we are turned loose. We are all anxious to do some hands on.

Good for you!

 

[93BLAZER]

cool. must you have a current EMT B to enroll? i let mine expire in 2007. i called dhs and they told me i must take the EMT class again.

also not to get to personal..., can you tell me the ballpark cost of a self sponsor type thing?

many thanks

 

[jh504]

Onetime,
yeah, Im starting to like the setup of this class more and more. We are doing med calc now. We are cleared to start any kind of access, and we can push meds in clinicals. In order to push meds the preceptor basically draws everything up and hands it to you to push.

93BLAZER,
I know out West things are a lot different, but every program that I know of you have to be certified as a Basic for at least a year before starting. We do have an associates degree program out here that takes you straight through basic>intermediate>paramedic without having to have the experience.
Also, the cost out West, I hear, is much worse than here. The only thing I had to pay for were my books. Tuition is only $60.00 for the class and if you are working in public safety it is covered by the state. NC really trys to support anyone trying to advance in an emergency response career. I think 9-11-01 has really effected that here.

(EDIT) I have a friend from California who came here just to get his medic and then go back. Out there it was going to cost him $15,000 and it was very hard to get in. Over here, any EMT (with 1 year) can sign up and it is basically free. It would be worth it for someone to come to the East for year and save that $15,000.

 

[jeepmedic46]

At least they make students be emt-b for a year. We have schools out here that you don't even need to be a emt-b to start the paramedic program So as long as you are certified as a emt-b by the time you start clinicals.

 

[OneTime]

My class is in Az and is through a Junior College. The class is 45 credits and I had to pay about 65.00 a credit. With all the fees and books it ..was about 4500.00. I am forunate that the city I work for has a text book and tuition payback. If I pass the class they pay up too 5000.00 a year for text books and tuition. But Im not holding my breath. With this economy I'll believe it when I see it...on my check.

Having to be an EMT B for a year... Normally it is very hard to get into my school. It fills with local FD guys. Right now most FD are not sending anyone to school. They were hurting to fill the class. They made a few exceptions to letting in 3 people who just took there EMT-B. But they are exceptions. One had all or her nursing reqs done. The other is a pharmacist and the thrid is just a hard worker.

So far we have only been doing book work. We'll see how they do when we get to skills. More importantly how they do at assessment. But like my director like to tease. He says, "If this Cop can do it, anyone can."

 

[OneTime]

Anyone still follow this thread? Ive been busy. I have been working on my nightmare epic four week long Birf job on the Land Cruiser. It started as simple brake job 4 weeks ago. 4 weeks later and 1000 dollars in parts I have a nearly brand new front end.

We are on spring break. I scored a 98 on my EKG exam last Friday.:wings: We finally get into some good stuff Monday with Intubation after 2 month of book work AP PHARM and EKG. I think we are over the tuff book stuff.

 

[kellymoe]

Anyone still follow this thread? Ive been busy. I have been working on my nightmare epic four week long Birf job on the Land Cruiser. It started as simple brake job 4 weeks ago. 4 weeks later and 1000 dollars in parts I have a nearly brand new front end.

We are on spring break. I scored a 98 on my EKG exam last Friday.:wings: We finally get into some good stuff Monday with Intubation after 2 month of book work AP PHARM and EKG. I think we are over the tuff book stuff.

I still check in. Are you tired of uni-focal and multi-focal aberrant PVC's? Had a good full arrest save the other day. Going in and out of V-fib and sinus tach, shocked the crap out of this lady. Had pulses with BP and and breathing when we left the hospital. If she doesnt make it it's the hospitals fault:sombrero:

 

[OneTime]

Kelly Are you guys doing CCR in SO CAL? With the 200 compressions. I guess they have had huge sucess here in AZ with saves stats. Tucson and Flag have reported from 10% with CPR to 40% with CCR. One of these days when Im out visting my girls in Valencia Ill drop you a line. I miss my ol stomping grounds.

 

[jh504]

Im still following, just havnt had much to report. Congrats on that 98%, that is awesome. I think you might be a closet intellectual. Throwing down 100s and 98s!
We are doing CCR here as well. Makes sense to me.

 

[OneTime]

Nope just your average Cop. I took both pharm and Cardiology last year im prep for this year. So I was knida review. Which also brings me to another point. Our pharm and cardio instructor is a excellent teacher. He is on the national comitee for protcols. But something bugged me about his tests. We were bascially given all the info we would be tested on. So there was really no excuse for not scoring high. Dont get me wrong, I studied my butt off. But I knew what was coming. I dont know. I guess I should be happy. I really thought I would be stressed every day just to pass the tests. Im doing better than I expected. Maybe all my prep is just paying off.

 

[jh504]

Scored an 87 and possibly an 88 on my Pharmocology and Med calc test. At least Im keeping it consistent.

 

[OneTime]

Sweet! on the tests We start skills this week. I just want to be done and have life again. The weather is great out here and Im missing mt biking.

 

[jh504]

Yes it is very time consuming, but just think, we are already nearly 3 months into this thing! 3 more and we are halfway!
I am starting to really get the jitters now though. Knowing that in 9 months I could be lead medic on calls is really starting to sink in. The responsibility is HUGE!

Onetime, with your LE background have you looked at taking any kind of TEMS courses? I would really like to get involved in this sort of thing. With the shootings that have been popping up in the news it really makes you think. SWAT teams and SRTs really need to have the resource of someone being there with them at the point of time that they are injured.
Here in Raleigh, Wake County EMS has a tactical response team that goes on all of PD's and Sheriff Dept's high risk warrants and other situations. Just last year they had two separate incidents of SWAT officers being wounded and the Tactical EMS guys were right there when it happened providing immediate care. A lot of departments dont want to look at medics being a part of their tactical units because of liability issues, but I think it is an absolute necessity.