How to Become an EMT Paramedic
A tutorial on how to begin Paramedic Training and what to expect during Paramedic School
Becoming a Paramedic is one of the best door opening career choices a person can make. Being a Paramedic is required for many higher tier Emergency Medicine careers. These career can include but are not limited to, Firefighter, Physician Assistant, Registered Nurse, Flight Medic, and many other medical career choices. Another interesting job choice a Paramedic can undertake is being a deploy medic. Deploy medics are contracted by overseas industries because an American trained Paramedic is a valued skill set in overseas countries.
There are requirements to becoming a paramedic that are unique to this job field. A person can not just fill out a job application or submit a resume. Paramedics require about 2 years of training. The core program itself typically will last 12 to 16 months however there are prerequisites that a candidate has to fulfill before they can begin their paramedic training. There are also costs associated with this training that are unique to the health field such as a criminal background check and submission of immunization records. This article will attempt to explain in detail the process of Paramedic training. It will include the requirements to enter class, the training in class, what to expect on a clinical, and a description of the NREMT Paramedic exam which most states in the United States use as the qualifying exam that allows a aspiring Paramedic to gain licensure.
The Requirements for EMT Paramedic Training
Here are some of the basic requirements to beginning your EMT Paramedic training course. There are hidden costs associated with participating in a paramedic class. Some employers, if you are already employed as an EMT, will reimburse the costs of these requirements, while others will not. Many EMS employers will pay for a EMT Basics to go to Paramedic school. So if you are already employed as a Basic, check with your employer.
Completion of an Approved EMT Basic Course
Paramedic students must have already completed an EMT Basic class. Whether a prospective Paramedic has to be a working Basic or just has to have a certificate stating that they successfully completed a course is state dependant. A list of state requirements can be found on our homepage at http://emttrainingstation.com. This is the reason why it typically takes 2 years to complete an EMT Paramedic training course.
The EMT-B, or EMT Basic, class typically lasts 16 weeks or about 4 months. There are accelerated academy based programs that are faster, however the typical class length is 4 months to be trained as a Basic EMT. After the 4 months it will typically take a few months to get licensed as a basic. For instance I finished my EMT Basic class in October of 2005 and was not able to take my NREMT exam will december. I did not gain employment at an Ambulance agency till february of 2006. So plan on about 8 months of EMT basic training, based on my experience, unless you you opt for an academy option. Check with local EMS companies. Some of them may pay for you to take the course in exchange for a contract where you promise to work for them for a set number of time, usually 2 years. This will give you a guaranteed job after you complete your class. Some companies may even hire you and pay you while you go to class. My company, when they are short EMT Basics, will send students through the class and pay them an hourly wage to 3rd ride on ambulances as observers to get them used to working the road while they go to class.
A criminal background check is a universal requirement in both EMT Training and Paramedic Training. The reason for this is common sense. An EMT/Paramedic is an emergency responder that frequently enters people’s homes, will encounter unconscious patients, and be involved in rather intimate situations in regards to patient care. This is a field where having a felony conviction can diminish the chances of being hired, let alone being admitted to an EMT class. Typically the class or institute will provide the type of background check that a student has to submit to. Be prepared to pay any fees associated with running this check. The fees can range from 50 to 100 typically.
A paramedic student will have to submit to a drug screening. This is usually for clinical sites. Many clinical sites expect student to abide by the same hiring requirements as their employees. A busy hospital ER that teaches Paramedic students as well as students from other health career field will expect student to be drug free. If a Paramedic student is already employed as an EMT basic, you should be able to get this done for free. Ask your employer for your most recent drug screening results and if you need to pee in a cup, they will send you for a screening that they will pay for.
Being a Paramedic, as with any healthcare worker, will expose a person to a wide range of diseases. Therefore it is mandatory that a Paramedic student submits proof of immunizations. The immunizations required are: MMR, Hep-B, Flu Shot. Usually a prospective Paramedic should be able to obtain copies of their records from their doctor or the health department. If they are unable to locate records you can have your TITERS drawn at your doctor’s office or an urgent care. Caution:Most insurances will not cover this if the student goes to an urgent care and this can cost a couple 100 dollars. So if a student has a primary care physician and needs to have their immunizations drawn then schedule an appointment.
There is, of course, a lot more to becoming an EMT Paramedic. The entire process can be found at: http://emttrainingstation.com/how-to-become-an-emt-paramedic/
