By Kyle Gee
The Emergency Medical Technician-Basic course, to be offered this fall, is not just for pre-med majors; it”s for anyone who wants to know what to do in a medical emergency.
“We”ve had students from every major from music to neuroscience,” said Paul Byrd, director of BYU”s emergency medical service program. “This is the kind of course you don”t have to have math or science for.”
The 124-hour course, usually taken by individuals preparing to certify as emergency medical technicians, is open to anyone, regardless of one”s background or major, Byrd said.
Byrd, a licensed psychologist who holds a doctorate in counseling psychology, said the primary reason he got into emergency medical training was he thought he could use the skills in his church callings and to help his family.
“I”ve used my EMS skills more as a dad and granddad than as a search and rescue volunteer,” said Byrd, who will be teaching the course.
The course runs from Sept. 16 to Dec. 11 and is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. with some training also on select Saturdays.
Basic skills taught during the course include how to check vital signs, lift and move patients and keep a patient”s airway open.
Students also learn how to treat for bleeding and shock, deliver babies, respond to cardiovascular and respiratory emergencies and treat for poisoning.
Enrollment in the course is limited to 35 students. Registration for the course is through the BYU Department of Conferences and Workshops, 378-5843.
The cost of the 13-week course is $730. Utah State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services testing, certification and background check fees are included in the cost of the course.
The class fee also pays for all books, handouts and medical equipment students can keep when the course is over.
“We want students to have their own medical equipment as part of the course,” Byrd said.
This equipment includes a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, splints, airway kit, CPR mask, bandaging materials and a medical fanny pack.
Byrd said those who leave the course with medical equipment have a comprehensive first aid kit they can use for basic medical emergencies they might face in the future.
BYU only offers one training course each year, but other organizations in Utah offer EMT training throughout the year. The three levels of EMT training and certification are EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic.
Jonathan Miller, 25, from Logan, is currently taking an EMT basic course at Mt. Nebo Training Association in Payson.
Miller said he”s taking the course at Mt. Nebo during the summer rather than with BYU in the fall because he won”t have time for it in the fall with his school and work schedule.
“The course takes a lot of time,” Byrd said. “Once someone starts the course they have to be really committed because there is no reimbursement fee once the course begins.”
The state of Utah requires EMT-Basic courses be at least 120 hours. Students must also take written and practical exams and perform practice assessments on 100 different individuals as part of the course.
“I think the course is excellent,” said Miller, majoring in mechanical engineering. “You don”t know when something is going to happen.”
On a recent mountain biking trip, Miller said his friend was involved in an accident that caused bleeding. He said the training from his course just a week earlier allowed him to stay calm and help in the situation.
Matt Swenson, who took the EMT-Basic training course before his mission, now uses his medical training as a certified EMT volunteer on campus.
“It was nice to have those skills on my mission in Yugoslavia,” said Swenson, from Riverton, majoring in human biology. “The difference between life and death can be the person off to the side of an emergency who knows what to do.”
