5th time a charm?

A local EMT Basic class had their state practical skills exam yesterday (Sat.). In these exams you go to "stations" where you perform a skill or treat a patient. Some of the stations, like airway, have NO variation in them. That is, you know exactly what will happen in the station months in advance (some, like trauma and medical, follow a prescribed order, but you won't know what is wrong with your patient until you evaluate them). A student of mine was a proctor for the exam and sent me this e-mail:

"AHHHH!! You'll find this amusing in a bad way. There was one guy and this was his 4th, yes 4th, time taking the class and he failed at least two stations including mine. Mine was airway adjuncts!!! HOW????"

I can see failing a station or two, but the airway station is as easy as it gets. And this was this guy's fourth time through an EMT class. What agency signs off on this guy to take the class four times? Do YOU want someone treating you who couldn't pass the class three times in a row (and, based on the looks of things, four times in a row)?

Maybe the 5th time will do it for him and he'll be the best EMT in the area. It's possible, right?