18D ACCP Prep Course

SRT31B · 04-19-2006, 21:35

If I missed/overlooked something I apologize. Please point me in the right direction.

I enrolled in the 18D non-resident prep course through ATRRS and am waiting for my materials to make it to my house, so the wife can forward them here. I looked through the ACCP catalog, here, and even asked the guy I had to call down in SA about what exactly the course entails and couldn't get anything.

I was wondering if anyone else has taken this course and could offer some insight as to what subjects are covered, and also how long it took you to get everything. I got the email confirming my course reservation, and another that said the materials had been mailed, but that was about 3 weeks or so ago. I figured they would have at least made it to my house by now.

Anyway, not like I have a whole lot else to do while I'm stuck here.... Figured some prep work would help break up the time between working and rucking

Thanks in advance,

Bull

Aequitas · 04-19-2006, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRT31B

If I missed/overlooked something I apologize. Please point me in the right direction.

I enrolled in the 18D non-resident prep course through ATRRS and am waiting for my materials to make it to my house, so the wife can forward them here. I looked through the ACCP catalog, here, and even asked the guy I had to call down in SA about what exactly the course entails and couldn't get anything.

I was wondering if anyone else has taken this course and could offer some insight as to what subjects are covered, and also how long it took you to get everything. I got the email confirming my course reservation, and another that said the materials had been mailed, but that was about 3 weeks or so ago. I figured they would have at least made it to my house by now.

Anyway, not like I have a whole lot else to do while I'm stuck here.... Figured some prep work would help break up the time between working and rucking

Thanks in advance,

Bull

It took about that same amount of time for my stuff to show up...so expect it to come to you soon. Good luck!

SRT31B · 04-20-2006, 06:53

Thanks for the help. Hopefully it will make it to the house in the next few days then and I can get it sent over here so I can get to work.

haztacmedic · 05-19-2006, 15:08

Have you got anything yet? I was hoping you would tell us if the pre course work is helping you.

SRT31B · 05-19-2006, 19:07

I actually got the stuff a little bit after that last post. Took about another week for the wife to mail it over here, but I finally got all of it. I thought at first that it wouldn't be that much of a help after seeing the courses because it is designed for non medical MOS's, and I'm an EMT with prior EMS experience. It has been, in fact, pretty beneficial as though they are relatively basic subjects they are covered much more in depth than that of my EMT experience. Quite a few hours for correspondance too!

I'm not sure if the 2 courses available are different though. I'm in 18D-SOCM (for non 91 MOS's). They also have 18D-PREP (for 91 and other med. guys). You can find out through ATRRS. I'm going to finish this course up, and if the 2 are different see if I can get a waiver for the other one.

If nothing else, even if someone weren't to get selected, it's still good to know info that will help anyone out interested in the medical field and the correspondance hours are good for promotion points.

haztacmedic · 05-25-2006, 11:00

I just enrolled myself. I got a confirmation e-mail telling me that it would be two weeks before I got anything. Anyhow, Im looking foward to the lessons.

Surgicalcric · 05-25-2006, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRT31B

...if the 2 are different see if I can get a waiver for the other one...

While the Prep Course is recommended it isnt a requirement to start training, therefore a waiver isnt needed. That having been said, if there are more guys waiting to start the course than there are slots (38 per class) the guys who have the greatest chance of completing the course will be picked to start first (ie: EMT's, Paramedics, 91W, and guys who have completed the Prep Course.) The prep course can do nothing but help so set yourself up for success.

Guys having to attend an Academic Review Board for not passing Med Funds get asked about their preparations for coming to JSOMT-C. hint-hint

HTH,

Crip

haztacmedic · 05-25-2006, 17:36

Crip: Thanks for the intel. I hope things are going well for you.

haztacmedic · 08-19-2006, 18:40

Ive nearly completed the 18-D prep correspondence course. I found some of the material to be a great review and some of it to be a great learning source on things like diseases of military importance...these are things we dont focus on in civy EMS.

Any one else got any feed back?

D9 (RIP) · 08-20-2006, 19:43

Like Crip said: do the prep course because they will want you to have it done before they send you to the schoolhouse for training. When you get here, if there is still a logjam at student company waiting to come over to the 18D course, then you will be selected to begin sooner if you have completed that course. So do the course b/c it is expected of you by student company and will help move you up in priority for getting enrolled (which means less time on landscaping details waiting for the next class).

But if you want to ACTUALLY prepare yourself for the course, then the absolute best thing you can do is find a copy of this book:

Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, Third Edition, Martini/Bartholomew

Even if you can't find this one in your price range and you have to get an old, used copy of the second edition, do it.

That is the textbook that is used in Med Fundamentals, and you can do yourself no better favor than prereading that book - especially if you do not have a medical background. I am not kidding, you are pretty much going to have to know it cover to cover anyway. If you can preread it in advance - even if you don't fully understand everything you read - you will understand far more when you hear it again in lectures and are able to ask the questions you have.

I've given that advice to a lot of people starting the course, and I don't know of anyone that's taken it yet. But someone told me to do it, and I did, and as far as I'm concerned it's the best possible preparation for the course.

If that's out of your price range then I highly recommend you find a friend in SOCM who is done with MedFunds and who will loan you his book while you're waiting to class up.

It's not just about passing med funds (not a trivial matter in itself). It's about really understanding anatomy and physiology. The better grasp of the structure and function of the human body you come away from med fundamentals with, the more sense EVERYTHING you learn for the rest of the course is going to make. If you have a good grasp of A&P, everything you learn from that point on will reinforce and expand on your base of knowledge. If you take the road more often travelled here, and cram for the exams while putting minimal emphasis on really understanding the fundamentals, then each new idea that is introduced subsequently will be more difficult for you.

I'm beginning the last phase of the 18D course right now, and last Friday we had a lecture from one of the Colonel/Doctors here on anesthesiology. He closed that lecture with a review of pulmonary gas exchange, and at the end said he was about to give us the best piece of advice he could send us out the door with. "Go back to the beginning," he said, "and fill in all the holes - and dig deeper - into your anatomy and physiology. If you really understand that, everything else is gravy."

I would do the prep-course to satisfy the Army. I would pre-read that book so I could become the kind of medic my team deserves.

FWIW

Books · 08-20-2006, 20:24

Crip and D9's advice is solid.

People seem concerned with figuring out the best way to prepare for the volume of information presented in the course. This is natural; we all want to do the best we can. Understand this though: the sweat is going to have to come from somewhere. Whether you learn it now or later, if you want to be successful, you've got to know it. Even better, as my math teacher Dad says, "know it backwards and forwards."

I derailed a trip to nursing school to come to the Q and with my pre-nursing classes out of the way (Bio, Micro, Chem, Math, and six months of ANP) my trials and tribulations in the course aren't as nutty as some of the other fellows. It's not that I'm any better than the other Joes; I just got a head start and sweated it then rather then now. And it's not that I don't have questions now, I just have different questions.

Work is work is work. Magic boots won't help you ruck faster or farther and magic study aids are nonexistant.

BTW, the Martini's Fundamentals is the book used by the instructors and is about twice the volume of info as the crummy Essentials version we students were issued. The Fundamentals book is worth its weight in gold. If you can't afford it, you can certainly find it at your friendly neighborhood/post library.

my .02s

Books

haztacmedic · 08-21-2006, 07:13

Books: Thank you for the good information. Im headed out the door to see about this A+P book. By the way I've also signed on for the SOCM prep course. You can never learn too much medicine can you?
Good luck to you.
HTM

submariner · 08-23-2006, 15:26

I am thinking of purchasing the Fundamentals for my son, just selected as an 18D (started CLT yesterday).

He has a birthday coming up, and what better than something to help him be successful in his chosen career. But, I could not find one positive review on the Amazon link provided earlier in this string. Just wanted to verify that this will be worth it. Are there any other Anatomy and Physiology texts that would suffice. Will go with the consensus recommendation.

Books · 08-23-2006, 17:23

Not that it's necessarily any indication of quality - who knows what politics are involved in textbook success - but the Martini book is in its 7th Edition.

I couldn't figure out much about the backgrounds of those making comments on Amazon regarding the book, so I don't feel I can adequately evaluate said comments. Just trying to consider the source. That said, I'll give you my background and comment and you can make the call.

I am a 32 yr/o liberally educated male (BA English) who has completed the pre-nursing sequence and is currently enrolled in the 18D program. FWIW.

I had to first use the book whether I liked it or not for a two quarter ANP class taught by a university endocrinologist. The man was brilliant and I worked and learned tons. The Martini book is for a nursing level of ANP though, not a Med school one. In med school, Anatomy is one book, Physiology another. My friends who took a radically different career track and are either in or finishing their residencies have text books I drool over. One day when I'm rich enough, I'll buy them. One book in particular is Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy, used last I heard at UNC Medical School (and others). Compared to these types of books, Martini's book will certainly come up short.

At the JSOMTC, the Med Fund instuctors base their lectures from the material presented in the Martini Fundamentals book and then issue the students the abridged version, the Essentials of ANP. I found that when I was taking the class, I had many questions the shorter book couldn't answer. Fortunately, the instructors (Mr. A, Mr. H, and Mr. G in particular) were more than happy to oblige me.

Here's the nuts and bolts. For better or worse, in the first 6 weeks or so (things change. . .) a new student will have every organ system covered, that organ system's pathology, major medical emergencies and their treatments, be introduced to approximately 100 or so drugs, Medication Administration of those drugs (basic algebra), and trained in medical examination, among other things. No matter how you look at it, it's just a lot of information to digest. Even after having my prior experience, I still studied a few hours each night and came in on the weekends to make sure I got it. I'm still working on it.

Any head start you get will be a good thing. How you get there is up to you. I had good success with Martini's Foundations. I believe because of the reasons specific to JSOMTC, it would be a good resource and a good gift.

Hope that helps. Good luck to your son.

Books

D9 (RIP) · 08-23-2006, 20:28

Who cares if it's the best textbook according to Amazon.com? It's THE textbook used in the course your son will attend if he makes it this far. I can't make a more emphatic recommendation than that.

I also respectfully disagree with Books regarding the value of the Essentials text (as against the Fundamentals text). I preread that and it more than prepared me for the material in the course. I can't think of any personal examples where I needed information for the course that wasn't available in the Essentials book. I'm sure the Fundamentals book used by the cadre is probably more thorough, but it's my opinion that for the average student A&P is difficult enough in the beginning without the extra stuff. I'm at the tail end of the course and my Essentials book is still an adequate reference for my purposes.

FWIW.