Jiyoung Yun, a P3 Pharm.D. student at UT Health Science Center, recently participated in an observation ride-along with the Memphis Fire Department (MFD) on February 16. During the ride-along, she had the opportunity to witness firsthand the role of emergency responders in the community.
“It was very rewarding for me to have the opportunity to observe what goes on behind the scenes, before a patient arrives at a hospital. During this experience, I was able to witness different disease states being treated in the community including severe anxiety, hypertension, and seizures which was a great way for me to reinforce my knowledge of the medications used for treatment,” said Jiyoung. “Also, I witnessed a patient experiencing a cardiac arrest and was able to recall the Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) algorithms I recently learned that were being used to try and save the patient’s life. Overall, it was an extremely valuable experience.”
As part of Dr. Kelly Rogers’ ACLS elective course this Spring, Pharm.D. students were given the chance to take part in a ride-along program offered by the MFD. During the class, paramedics from the MFD visited the students and spent an hour discussing their role as pre-hospital ACLS providers in the community. They demonstrated the use of the Lucas Device, a device that provides mechanical compressions to victims of cardiac arrest, as well as the use of intraosseous (IO) drug administration devices. Additionally, they explained the medications they carry with them on calls and discussed the different levels of EMS training, ranging from EMTs to Paramedics. At the end of the month-long elective, P3 students receive ACLS provider certification from the American Heart Association.