The commitment to take paramedic class can challenge people in so many different ways. That challenge begins with getting into the program. Accreditation as a paramedic program has slowly been changing. I’m going to explain what has changed a bit and what it means to you as a potential student. A medic program needs to be accredited in order for you to sit on the National Registry exam For many states who require national registry for initial certification this in a necessary requirement. For program directors, this means you are graded on many factors.
The accredited program is not only graded on the administration of the information but student success as well. The success of the program is graded on comparing how many students start the program, how many finish the program and how many wash out. Further its graded on how many times the students take to pass the national registry. Lastly programs are graded on how many enter and work in the field as a medic or an allied health profession. If you want further information on that check out:
https://caahep.org/CAAHEP/media/CAAHEP-Documents/EMSPStandards2015.pdf
With all those factors in place, its beneficial for the program to be more strict with who is let in the program. So here some of the ways in which programs comb through the candidates to figure out who qualifies for the program. Some programs use the medic student application process as a means of figuring out if the student will need remediation. Others use it as a strict measure if the student is ready to be in the paramedic program. Its not meant to tell the student they shouldn’t be a paramedic but rather your not ready yet for the challenges that comes with medic class. Lets look at the process and find some areas you can work on to improve.
Most programs require some if not all of the following:
- Written exam
- EMT Skills
- general amplitude or HOBET test
- interview
So knowing this we can have a strategy for success. Most paramedic entrance exams use the local EMT class final exam as the starting evaluation of preparedness. How long has it been since you’ve practiced those type of questions? I have on occasion seen career paramedics fail a local EMT test due to poor test taking habits alone. Or by answering by field experience than test knowledge. I recommend starting with a test book like Kaplan EMT-Basic Exam.
When it comes to skills, practice, practice, practice. Get the sheets out. Have someone watch you. Make sure your doing it the classroom way of doing things.
General amplitude testing is a means of evaluating the student in reading comprehension and math skills. Some schools use this as a pass fail into a course. Others use this to evaluate how to help incoming students and to know who will struggle. Both these are important as you move forward as a paramedic student. When it comes to math a great book that directly relates to the job is EMS Dosage Calculation: Math Review and Practice for Paramedics . The reason why this is such a good book is it starts with basic math. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It progresses on incrementally to drug calculation practice. The introductory math will help you with the testing. The rest of the book will come in handy when your in pharmacology.
When it comes to the reading comprehension its an easy fix. Start by reading. Its as simple as that. The more successful students in paramedic class are reading at around a 10th grade reading level and above. At 10th grade your reading and comprehending multiple syllable words. A few things will help you with this. The first strategy would be getting a book on reading comprehension like Ready-to-Use Reading Proficiency Lessons and Activities: 10th Grade Level. A book like this breaks it down in lessons so its not something as arduous of a task as reading an entire book.
Another way to work on reading proficiency is you read a book and take some notes like in school. Almost like as book report in school. Its not only about what you read but what you understand and remember. A sample of the books at the proper reading level:
5)J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
So while mentioning the HOBET, lets talk about this test. The HOBET stands for Health Occupational Basic Entrance Test. It is an exam more based on the needs of the paramedic program. Its very similar to that of the general amplitude test you could be taking. This however has a few study guides designed around the test. One of them is HOBET Secrets Study Guide: HOBET Exam Review for the Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test
Lastly, I’m going talk about the interview. The interview is more than just a formality. A good interview process is not just looking at you to see if your a good fit for our paramedic class but if we are a good fit for you. A program shouldn’t be taking a student because they need bodies in the seats.
The interview is a simple one. First show up early and dressed nicely. Present yourself as a professional. Don’t lie to the panel. Don’t try to hide anything. The EMS community is small and we all hear things. Many are untrue but the rumor mill runs regardless of of truth. Just be honest if the topic comes up. We would rather hear it from you. There are a few questions to think about. Why did you pick our paramedic program? Why do you want to be a paramedic?( besides I want to help people) What is unique to this job that drives you to make this your profession? What prior experience do you have?
So what if you don’t get accepted into the program? Don’t let it stop you from the goal you set for yourself. Look at the list above and improve one of those areas. Try again not only at that program but programs in the surrounding area. Don’t give up.