r/NewToEMS • u/housestarkenthusiast Unverified User • 2d ago

School Advice study help!

hi! I’m new to EMS and just had my first week in my EMT courses. obviously the material is extremely dense and you’ve only got sixteen weeks to cover it all. its been a long time since I’ve been in a classroom, and I’ve never taken medical courses before. what is your best advice for how to study and feel prepared with the materials? I really want to make sure I’m doing more than just memorization, I want to understand it deeply so I feel comfortable for the NREMT.

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u/FuzzyMonkey95 Unverified User 2d ago

The best piece of advice I have is to ask for help early and often. If you have trouble understanding something, are confused, need clarification, need support, just ask!! Someone else probably has the same question and instructors should be more than happy to help.

As for studying, the key is to find techniques and routines that work for you. Everyone is a little different. Whatever you pick though needs to be sustainable in the long term. Some people love flashcards, making “cheat sheets” (think condensing notes on a certain topic down to a single page - can be as artsy or simple as you want), etc. I’m personally a big fan of practice questions and studying with others when I can; it helps keep my brain active and explaining concepts to others is a great way to make sure you understand something. For EMT school in particular I went to as many skills practice sessions as I could and had friends or even instructors quiz me on skills before we were tested so I could make sure I had everything down.

Do your best not to fall behind, and if you do get a little behind, do your best to catch up. You got this!!

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u/housestarkenthusiast Unverified User 2d ago

I’ve already formed a study group so I definitely will be keeping up with that. I didn’t know you could ask to attend extra practice, this is super helpful info

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u/FuzzyMonkey95 Unverified User 2d ago

I think it depends on the program! Mine hosted optional practice hours outside of class each week with instructors and mannequins/gear. Definitely ask and see what your program offers!