#nremt

Guess who’s got two thumbs and passed their NREMT??

But wow! that was a hard test! I thought I did terribly when it automatically cut me off at 70 questions but my partner said he was between 80-90 when he took it!

RICH PEOPLE PAYING RICH PEOPLE TO TELL MIDDLECLASS PEOPLE TO BLAME POOR PEOPLE

am i a med student? no.

am i planning on being an EMT? no.

does my field of study have ANYTHING to do with emergency medical care? also no.

🚨 EMTs and Paramedics : we are your source for cheap books 📚

Kageyama Tobio

Sure! I did it a couple years ago and I loved it!

The NREMT:

Read the National Registry's exam information and advice.

Use practice test resources. (I recommend the practice exam book by LearningExpress and the review book by McGraw-Hill.)

Don't cram the night before/morning of. Follow general test-taking advice like eating a good meal and being hydrated and well-rested.

There may be multiple correct answers to a question. Select the best answer. One will be "more correct" than the others.

Following this - don't overcomplicate the questions. Don't assume any information not stated in the question. Don't start thinking like "Well, if it was a basic medical case, I'd answer B, but if the patient was diabetic, I'd answer C, so I'm not sure."

The test is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). This means that, for a topic, it will start you on an easy question, and if you answer correctly, it will give you a harder one. This will continue until you inevitably get one wrong. If you don't know the answer, think it through and do your best and don't let it shake you, because the test intentionally makes things harder the more you get correct.

Since the test is responsive, the number of questions you have may vary. It could be 70, it could be 120.

Do not rush. According to the National Registry, fewer than 1% of candidates run out of time. Misreading a question is a bigger threat than running out of time.

Since the test comes from the National Registry, it will not ask about state or local protocols.

Clinicals:

All EMT programs require clinical hours. The amount varies by state. (My program required a minimum of 300 hours.)

If you have some time between calls, I highly recommend asking one of the paramedics or experienced EMTs to walk you through their ambulance set up and show you where things are.

A small thing of Vick's VapoRub is useful for dealing with smells. (I've also heard peppermint oil.)

You likely won't be anyone's first experience having a student. Almost every preceptor I had was very good at directing and great at answering questions.

If you're doing clinicals while still in the class, you may encounter situations requiring skills you haven't covered. If you don't know how to do something, say something.

Depending on where you are/what time it is, you may have some down time. The best thing to do is bring study materials and use that time advantageously. (And if you have questions, there are experienced EMTs/paramedics right there.)

You'll see a lot on duty, so I can't tell you what to expect. Some of it may be difficult to see, but don't be afraid to talk to your preceptors about it. They've been on the job and will (likely) be informed about coping mechanisms.

The types of calls will vary based on where you are and local events. All my clinicals were during COVID, so we had quite a few respiratory cases. There was a biker week during that as well, so quite a few motorcycle crashes. I live by a large beach, so we collaborated with beach rescue sometimes. EMS is one of those fields where you can't really say what you might encounter on a daily basis, but during clinicals you will have the opportunity to talk to people with experience who will usually be glad to help you learn about the field!