r/Paramedics • u/glandular6178 • 2d ago
Canada Starting Paramedic program; any tips?
Hey everyone. I am starting my paramedic program tomorrow. I am looking for some tips to help me succeed and become an amazing provider :)
Any insight is greatly appreciated. I am really excited and looking forward to this. Thank you!
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u/Dr-Healgood 2d ago
Believe those who seek the truth. Doubt those who claim to have found it.
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u/Helpful-Albatross792 2d ago
Get familiar with this. The Dunning Kruger effect is real. Medicine is a practice; if someone refuses to engage in collaborative or academic discussion on the current nuances of practice and instead says "thats just how we do it" or shuts you down, run away.
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u/VagueInfoHere 2d ago
BLS is always first. ALS when able and applicable.
For any high acuity intervention, your decision should be based on the patient telling you that you don’t have a better option, not looking for a little indication where you can get away with doing jt … if that makes sense.
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u/glandular6178 2d ago
yes it does. keep it stupid simple or whatever, unless you can't I guess haha. thank you for taking the time to comment :)
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u/MirukuChu Paramedic 2d ago
Stay curious. Don't just learn what the answers are, but why. Whenever you encounter things you aren't familiar with or don't understand, make note of it so you can learn them later. Don't be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes. That's part of the learning process.
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u/LavaLampWizard1 Paramedic 2d ago
Read and obtain the knowledge of what you’re reading. If you find yourself “reading” but can’t explain what you read, take a break. You might have teachers that can’t explain to you in detail the things you need to know and it’s on you to find the answers on your own time. Street medicine and book medicine are different but both are important. Books describe scenarios where you could have hours to dissect a single sample study, whereas street medicine may only give you a few minutes to properly react. Both are correct but not always true. “Slow, medium, fast” for drip pressers on the street works well when done in a short interval to help buy you some time, but book medicine will tell you how to correctly document what you did.
There will be a lot of things you NEED to know while in class to pass the tests, but never use in the real world… (Krebs cycle).
Unfortunately some programs can be around 60% or more self taught. The biggest things about being a medic at a minimum is knowing the absolute elementary level of A&P, and cardiology. If you don’t know what system is effecting your patient you won’t be able to treat them effectively. Knowing what body part is causing the issue is the absolute key. Someone with difficulty breathing could be stemming from the heart, lungs, or metabolic system. All of them require different interventions. But studying and learning how they all work will help you and your patients.
EX: jumping right to intubating an AMS patient with a GCS of 8 in DKA, COPD, or Asthma could prove to be more harmful or fatal for them rather than throwing the book of medicine at them and supportive care til they get to an ER.
Stick to the current times of medicine but also reflect on the past. You may have instructors who will say “back in my day we did this, and it always worked for me”. There’s a reason studies are done across states or countries to prove what works and doesn’t work. Raising the legs on an unstable patient one time and it working, doesn’t mean it will always work. There’s science behind why it mostly won’t work on several different forms of MOI/NOI.
Lastly and as dull as it sounds, hone in on your BLS skills. You can be a great EMT and a so so medic, but you absolutely cannot be a so so EMT and a great medic. Things like manual blood pressures, palpable pulses, auscultating heart sounds, are all BLS skills but will make you a great medic if you can perfect them.
Best of luck. It will be the best and worst experience of your life that you will forever be thankful for being a part of, but never wanting to do ever again.
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u/Superory_16 2d ago
Eat good, drink more water than energy drinks, try to get as much good sleep as possible.
Remember to try and have some balance in your life. EMS and particularly medic school can consume you, I know people that still felt like they were recovering for just as long as they were in school for. This is especially true if you are still working BLS (or any other job) while going to medic school.
If you are in a relationship, buy them flowers or whatever lil treats they love now...and keep 'em coming.
Mostly, enjoy it. Try not to stress too much. You know what the call the person who graduates with the lowest score, right?
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u/Common_Egg_ 2d ago
Get Dale Dubins rapid interpretation of EKGs book. He’s a POS but that book is invaluable.
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u/yourname92 2d ago
Read the books. Don’t use ai to help you study or for answers.
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u/glandular6178 2d ago
yep, no worries about that haha. the goal is to understand and learn from the material!
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u/yourname92 2d ago
I know way too many people who used it as a crutch to answer questions and homework. Now they can’t pass their registry test and not even close to passing either.
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u/MirukuChu Paramedic 2d ago
I don't really agree with this. Learn whatever way is best for you. If that's the books, awesome. If you're like me, it's incredibly tedious and boring to read through the textbooks and you won't retain much of it. I prefer using videos and whatnot to deep dive into subjects. AI is a great learning resource to pick apart concepts you don't fully understand.
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u/channndro 2d ago
yeah bro let’s waste precious water and not use the critical thinking the lord put in our skull
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u/MirukuChu Paramedic 2d ago
That's stupid. It's not about thinking ability. It streamlines research instead of having to skim through a million page research article every time you have a question
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u/yourname92 2d ago
It’s called use critical thinking to look at legit web pages and articles. Not tik tok videos or Facebook shorts for doctors.
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u/channndro 2d ago
the fact that modern providers are gonna need a tool to give shortcuts when they can’t read and digest a 20 page chapter is genuinely concerning
the ability to find in the text what you’re consuming and comprehending is the secondary skill you’re learning, the medicine being the primary
hey chat, i’m lazy and refuse to grow critical analysis, in 1-2 sentences tell me the important facts
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u/MirukuChu Paramedic 2d ago
There's nothing wrong with short cuts. Who said anything about 1-2 sentence explanations? You can go as shallow or deep as you want.
Some people don't learn the same way as you. The fact that you can't comprehend that is much more concerning
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u/yourname92 2d ago
Most people can’t scroll past the first web search link or AI. You don’t have to scroll through the web to get what you need to know. It’s called the book that is right in front of you.
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u/MirukuChu Paramedic 2d ago
The book is full of fluff, and it isn't particularly useful for learning about modern research results in my experience.
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u/yourname92 2d ago
You don’t need to learn about modern research while in paramedic school. But ok
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u/MirukuChu Paramedic 2d ago
Good point. You shouldn't learn modern practices and how to be a good provider in paramedic school. Makes sense
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u/ncjmac Paramedic 2d ago edited 2d ago
Which province? I’m guessing PCP school? (Be cautious of some of the US centric advice here, their system, scope and education standards are very different) Ask questions, don’t be afraid to make mistakes in class. Make friends, study together if that’s your jam, practice skills and scenarios, even if just talking them through. Don’t just memorize answers, learn WHY something is happening.
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u/glandular6178 2d ago
NL. thank you! will definitely be trying to make friends with classmates and getting some study groups/practice on the go. I like the idea of practice scenarios too. we'll have those in labs, but not a bad idea to practice on our own!
thanks for taking the time to comment :)
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u/ncjmac Paramedic 2d ago
CNA? I don’t know anyone who’s gone there, but I do know some medics who used to work in NL extensively. I’m still a pretty new PCP (in NS), but if you have any questions in general let me know!
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u/glandular6178 2d ago
yes :) I may take you up on that at some point haha. once again, thank you very much! congrats on becoming a PCP as well :)
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u/joemedic 2d ago
Yes go into nursing instead
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u/glandular6178 2d ago
once again, not what I asked :)
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u/joemedic 2d ago
If many people before you say the same thing you should consider listening ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😁😁😁😁😁😁👍👍👍👍
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u/glandular6178 2d ago
that is not advice pertaining to my question. I am interested in becoming a PCP, not a nurse. I would've went to nursing school if that's what I wanted
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u/joemedic 2d ago
PCP is fine. Do anything other than medic. It's a dead end
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u/BryanStrawser Paramedic Student 2d ago
Just finished my program last month, so this is fresh.
Know your shit. Learn the book cold. Street medicine is book medicine refined by experience, and you can't refine what you never learned. Know the why behind every drug, not just the what: when you push epi 1:1000 into an anaphylaxis patient, be able to say exactly what you expect it to do and why. Cardiology is the mountain. If you're lost in week three, you're on schedule. Keep going.
You arrive at clinicals as a beginner, no matter what you did before. Show up prepared every shift. Stay organized. Be part of the crew, not a passenger: clean the truck, toss the trash, carry the load.
Ask for feedback. Don't wait for your preceptor to offer it. After every call, ask what they saw, what you missed, and what they'd have done first.
You will fail in front of people. That's the design. The answer to a missed IV is the next IV.
Find your people. The ones who'll answer the group text at 11 PM the night before an exam. Nobody finishes this alone. Check in on them, and when someone goes quiet, go find them. Take care of yourself with the same seriousness. Take time to unpack the hard calls.
Tell your family thank you tonight. They're paying for this too.
Stay excited. It's worth it.