The Tortuous Death of a Paramedic Student

Perhaps it is just me being a big baby, I don't know. I need the input of other recently graduated or currently enrolled paramedic students out there. Is paramedic school this hard for everyone?Christ, I have never had to memorize so much shit in my life. I am down to line 46 of my 86 line long ACLS protocols. Everyone I know just looks that stuff up in the manual. An example of the fine reading and memorizing I am undertaking:

• 15. Provide CPR for 5 cycles without rhythm check. Establish advanced airway then chest compressions should be delivered at a rate of 100 / min with ventilations of 8-10 / min.
• 16. Check rhythm every two minutes.
• 17. Administer one antiarrythmic drug:
• 18. Amiodorone 300 mg IV/IO push (may repeat once 150 mg in 3-5 minutes)
• 19. Lidocaine 1 to 1.5 mg/kg IV/IO push then 0.5 mg to 0.75 mg Q 3-5 max dose 3 mg/kg.

Argh! It goes on and on... but hey, at least I busted that out from memory. It is slowly settling in. At least I am at the point where the shit I am being made to memorize makes sense to me and I can actually envision a long term goal here. Last year during pharmacology all we did was memorize drug information without knowing exactly what the point was... it is better now.

I should not bitch, but this program is slowly sucking the life out of me. At least the world at large can be sure I will know what the hell I am doing when I get out of school.

I seem to be holding my own at school, at least for being the old guy. I am ready to hit the streets and use some of this stuff though. I am not sure where I will be going for the bulk of my clinicals. I want to go out of state. I asked my professor about it and said that he doesn't make a habit of discussing clinicals until he sure that the subject he is talking to will be passing, and no is ever sure of passing until after cardiology. I don't think he needed to say it so bluntly, but hey, cardiology is hard. I have a wager on a few of the guys in my class. We shall see. I know I will be passing... ergh, at least I hope.

Aside from all that EMS stuff, I did a drive through on a recent large wild land fire that I was on. All the houses we were able to save had signs on them thanking the firefighters for helping. That made me feel good. I only wish we could have saved all of them. There was quite a few homes lost in this last round of fires.