Sunday, May 19, 2013

Advice to paramedics

The difference between training and education is this: we train to know how to do something and educate to know why to do something. Training is therefore easier than education, but remember that the man who knows how to do a job will always have a job, while the man that knows why he's doing that job will eventually be the other man's boss.
Too many paramedics want to be trained, and not educated. This is because training is much easier than education. This is the main reason why paramedics must fight so hard NOT to be called "ambulance drivers," and a large part of why the rest of the medical profession doesn't give them more respect.
Strive to know the why. Don't just learn how to intubate, learn why. Learn the why not. Too many paramedics brag about how good they think they are at intubation, but very few of them can explain WHY they are intubating.
That goes for many of the skills that paramedics perform. Do yourself and your patients a favor: don't train yourself, educate yourself.

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