N>of EMT school, and someone said something about it. I thought they
CN>were joking. But, I didn't know much about the nervous system back
CN>then... You would think, though, that my instructors would have at
CN>least mentioned it. I noticed they didn't mention rectal tone in
CN>paramedic class, either. But, hey! I'm not one to complain. Next
CN>thing, we'll be taught a new diagnostic field procedure! Joy..
I think a lot of what you know, in general terms, has to do with where 
you work, and what your rapport is with the receiving hospitals. I've 
been very fortunate for the past 18+ years to work in a third service 
system that is in many senses hospital based. Since the city I work for 
ran one of the four trauma centers until just this past year, I got 
exposed to a lot of educational experiences that people that don't have 
access to the resources of a large, urban teaching hospital might not 
get. Not to say that anyone can't, if they try hard enough, have the 
same opportunities, but in our case, you have work pretty hard not to 
learn something. So, by hanging in the trauma rooms after I delivered a 
patient, and when I had the chance asking some questions, I've learned a 
lot. It also doesn't hurt that with four Level 1 Trauma Centers in one 
city there a lot of competition for patients. So, the smart hospitals 
are nice to us, and are eager to share knowledge with us. They figure 
that it just might pay off with those patients that fall into the 
discretionary areas. It's just human nature that if you are on a call 
between two hospitals with equal capabilities, you just might tend to 
want to go to the one that is just a bit nicer to you. 
Anyway, rectal exams are done for a number or reasons. And even if some 
of the information might help us out in the field, I don't think we will 
be doing them in the near future. Not that I am complaining. 
Gary
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