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Paramedic
Students Participate in Mock Trial
Students
in the 2008 Paramedic class found themselves in a legal predicament
during Week Two of the class. On Friday during a training simulation,
Rescue 2* was dispatched to a possible cardiac arrest. The team treated
the patient but ran into some legal issues during the resuscitation. At
the end of the scenario, students went through a debriefing before being
released from class for lunch.
When
students returned from lunch, they were advised that they were being
sued in Civil Court by a family member of the patient. For the mock
trial, students were assigned to various roles: defendants, defense
counsel, judge, witnesses and members of the jury. Scott McCary, the EMS
Division paramedic instructor, served as plaintiff’s attorney. 
As a
prelude to a lecture on medical and legal considerations, the mock trial
served as a sobering reminder to students of what EMS professionals can
expect in today’s society. The mock trial is a new concept being tested
at the AFC EMS Division to simulate real-life situations as well as
foster critical thinking and utilization of skills learned during the
course. The goal is to fully prepare students for actual emergencies in
the field.
* The
AFC paramedic class is divided into seven 3-person teams that respond to
simulated emergencies during each class.
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