Auscultation of the lungs, heart and abdomen, a rapid body survey, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the Glascow Coma Scale (GSC) assessment — the medical terms came fast and furious from a group of four Cambie secondary students who had just completed their licensing exams, a step along the way to becoming paramedics.
Not only did the four students appear to understand and explain the basics of paramedicine in a recent interview with the Richmond News, their demonstration of how to use a spine board and get a trauma patient – played by classmate Justin Perdido – loaded onto a stretcher appeared professional and competent.
The students were four of six Cambie secondary students who passed their Emergency Medical Responder licensing exams in late June – including one student who is only in Grade 11.
This is the highest number of students finishing the Medical Sciences 12 program at Cambie secondary to pass their licensing exams.
While the four female students have various plans, most of them include some kind of future medical training and some plan to become paramedics either part-time or full-time.
As first responders, which they were certified as in Medical Science 11, their main goal was to identify the issue, comfort and call 911, the students told the News.
But as emergency medical responders, which they were able to be certified as after completing Medical Science 12, “now we are 911 – now our job is basically to get the patient as best as we can stable (and) to the hospital,” said Cambie grad Preet Grewal.
Both emergency medicine and nursing are about patient care, said Grewal, who’s entering the nursing program at Trinity Western University this fall, and she feels the program has given her a leg up on how to care for patients.
“The vitals part – patient model assessment is similar to what you’d do in nursing,” she said. “(The Cambie program) gets you more comfortable talking to patients.”
“I like how much knowledge I gained from this course – and it improved my confidence, talking to patients,” she added.
Their teacher, Sarah Ardat, tested them for their Emergency Medical Response certification, but the six students took it a step further and did their licensing exams as well with the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board.
The six students still need to do written exams - usually done before the practical exams - but Ardat said "the hard part is over."
The students were tested on trauma and medical in their practical exams, Grewal explained, which consisted of four 30-minute tests whereby someone was watching and marking them on what they did.
“It’s really nerve-racking, but if you’re confident in what you do, it helps test anxiety,” Grewal said.
Certification gave the students a baseline, but then there were more protocols they needed to learn for the licensing exam, Tiffany Lee explained.
It feels like there are new protocols every other day, the students told the News, which is why they need to stay on top of them. All of the students have downloaded the BCEHS Handbook app to help them keep up with licensing changes.
Nicole Jiang, who just graduated from Cambie secondary, is going to UBC in the fall and hopes to major in sciences and possibly go into medicine.
But while she’s studying, she’d like to work part-time as a paramedic.
“I think I want to help people, so likely (I'll go) down more of the patient care direction,” Jiang said. “We’ll see where life takes me.”
Lina Yelin Lee also completed her licensing exam this June, even though she’s only in Grade 11. She will be the captain of the First Responder Team at Cambie secondary next year while she’s in Grade 12.
Later, she wants to work or volunteer part-time as an emergency medical responder, something she can do with the BC Ambulance EMR ride-along program.
Tiffany Lee has also just graduated from Cambie secondary, and she plans to take some time off, but also get her application in to become a paramedic.
When asked if they would recommend the Cambie Medical Science program, the response was quick from all four students: “Definitely!”
Even for students not planning to go into health care, it’s a good experience, they said.
“Accidents happen, and it’s good to have this knowledge for emergencies as well,” Tiffany Lee said.
Lina Yelin Lee said some of their friends are envious that they can complete the first responder and EMR programs at Cambie secondary and they have told her “I want to transfer to your school.”
Some of their friends have done first responder and EMR weekend courses, but it’s a lot of information to learn on your own, Grewal said. At the Cambie secondary program, they have daily classes.
“I would say we’re more prepared than others because we get more practice time,” Grewal said.
Furthermore, the Cambie secondary course fee is also only $375, whereas outside of school, it is about $1,000. The Cambie students also got their own kits and plaques.
For more information on the Cambie secondary Medical Science program, check out the school's website.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter.
💬 Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
