David Sheeks

I am happy to report that I have accepted a position as an EMT in my childhood hometown of Estill County.  While it is a considerable commute, I am excited to begin this new chapter in my employment while being able to help members of the community I will always call home.

I am happy to announce that after a long wait (well, about 5 hours that seemed like an eternity), I have passed the NREMT EMT exam!  I am now an officially registered EMT, and by early next week I should be licensed to practice as an EMT in Kentucky! I can't express how happy I am to begin this new chapter of my life.  Although my job history has been varied, it has had one thing at its core: my desire to help others.  I can't think of anything that encompasses that goal more clearly than being first on scene to the worst day of someone's life, and doing my part to try and make that day a little better.

I have just completed the NREMT computer examination for my EMT certification.  The test cut me off at 73 questions...so as my instructor told me, "Well, either you did really really well...or really really poorly. For those unfamiliar with the NREMT, it is an adaptive test.  It works something like this: The first question you are given is of moderate difficulty--let's say difficulty level 3 out of 5. If you get question 1 right, you are then given a question of difficulty level 4. If you get question 1 wrong, however, the next question is difficulty level 2. The test continues, going up or down in difficulty, until it is able to determine with 95% accuracy the average question difficulty you would get correct. If your skill level is level 3 or above, you pass.  If not, back to the books. Because of the way the test works, it has a range of 70 to 120 questions it could ask you.  If the test only goes to 70, it means that you did well enough (or poorly e...

I am happy to announce that I have just completed my psychomotor exam for my state EMT boards.  In the coming days I will be registering for, and sitting for the NREMT EMT-B examination.  Although I am confident in my ability to pass (I am currently the top ranking student in my class and have scored well on my practice exams) I admit I am still a little nervous.  Still, nothing worth having didn't come with a little risk, so it's time to put up that exam fee and make this thing happen!

It may be a little early to wish everyone a Happy New Year, but due to my schedule this may be my only opportunity to do so.  As of this week I was the first student in my EMT class to be approved for "ride time," where I will be able to ride along with actual Paramedics and EMT's on 911 calls. My first shift: 15 hours in my lovely hometown of Versailles, Kentucky--on New Year's Eve.  One of the busiest and craziest nights of the year for emergency services of all kinds, I figure if I can survive tonight, I can survive just about anything.  I am looking forward to listening, learning, and absorbing every bit of information I can while I am here--and maybe even helping save a life along the way.

Back in September I purchased a new 3D printer, and I have been blown away by how useful it has been in my EMT studies. A 3D printer is, for lack of a better explanation, a device that acts like an automatic glue gun. It heats plastic and extrudes it onto a base, and goes layer by layer until it has formed the shape of the thing it is creating.  Some people use 3D printers to create engineering prototypes, others use them to print car parts (such as replacement buttons and knobs for obscure console designs), and still others print miniatures, toys and other "fun" prints. In addition to the options described above, there are several medical-related items that can be 3D printed.  From models of different parts of the human body to working intraosseous injection models, the uses for medical 3D printing are endless.  For the last few weeks I have been printing various tools to assist me in my class.  A couple examples of what I have created are below: A stethoscop...

As of yesterday I am officially enrolled with EMTPKY and am working to become a licensed EMT. I have had many jobs in my life, but in the end every place I chose to work came back to one simple theme: my desire to help others, often perfect strangers, and do what I could to improve their day. From walking elderly customers through how to use their cell phones to helping parents find an  affordable hard-to-find gift for their kid's christmas, I am at my best when I am helping others. As a kid I remember curling up on the couch and watching Rescue 911 with my parents. The first ever thing I remember wanting to be when I grew up was a first responder...being first on scene and finding someone on the worst day of their life, and helping them realize that it was all going to be okay. When I told my parents recently of my career change, my mom without question replied, "you'll be great at it!" My dad responded similarly and bought me my first stethoscope --well tech...