Island Med Student

Okay, so if I were actually faced with a real life code, I’d probably pee my pants and run screaming in the opposite direction for a doctor. But, hypo-the-tically I can actually run a code as a team leader. Over the past two days, I’ve had my Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training. I know everything about identifying various heart rhythm abnormalities like atrial flutter, ventricular fibrillation, and supra-ventricular tachycardia. I know how to use a defibrillator, and when to give shocks and at how many joules. I know which drugs to give like epinephrine, atropine, etc, and I know the dosages and maximum quantities you can give. I also can place advanced various airways like combitubes and endotracheal intubation.

We practiced a million times, and eventually I memorized all the algorithms, and got over my fear to the point where I could manage anything they threw at me, including a dummy that was in asystole for like 10 minutes!

So, I’m now officially certified, and ready to be thrown into the mix at US hospitals. After the training, I took some more pics of Princess Margaret Hospital, and shot some video footage that I’ll be posting soon.

This is it. I’ve done everything I need to do. Only 4 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes, and 16 seconds until I leave Dominica!

Click Here to View the Pics

Share This