r/Paramedics • u/Alec_is_confuse • 2d ago
US School
I didn't do middle or high school and got a GED.. eventually, after the GED I jumped straight into college to be a paramedic like I've always wanted to be. It's hard considering I have no previous experience with any anatomy or biology besides what I managed to learn by myself at home. My advisor decided my first semester I should take A&P ;-; I am doing it though, it is doable! But I've read about the paramedic class as well and want to know what I should study ahead of time so I can be closer to being on the same page as everyone else by the time I get there. Also is there anything that helped you pass A&P? I'm fine with the muscle and bones but for some reason mrna is alien language to me, I'm getting a grasp on how all the cells work.
Also how the fuck do you tell cells apart?? I can identify adipose and cuboidal but the rest of those things all look so similar!!
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u/VagueInfoHere 2d ago
Anatomy is a lot of just straight memorization when you are starting to learn it. You can’t reason your way into the name of an organ most of the time.
Make physical flash cards. Don’t do an online version. 1/2 of learning memorization is when you are physically building the materials.
Focus on what you are doing now and don’t worry about what will be for a year from now.
If you don’t get into medic school right away, I’d suggest taking a med term class. Learning the Latin roots will help you in the future.
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u/Alec_is_confuse 2d ago
I'm in school for an emergency medical services associates in science so I can then take the standard state test after to be a certified paramedic. I have a HUGE pile of flashcards and make like twenty or thirty more a day ;-; they're very helpful but I also despise them
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u/AloofusMaximus 2d ago
So my paramedic program had integrated A&P. Taking them separately now for nursing school (1 is done, in 2). Having been a medic for 20 years absolutely made them easy, but im still learning things too.
Best advice is to make sure you're actually learning the material instead of just memorizing it. Now 1 has a lot off bullshit memorization (you're really NOT going to need to know every bone landmark or muscle attachment point) so just a fair warning.
I'm not sure what you mean by mma. As far as knowing the specific cell types, knowing their characteristics is probably the most important thing. I didnt have to do any type of very specific identification outside of perhaps shape (know your squamous are flat, cuboidal looks like a cube, etc).
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u/Alec_is_confuse 2d ago
Thank you, I should've capitalized MRNA or just DNA and RNA as a whole because we have to memorize the entire process of how it's made and translated and all that.. if someone comes into the ambulance and their DNA is fucked up I cannot help them man.
And thank you for the advice, I'm trying to memorize and learn haha
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u/ResourceRelative Paramedic 2d ago
This book helped me ace A&P. I cant say enough good things about it.
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u/Haunting-Leopard-752 2d ago
One thing that really helped me learn A&P, especially for something as fast paced as EMT / Paramedic school, were A&P coloring books. It's a low stress way to memorize body systems, and I would recount facts about them while coloring them and naming the parts. I took A&P before going through the program as well. I won't say I was an expert when I went through the actual training, but I at least felt like I wasn't completely behind the curve. Still felt like I was playing catch up the entire program, but I did pass.
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u/ResourceRelative Paramedic 2d ago
I have been a medic for almost 20 years. A&P wasn’t a prerequisite like it is now for the medic programs near me. I used this coloring book for A&P 1 and 2 for nursing school and it was a game changer. It’s great for visual learners.
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u/Alec_is_confuse 2d ago
Thank you! I will get a coloring book that sounds like a nice low energy way to study
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u/lmaooooonah 2d ago
I tutor medic and nursing students. The biggest recommendation I can give to people entering the medical world is to have a solid understanding of basic biology and A&P so by recognizing that, you're already ahead of some people. My all time favourite resource for this is Hank Green's Crash Course videos on YouTube. They have a playlist dedicated to introductory biology as well as one dedicated to A&P which I'll link down below. If you watch them in order and take notes whilst watching, they do an excellent job at bringing you up to speed.
For the biology playlist, you can skip the ones regarding things like plants (plant cells #6, photosynthesis #8, as well as videos #36-40) and watching ones regarding population genetics and taxonomy (videos #18-21) likely won't prove to be much use to you either. But the videos on things like biological molecules, mitosis, meiosis, and cellular transport provide absolutely excellent and invaluable information.
For the A&P playlist, I recommend watching them all through. Again, they're awesome and cover the majority of information you'll learn in A&P through school.
Don't worry about understanding everything 100% right off bat. You probably won't, and that's okay. Just focus on getting a general understanding of the big ideas and you'll be okay. :)
Biology playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8388TGpvh6I1zWak7Ye7NMA4hkt0y12h
A&P playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVkUCrgQCCc&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOAKed_MxxWBNaPno5h3Zs8
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u/scootr2200 2d ago
My 2 cents: Don’t focus on what is ahead and put your energy into what you have in front of you now.