EMT Paramedic School and Training Information
Becoming an EMT begins with basic certification, which can be accomplished in just a few weeks in most EMT training courses. A paramedic is the highest level of emergency medical technician (EMT) and to become a paramedic requires additional education and EMT paramedic training. Therefore, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training schools are the first step on the journey to becoming a paramedic.
This is a short overview of the training. Detailed information on EMT training, EMT paramedic training and paramedic schools can be found under EMT Paramedic Info.
Getting into a EMT paramedic program:
There are basic requirements to enter an EMT training school or program. Some of these include; High School diploma, age, physical, competency test, etc. Once accepted into an EMT school or EMT training program, there are four groups of medical technician training and three levels of EMT training, each with a degree of accreditation. The first three, EMT basic, EMT-I/85 (lower level intermediate) and EMT-I/99 (higher level intermediate) must be successfully completed before you can enter into an EMT paramedic training school.
In some programs it is not necessary to have EMT experience, but while some EMTs immediately pursue their paramedic certification after completing their basic EMT training, paramedic school programs often prefer candidates with some field experience. Some paramedic schools offer “points” for EMTs who have served in the field and have hands-on experience to make acceptance into the paramedic program easier.Paramedic Coursework:
The certification to become a paramedic is known as an EMT-P (as opposed to the basic level of EMT certification, called EMT-B), and in some states is known as EMT-3 or EMT-4. By comparison, an EMT-B receives about 200-400 hours of training; a paramedic can receive up to 1,800 hours of training.
Paramedics start their advanced training back in the classroom, with more anatomy and physiology courses than a standard EMT. While EMT paramedic schools vary from state-to-state, all paramedic programs include a clinical training component in a hospital setting where paramedics learn more advanced procedures than a basic EMT, such as inserting an IV and giving injections. Paramedics also train in advanced life support courses. Depending upon the state, paramedics are also trained to administer up to 40 different medications, shock hearts back into beating, decompress collapsed lungs, insert breathing tubes, and triage multiple patients.
Paramedic School Examples – What to Expect:
Usually paramedic programs, including both classroom work and field or clinical work, are 8 – 9 months and can take up to a year and a half. Here’s a look at two such programs.
At the University of Wisconsin’s paramedic program, candidates begin with eighteen weeks of classroom and clinical training. For example, students attend obstetrics classes, then follow-up these classes with hands-on experience in a clinical setting; then they are back in the classroom again for emergency room courses, then follow these up with ER training in the clinical setting. After these eighteen weeks, students spend 10 – 12 weeks shadowing paramedics in the field in an ambulance or other emergency vehicle. Some states, such as Massachusetts, include similar field internships as part of paramedic certification requirements.
The Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania is a nine month paramedic program with one semester from August through December and a second from January through May. After spending time first in the lecture hall, students get field training both in ambulances and MedEvac helicopters operating out of Pittsburgh. They also complete clinical training at several different hospitals, including a children’s hospital, a women’s hospital, general hospitals, and a university hospital.
After completing the paramedic school coursework, clinical work, and field internships, the paramedic student is ready to take the state’s board exam to become a certified paramedic. This exam is known as the NREMT exam. Further information on the exam, EMT paramedic training and paramedic schools can be found under the EMT Paramedic Info links.
