4 Textbook Reading Tips for EMS students

Reading from books are very helpful because it provides a lot of information necessary for students in any field of study.

What makes reading textbooks a must is that instructors refer to them from time to time and and the texts provide important review tools and in depth materials beyond what may be covered in class.

Since most EMS students are adult learners and are very busy, they must find other time-saving ways to study instead of simply sitting and reading the textbooks without any focus.

EMS Textbook Study Tips

Here are some ways to help EMT and paramedic students study from their texts effectively while saving time.

Survey

Before heading to the main text, skim through titles, headings and subheadings, images, and chapter summaries. This is especially useful prior to lecture or if all that is needed is an overview of the medical topic or refreshing one’s memory. If you need to quickly review a chapter, use the same technique to skim the chapter headings, sidebar boxes, charts and tables.

Question

Forming questions helps EMS students stay focused and gives them a purpose for reading. Using chapter titles and subtitles formulated into questions can also be used. If you are studying airway management, ask yourself “What are the most important things to keep in mind when managing an EMS patient’s airway.

Most textbooks have questions or review points at the beginning of each chapter and practice quizzes and tests at the end. Use these tools to test your knowledge and understanding of a topic.

Read

First you skimmed, then you questioned, next you went to lecture, so now what? You do have to do some reading but now you can read “smart!” Skim the chapter again and you will start to see pieces of text leaping out at you as you find answers to earlier formed questions and spot key points stressed by the instructor during your lecture. Using this method, students skip to the part of the information in the book that they specifically need.

Review

If you’ve already done the earlier portions of the chapter, then the next part is really easy. Using your class notes and your questions from earlier study sessions, go back and skim the chapters a third time. By this point you will have an idea of what is important to know and will know where to find it.

If you have any graded quizzes and classroom assignments, use these to point you towards the areas you might need to take more time with. Yes, you might have to read a couple of sections or even a chapter but the key point here is that you are reviewing and reading only the parts you have to.

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