About: John Bielinski, Jr.

Physician Assistant

Master of Science in Family and Emergency Medicine

Owner of "Who's Your PAPPA" Seminars, LLC 

 

About Us:

CME4Life makes medicine easy to understand.

Our Mission is to “Help People Help People”.

 

Our website says what we do: we teach CME so you remember and use it 4 Life.  We make medicine come alive because we understand that not everyone learns well through traditional methods like pie- charts, lists, graphs and busy power points slides.  We provide unique solutions to educate those who provide medical care and help clinicians become more effective in patient care. 

Where did this all begin?

In junior high, I was what you call a “difficult learner.”  I was in special classes for those who “didn’t get it.”  My classmates knew.  My teachers knew.  My grades were evidence and I grew up feeling stupid.  I didn’t graduate high school on time.  I failed the math regent’s exam five, yes FIVE, times. 

I wasn’t ready for college, but I knew I wanted to make something of myself, so, I went into the United States Marine Corps.  While deployed to Desert Storm, we were responsible to identify and destroy enemy armored vehicles.  My responsibility was to learn all the armored vehicles in the campaign, and most importantly, to learn the “good guys from the bad guys.”  If I was wrong, Americans could die.  I was given flash cards to learn.  On one side of the card was a picture of the vehicle, on the other side the identifying features.  This worked well for me. I realized, after flipping through the cards a few times, that I knew the information.  I knew it and knew it well. 

I started learning HOW to learn. 

After two years at a community college I then went to the University of Buffalo.  I took a class called "Methods of Inquiry" and I realized that there are different ways people learn and remember.   This class taught techniques for varied learning styles. I learned about first letter mnemonics, linking and associating facts, how to draw pictures relating to concepts and how to timeline information. 

For the first time, I was taught HOW to learn. 

When I started in clinical practice, partly because of pride, I was driven to learn medicine at an extremely high level.  In studying medicine, I started applying the techniques I learned to remember medicine.  I utilized flash cards and memory tricks.  These mnemonics were pretty simple, because I needed them to be that way as a clinical necessity.  I needed to remember critical information at key times.  I worked to develop consistent, high caliber reproducible systems of assessing patients that was flawless.  I developed systems of evaluating a patient with chest pain, or shortness of breath.  I developed systems of evaluating a chest radiograph, and an EKG. 

I was now learning HOW to apply what I learned. 

For nine years, I ran a rural emergency department.  There was no physician on site.  I had the opportunity to apply the techniques of medicine I developed.  It worked wonderfully.  I was able to care for extremely sick people with confidence. 

This bridged into teaching.  I started teaching Advanced Cardiac Life Support.  I loved it.  I loved teaching people how to care for critically ill patients.  I then started teaching a program called Advanced Cardiac Life Support for the Experienced Provider.  It was like ACLS on steroids.  In teaching, I learned deeply.  I taught for 10 years at two physician assistant schools in Buffalo, N.Y.  I started to videotape my lessons to share them with others. This turned into my company, CME4Life.

When I was in junior high I thought I was dumb.  But that challenge has allowed me this wonderful opportunity to teach in a unique manner. 

“Everybody is a genius.

But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

                                                                                                                 ― Albert Einstein
 


God taught me ultimately HOW to learn and HOW to teach. 

I can take as much credit for how I teach as I can the color of my eyes. Teaching is a passion and a calling, and I feel God has given me a gift that I humbly maintain and provide to others.  Adults are active learners. They need to be clinically challenged and then taught solutions. I teach using a system I coined, “Active Engagement Learning”:   I teach through song and dance, various mnemonics, audience participation, repetition and clinical thinking. 

Our programs at CME4Life provide Learning for Life.

Productions & Promotion:

I am thankful that my own CME4Life courses are successful and so helpful to medical professionals.  We are now searching for extraordinary and passionate instructors in all areas of medical education.  Are you an extraordinary and passionate instructor?  Have you taken a class with a teacher who is knowledgeable and inspiring? We would like to share their knowledge and talent. Please contact us at CME4Life.com

John B

 

 

  Education:

  • Masters of Science in Family and Emergency Medicine
    • Physician Assistant Program  

Professional Experience:

Emergency Medicine. Hospitalist and Critical Care Medicine 

  • Lead EM PA
  • Director of Education
  • Automatous Emergency Medicine 9 Years 
  • Internal Medicine Hospitalist with ICU Coverage
  • EMS: paid, volunteer & education 

Military Experience:

 

John Bielinski with Kuwati Forces in Desert Storm

LCP John Bielinski with Kuwati Forces in Desert Storm

 United States Marine Corps: 

  • Anti-Terrorist/Security Forces
  • Ground Infantry: Operation Desert Storm
  • Direct Front Line Ground Combat Action in Kuwait

 United States Army Reserves: 

  • Medic