(no subject)
Last night was our first lab. Had a chance to (attempt to) take blood pressures. Tricky business at first. Especially when you're fumbling around while the other person's hand threatens to fall off.
The deadline for the EMT program is coming up in a few weeks and I need to decide if I'm going to do it or not. Spoke with the instructor after class last night and told her a bit about my situation. She said that taking the EMT courses would be good to do if I don't have any other classes to take, and that they'd likely help me (degree of which is subject to where I eventually want to go, of course; EMT/medic work transfers to the ER much more than it does pediatrics, to use her example) and that she has a friend who is either an EMT or paramedic (probably the latter) and has just started medical school. It helped him get in, of course, but he's also having an easier time of things due to previous training.
As I've said before, I know it would be good (paid) experience and would help me both with figuring things out and if I actually apply to a school or program.
Yet I really don't want to work as an EMT. My interests seem to be in more long-term care, internal medicine, psychology, and so forth, and not acute trauma care. And I hate driving, and would be doing a lot of it. Which makes sense; the person with the highest training should be working the patient, and I'm told that a lot of teams in Florida are EMT-Paramedic, and even if it's just EMT-EMT, I'd have to do my share of it.
I found out about The Helping Hands Clinic here in Gainesville. I called about volunteering, but the only things they're doing right now are on Monday nights. And I have class then. I'm actually quite disappointed about this; it's a medical and psychiatric clinic for the homeless, and I really wanted to help out there. Only thing I can do is to get back in touch with them after class is over in early December.
There are always Shands and NFRMC to volunteer at, but I'd much rather get into a smaller, more clinic-like place right now. I could also always apply and use the volunteer interview as a chance to see where they want to put me. Time for more research and contacting individuals in the meantime.
The deadline for the EMT program is coming up in a few weeks and I need to decide if I'm going to do it or not. Spoke with the instructor after class last night and told her a bit about my situation. She said that taking the EMT courses would be good to do if I don't have any other classes to take, and that they'd likely help me (degree of which is subject to where I eventually want to go, of course; EMT/medic work transfers to the ER much more than it does pediatrics, to use her example) and that she has a friend who is either an EMT or paramedic (probably the latter) and has just started medical school. It helped him get in, of course, but he's also having an easier time of things due to previous training.
As I've said before, I know it would be good (paid) experience and would help me both with figuring things out and if I actually apply to a school or program.
Yet I really don't want to work as an EMT. My interests seem to be in more long-term care, internal medicine, psychology, and so forth, and not acute trauma care. And I hate driving, and would be doing a lot of it. Which makes sense; the person with the highest training should be working the patient, and I'm told that a lot of teams in Florida are EMT-Paramedic, and even if it's just EMT-EMT, I'd have to do my share of it.
I found out about The Helping Hands Clinic here in Gainesville. I called about volunteering, but the only things they're doing right now are on Monday nights. And I have class then. I'm actually quite disappointed about this; it's a medical and psychiatric clinic for the homeless, and I really wanted to help out there. Only thing I can do is to get back in touch with them after class is over in early December.
There are always Shands and NFRMC to volunteer at, but I'd much rather get into a smaller, more clinic-like place right now. I could also always apply and use the volunteer interview as a chance to see where they want to put me. Time for more research and contacting individuals in the meantime.