Study Techniques from a
Paramedic to a Future Paramedic
The journey to become a paramedic is not an easy one. I wanted to compile some studying
techniques that worked for me that I wished I was aware of before I started into the paramedic
program.
We learn:
10 percent of what we read
20 percent of what we hear
30 percent of what we both see and hear
50 percent of what we discussed with others
80 percent of what we experience personally
95 percent of what we teach to someone else
That being said, I cannot stress the importance of getting together in study groups and
STUDYING!!!
The SQ3R Reading Method
1. Survey
a. The title, headings, and subheadings
b. Captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps
c. Review questions or teacher-made study guides
d. Introductory and concluding paragraphs
e. summary
2. Question
a. Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions
b. Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheadings
c. Ask yourself, “what did my instructor say about this chapter or subject when it was
assigned?”
d. Ask yourself, “What do I already know about this subject?”
3. Read
a. Look for answers to the questions you first raised
b. Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters or study guides
c. Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc
d. Not all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases
e. Study graphic aids
f. Reduce your speed for difficult passages
Study Techniques from a
Paramedic to a Future Paramedic
g. Stop and reread parts which are not clear
h. Read only a section at a time and recite after each section
4. Recite
a. Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read, or summarize, in your
own words, what you read
b. Take notes from the text but write the information in your own words
c. Underline or highlight important point you’ve just read
d. Use the method o recitation which best suits your particular learning style but
remember, the more senses you use the more likely you are to remember what you
read
5. Review
a. Day One
i. After you have read the recited the entire chapter, write questions in the
margins for the those points you have highlighted or underlined
ii. If you took notes while reciting, write questions for the notes you have taken
in the left hand margins of your notebook
iii. Complete the form for a critical reading review
b. Day Two
i. Page through the text and/or your notebook to reacquaint yourself with the
important points
ii. Cover the right hand column of your text/note-book and orally ask yourself
the questions in the left hand margins.
iii. Orally recite or write the answer from memory
iv. Make flash cards for those questions which give you difficult
v. Develop mnemonic devices for material which need to be memorized
c. Day Three, Four, and five
i. Alternate between your flash cards and notes and test yourself (orally or in
writing) on the questions you formulated.
ii. Make additional flash cards if necessary
d. Weekend
i. Using the text and notebook, make a Table of Contents – list all the topics and
sub-topics you need to know from the chapter.
ii. From the table of contents, make a study sheet/spatial map
iii. Recite the information orally and in your own words as you put the study
sheet/map together.
Memorizing Drug Cards
Memorizing through association
Study Techniques from a
Paramedic to a Future Paramedic
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The easiest way I’ve learned my drug cards is by association. If you understand how the
drug works on the body, the indications and contraindications will follow. So instead of
just memorizing the indications and contraindications you will UNDERSTAND why the
drug is indicated and contraindicated.
Memorizing through grouping
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When you are memorizing your drug cards keep all the respiratory drugs together and the
cardiac drugs together etc. so you are focused on the same body system.
Memorizing through repetition
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This is the main way you guys are going to learn your drug cards. Your drugs cards
should be with you at all times so when you have a couple minutes to spare you can be
reviewing them. (waiting at the doctor’s office, etc.)
Record the drug cards on a digital recorder and play them while you are in the car. This
worked wonders for me. I’m sure a lot of you guys have long drives. Create one drug
card per track, so if you are having trouble with one you can listen to that same one on
repeat for your whole drive. It sounds redundant but it gets the job done.
Memorizing through mnemonic
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I wanted to bring this to your attention because they are used constantly throughout ems
(OPQRST, DCAPBTLS, AEIOUTIPS). They are also helpful for things such as the
rights of medication administration. (Patient Do Drugs Round The Day) (Patient, Dose,
Drug, Route, Time, Documentation)
Seven Level Flashcard Game
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This is a little game that I came up with (If someone else did I’m sorry) you create seven
boxes or levels in front of you.
You take all your flashcards you’re trying to memorize and put them in level one.
While going thru them for each correct flashcard, you move that flashcard up one level.
If you get a flashcard wrong you send it back to level one.
After completion of your flashcards in hand, you select the pile of flashcards that are in
the lowest level.
The purpose of the game is to get all your drug cards up to level seven. In doing so you
are able to correctly identify ALL of your drug cards seven times in a row. Why seven?
In psychology, the human brain tends to store information in the long term memory if
gone over seven times.