ATLS for non-docs..

[Gustavo E. Flores]

I am a third year medical student and a paramedic. I took ATLS last May and
was told that I could not take it as a medical student (not even audit it)
but I could audit it as a paramedic. Nonetheless, I asked to be evaluated
like everybody else, and I thank the staff for doing that.

Regarding BTLS, I must say that it is oriented to prehospital personnel.
Both BTLS and ATLS are great courses and there is GREAT similitude between
them. That's the idea (that we all are on the same page)!!! The target
audience is the issue between BTLS and ATLS. Teaching an in-hospital
personnel how to work in a vehicle extrication or how to determine "load and
go" is a "nice-to-know" however they are likely not going to use it unless
you volunteer to work at a vehicle collision scene. Similarly, teaching a
paramedic how to rule-out a c-spine injury with radiological data is less
useful than stressing the fact of proper c-spine immobilization in patients
that require such (something that is done at the BTLS). They both give us a
broader sense of the picture but not necessarily will affect our day-to-day
activities. I think that ATLS does not teach anything useful to a
prehospital provider that BTLS / PHTLS does not already teach (at the
pertinent level) and BTLS does not teach anything that the ATLS does not
already teach (at their pertinent level). 

Got the money? Take all of them!! Compare, contrast, enhance your knowledge.
Taking ATLS gives a broader picture for non-physician participants, just as
taking the BTLS does for physicians. After all, "live as if you would die
tomorrow, but learn as if you would live forever"!

Disclaimer: I am a BTLS instructor. 

I think that ATLS should have the "For Doctors" removed and broaden who else
can take the class. After all, regardless of what you learn in any class,
you are always bound by your local protocols (that is for non-physician
providers). This is similar to ACLS, where non-physicians learn some things
that may or may not be able to do depending on local protocols. Although I
knew it before taking the class, not being able to get properly "certified"
after indeed successfully approving the course made me feel a little
disappointed. I do look forward to take it again after I graduate (either
before or during my residency).

Unfortunately, I do not have access to TEAMS in my medical school.

Gustavo E. Flores Bauer, MSIII EMT-P :.
EmergencyTeam.Net
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iberoamerican University School of Medicine
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Cel: 829-770-0707
Fax: 809-686-6988
MSN Messenger: gustavoflores911
Skype: gflores911
E-Mail: gustavo at emergencyteam.net
Web: www.emergencyteam.net
 
The Serenity Prayer:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to
change the ones I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

S:.F:.U:.

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]
On Behalf Of Jago Miloguz
Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 6:21 PM
To: Trauma &amp, Critical Care mailing list
Subject: Re: ATLS for non-docs..

2006/10/9, Jago Miloguz <japrak at gmail.com>:
>
> does anyone knows can a med student attend ATLS, knowing of course that
> he/she will not be certified.
> ante
>