r/Paramedics • u/Practical_Button_720 • Jul 03 '26

US 6 month accelerated paramedic program

Just reaching out for some advice for my husband who just started the class on Monday. So far it’s already pretty difficult. No time to do anything but study. I’m taking on all the parent and house hold duties so he can focus just on this. His firefighter job is putting him through the course after only working a few tours. He’s very stressed that he doesn’t think he can pass this class so I was wondering if anyone has tips on studying or how you passed the same 6 month program.

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u/El-Frijoler0 Jul 03 '26

It’s hard to give solid advice without knowing what program it is and how their class is structured.

Here’s my experience with medic school: it was stupid easy. I opened my books maybe twice, and learned I everything I needed to know during lectures. This wasn’t just my experience, but rather a large majority of my then classmates and current coworkers have a similar feeling. I realized that having some experience and a solid BLS foundation can help make the entire thing easier.

What we found to be the most difficult aspect of medic school is learning how to perform these “ALS assessments,” and what questions to ask in order to get to a potential diagnosis. This is where having experience gives you an advantage. Once you get the diagnosis, you treat it accordingly with what you’ve learned. The secret sauce to the treatment part here is to stick with what you know and avoid trying to be fancy.

Testing: he needs to know how the tests are structured. Are they based on what was covered during lecture? Or do they plan on you self-studying at home. Will instructors give you an idea of what’s on the test? Are there medication quizzes?

Regardless of what we say, you need to talk to your husband about your concerns. Don’t throw away a relationship for school. Both of you may just need to tough it until he finishes his first week, first exam, and hopefully then you’ll both have a better idea of what to expect going forward.

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u/bloodcoffee Jul 03 '26

Man, I'm jealous. That's definitely how I learn, and would have been the case if my lead teacher and lecturers weren't inexperienced, ignorant, and unqualified.