Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, teaches readers to “begin with the end in mind.” If you know where you want to go and who you want to be, you can take steps that keep you on that path. Timothy Clemans, a student in Seattle, wants to become a paramedic for the prestigious South King County Medic One program. Timothy and I frequently discuss his goal and the steps that he is taking to achieve this goal. Timothy is doing lots of reading to help achieve his goal. I asked Timothy to share the books he is reading and why. This is part two of Timothy’s response. He continues by writing about two additional books he has found most helpful as well as several other books and blogs. Timothy writes:
People Care: Career-Friendly Practices for Professional Caregivers
(Paperback) by Thom Dick, Steve Berry, Jeff Forster, and Mike Smith
A Medic One paramedic is not a human robot doing technical procedures. A paramedic who does all the correct hands-on procedures, but upsets his patient and/or bystanders while doing so, fails. Paramedics are only successful when they adequately meet not just one’s medical, but also social needs. The book “People Care” is written by paramedics for paramedics and focuses on meeting the personal needs of yourself, your patients, and of your coworkers. If you don’t have exceptional customer service, read “People Care” and start implementing its recommendations right now. You can’t make much of a difference in people’s lives if you don’t treat them like a real person, regardless of how smart or good you may be at starting IVs and intubating.
Additional must-read blog and book: “The EMT Spot” by Steve Whitehead and How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
What Smart Students Know by Adam Robinson
Part of the hiring process at Medic One involves demonstrating that you have what it takes to succeed in the rigorous training program. You will drown in information if you don’t know how to handle it!
The best way to establish you have what it takes is to earn a degree(s) from a respected institution. For me and many others, formal schooling is a real challenge. “What Smart Students Know” is jam-packed with well-researched methods for taking charge of your schooling and succeeding. There are many study skills to master, from useful note taking to focusing on the important material to time management. Instead of struggling through school, why not take charge by applying yourself in a smarter more effective way? Just remember at the end of the day, the two fundamental tasks you must have some mastery over are reasoning and acquiring knowledge.
Additional must-have resources: How to Become a Straight-A Student and How to Win at College by Cal Newport and How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren
I hope this discussion on helpful books for an aspiring Medic One paramedic will inspire you to go out and learn from people who have done what you dream to do. Remember, learning never stops. Either get busy preparing to successfully demonstrate that you’ve earned the wonderful privilege of achieving your dream (in my case being a Medic One paramedic), or go find another dream.
