FaithManor Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 So dd is now on her externship which is the last part of her training before oral boards, clinical boards, and national registry exam. She earned the highest score in the class on her written final exams. (Her lowest grade in any pre-med class is 95%.) Anyway, she just got off a 12 hour shift that stretched into 14 due to paperwork. If you don't like paperwork, avoid medicine at all costs. But, I digress. It was a good day, from the stand point that they were "medium" busy...not too busy, not too few calls for her to be getting experience, and no patients died. Very, very good day. She had two cancer patients with cardiac symptoms and HORRIBLY bad veins. Some oncologists get really nasty about paramedics using the existing pick lines in the patient for their chemo and blood transfusions. So, the medics try not to use those lines. So, on scene, these patients warned her that at the hospitals, the ER nurses and docs use ultrasounds to locate a good vein to put in another pick line. Well, she nailed both I.V.'s first time. Had them in less than a minute. The medic instructor just about dropped her teeth! The next call she had the funniest hassle from a nurse at the ER. They had just picked up a patient with elevated heart rate and shortness of breath...no recent illness. It was a 43 year old woman, 5'2" and nearly 300 lbs. The nurse, knowing she was speaking to an extern student, decided to hassle the newbie for fun, and asked, "And what was the patient's rectal temperature?" R kind of stammered for a minute and was trying to think of a nice p.c. way of saying, "Are you kidding me????" in front of the patient (rectal temps not being routinely taken on anybody under three years of age) when the patient burst out, "Well, I guess if you want it that bad, your welcome to haul my legs up and poke my rear, but if you don't mind, I think I'll take a pass!" Apparently, the nurse had winked at the patient when she asked my kid, with a stern face, for that rectal temp. M, the EMT, started laughing his head off which was about the time she realized that it was a joke. They rate externs on a scale of 0-8 with 0 being, you are really green, and 8 meaning, we don't have to worry about you at all - go get 'em. Last week she received a four on her first official extern ride, unheard of. Tonight, she was rated a six. Her other ride last week, the medic instructor forgot to give her a rating. So she has now accumulated 40 hours towards her 288 and she's already at a six. The other really neat thing was that the shift supervisor and medical director were looking at a twelve lead ECG strip from when she got off shift and they called her over for an impromtu "oral quiz". The medical director asked her, "What do you see? What's the diagnosis? What's the treatment plan?" It was a VERY tricky diagnosis that none of the other new externs had gotten that day and most of the medics with less than 10 years experience had answered slowly after very careful consideration. Not my kid! No, she took one look, pondered it for about 30 seconds, started announcing what she saw, what it meant, how rare it was in a patient that young, the intricacies of medicating such a young ped with such a large cocktail of heart meds, that she would start two lines and why, and....you get the picture. The medical director clapped her on the shoulder and said, "You're a keeper." Her medic instructor told the shift supervisor, "She starts I'V's like no one I've ever seen. Better than the docs, better than the nurses." The shift shift supervisor's response was, "Yeah, I've been on shift several times when this newbie has been on call, and I'll say it again. We're keeping her. She's a smart one!" Her favorite E.M.T., in his 50's, totally sharp and known as "The Sasquatch" - very fatherly towards her - gave her a quick hug and told her he was mighty proud of her. Then he gave her a nickname...now apparently, getting your own "handle" is a badge of honor. Newbies aren't "in" until this right of passage takes place and usually they are through externship, passed their last boards, hired, and working a while before they get it. It's an earned honor. She's "Rabbit" and the back story behind it is nice, nothing demeaning. Mighty proud mamma here...mighty proud. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 You should be proud! Congrats! :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsutsie Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Congratulations! It's always nice to read a story like this for someone just starting the journey. I hope mine works out as well as yours did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 :thumbup: Way to go, DD! I love reading your posts about how well she's doing. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 :thumbup: Way to go, DD! I love reading your posts about how well she's doing. :D Me, too! It's like following Faith's Anatomy or something like that! (okay, I think you get the point that I'm comparing it to an exciting medical serial - not that we're contemplating your body parts, Faith :lol:) How could she NOT have earned a fabulous review, she sounds like a real natural. I'm guessing she will not stay at the paramedic level for too long, but will be drawn to emergency medicine at an even more advanced level. You just keep bragging, mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 That is WONDERFUL! Congratulations and thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 :hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootsnwings Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 That's awesome!!!!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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