WesEMT held an information session for students interested in earning their emergency medical technician (EMT) certification on Sunday, Sept. 14. Participating students will be required to take a course taught by Emily Masters, a former EMT and paramedic who has been training EMTs at the University for 10 years.
Throughout the first semester of the class, students will use a textbook to study medical information and basic emergency procedures that will be essential once they are working in the field. To test out these skills, students will also be required to meet with teaching assistants once a week for a practical demonstration.
During the second semester, students will work with nurses and doctors at Middlesex Hospital to take care of emergency room patients. In addition, they will continue their classroom work to develop more skills and further prepare for the certification exam.
Masters described her passion for teaching EMT courses.
“I love watching the light bulbs go on in your heads when all of a sudden, especially after you go to Middlesex [Hospital].” Masters said. “[When] you come back, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! You know what they did? You know what I did?’ and the light bulb goes on and you realize you did something that’s really awesome.”
Masters elaborated on her excitement for the new changes that will be added to the program.
“The text I’m using and the programs that are available to students now through this EMT program should make this a much better learning experience [than previous years],” Masters said. “The emergency medical services [EMS] field is changing constantly, so as the course progresses, we’re going to be changing. Even what’s in the book may already be outdated, so being able to work with that and find a way to introduce the new material that’s coming out and making sense of all of it at the end is the best part.”
Anastasia Almyashava ’17, one of the TAs for the class, received her certification last year. She explained why EMT training is an exciting way for students to pursue their interests and gain experience in the medical field.
“I’m pre-med and I think this is very interesting and a great way to get hands-on experience before medical school,” Almyashava said. “I was also an athletic trainer all through high school and was hoping to increase my knowledge of the medical field as best I can.”
Uma Diffenbach ’17, another TA who also completed the course last year, agreed. She explained what inspired her to complete the program.
“I’m also pre-med,” Diffenbach said. “I grew up in a family of doctors so I’ve always been around the whole doctor thing, I’ve always watched a lot of medical TV shows and found them really interesting, so when I saw the opportunity to become an EMT, I jumped on it and it’s been a really great experience. The Middlesex hours are really great. I think hands-on learning experience is the best way to learn.”
Though this program is a certainly good option for pre-med students, Dylan Beckman ’17 explained that other students also see it as a good way to pursue their interests.
“I thought I wanted to be pre-med, but I don’t like the science requirements that come along with it and going to Wesleyan that’s a big chunk of your career here,” Beckman said. “I feel like I can do the stuff that I like about medicine through the EMT program without having to go through pre-med.”
Masters added that she has taught many classes at other universities. She spoke specifically about why she enjoys teaching at the University.
“I love the students at Wesleyan,” Masters said. “They challenge me, they challenge each other. Students at Wesleyan learn at a different level and a different pace and I’m able to teach them more than an average class that’s taught in the community. I try to kick it up a notch when I teach at Wesleyan to make it a little more challenging, a little more interesting. I also get the students much more involved at Wesleyan than I would a class in the community.”