The human Side of Becoming an EMT

Learning to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) was the most harrowing, life-changing, and inspiring class. Ever.

October 2013

The content structure was something I wished I had for my high school science classes just because of the amount of hands-on and applicable concepts it has.  It was slightly daunting because I always think about the material as something I'd use to treat an actual human being which adds to the importance of getting it right.  Nonetheless, it has made me rediscover my love for adrenaline-fueled moments and really being in contact with people.  I personally enjoyed the very human side of learning to be an EMT the most; listening to the instructor tell us very human and non-textbook accounts of treating patients, I found myself burning with much desire to actually make the most of what I learnt in order to sincerely help these people.  I think I came into this class anticipating a heavy workload, which is what I got, but with it, I found myself intensely drawn to these human connections, stories, and lives that you find on the job that all of the workload--biweekly exams, weekly practical skills assessments--become worth it.

December 2013

Coming into the EMT class, there were a lot of things I did not know. Being an international student, it was even more foreign to me but the fact that college or even high school students were given the opportunity to help people in the capacity of emergency medicine (even if just partially) was enough to draw my intrigue to this class. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to acquire skills in helping people in emergency situations even if we did not intend to take the pre-med route in college. My starting goals were basically just to learn and absorb as much as I could—the topics covered seemed relevant to anyone and valuable for future knowledge in various settings. Furthermore, I was under a full scholarship funded by the Hampshire College Emergency Medical Service (HCEMS) which was the only way I was able to take the class—a driving factor that reminded me to keep giving my best and got me excited to actually be on the EMS squad for my college campus in the coming years. Over the course of the semester, I gained many real and human insights of what EMTs do. My slightly narrow views on the heroic and glorified image of an EMT shifted to one of continual respect but acknowledging the incredibly selfless, arduous, and sometimes not always positive experiences that I was so quickly to assume. I learnt that there will be EMT calls that aren't medically-related but one in which callers just needed someone to talk to. I learnt that there would be calls of child abuse and possible weapon use on scene that will challenge your decision-making as you struggled with the restrictions of the law, sometimes having you to ask for consent from adults you didn't think have the right to give them. I also learnt that as noble and earnest as my intentions are to help or save everyone, we cannot save everyone. And there is a part of my perfectionist self that felt it unsettling to even think of that but I knew, the more I learnt from Sandee and her stories, that what EMTs could give were their best, and being human, there will be mess ups but we keep on going. Because that is what we can do.

On that note, I feel this lesson of resilience and perseverance in the face of struggles and factors that are out of our control has been the main lesson I have gained from this entire class. This is because it has been a lesson that has managed to find it's way academically (in the weekly or biweekly exams I had to study for in addition to the other three classes I had), emotionally (embracing the fear of failing in the skills stations and exams because it takes practice and persistence), and personally as I tried to avoid beating myself up over trivial slip-ups in grades and practical skills. I can say (and probably all my friends and family that have been with me throughout this semester can also say) that the EMT class took up an enormous part of my time and basically, my life. Coupled with the three other reading-intensive classes I took, there were several points in which work load was overwhelming and it did take a toll in my performance in class. However, the feeling of satisfaction and immense joy in learning about emergency care and thinking about using these skills to help people in the future was too strong that it kept drawing me back for more. I soon realised that my passion and my eagerness to see all this practiced in my life outweighed all the turbulent times I had.

Thankfully, I did emerge out of it (a miracle, I say) with an increased sense of resilience and perhaps a greater insight of my strengths, weaknesses, and work ethic to inform my future decisions in managing time and course selections. Watching and learning from the many teacher assistants (TAs) that were utilising their EMT skills, be it on the college campus, as a firefighter or as a paramedic, has been an inspiration. This class has increased my already high respect for the people in this workforce on their selflessness, professionalism, calm, and resilience in and outside the classroom.

I look forward in using the vast amount of skills and lessons I acquired as I take my NREMT exam and start my journey as an EMT shadow on my college campus. My goal in taking this class was, in essence, to gain another way in which I could listen, understand, and help people—something I hope to continue in my future endeavours at Hampshire. Incredible.