I had friend in paramedic school that was a bright student, and more then capable of becoming a good paramedic but did not finish the course and consequently did not become a paramedic. She did in fact quit the program and that was the last I heard from her. Having been in paramedic academy with her for almost an entire year, I was disappointed at the outcome that fell her lot, and would have like to see her come to her potential. To date, I think she was a better student then myself and often scored higher on her test then I did.

So why then did she quite the program? She made it through didactic, clinical’s, but lasted only a short time in the field internship. She had a great personality, was attractive and intelligent. What was the problem? The problem was the paramedic preceptor she was assigned. After a few days of being assigned a preceptor, she called me distressed and frustrated with her situation. I told her to hang in there and to make sure that she calls me before she decides to quit. She called me the next day. She was in fact ready to quit and that is what she did. There was no talking her out of it, and as bad as I felt for her, I knew there wasn’t anything I could do.

She is one of many paramedic students that I have seen fail on account of getting bad preceptor. It is a fact and an unfortunately reality. One of the brightest and top students in my class also fell at the hands of a crappy preceptor. As a students sometimes there is little that you can immediately do. However, if you forsake your goals on account of a set back, then really it is your own fault. In life there are many set backs that occur when someone is going for something worth anything. A crappy preceptor can set you back a great deal even to the point that you have to take the program all over again. Although this is a bad deal, so is robbery, rape and murder. These things happen to innocent people everyday who are minding their business. You can either lay down and take it, or you can dust yourself off and reevaluate the approach to your goal.

Teaching is a talent and in someways a gift. Every paramedic (seasoned or not) does not make a great teacher or even a good teacher. It will be up to you, to discern whether or not the preceptor is really there to help you or not. Most are, but if you find yourself feeling like you are in a negative environment, alone, and absolutely hate going to shift, it may be time for you to reflect on your options. Options vary depending on the program you are in. Many schools have procedures to follow if you have problems with your preceptor. Follow the chain of command and check with your primary course instructor and find out what you can do. Try and keep your eyes on the goal and not so much the issues that arise during the process. That may be difficult, and as I said you may have to look at your options and take and alternate route, but whatever you do don’t let anyone rob you of your dreams.

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