Paramedic School?

This is very dependant upon State to state in the U.S. and can vary quite a bit. In some states it is a college course and is anywhere from 1 to 2 years. How some colleges do this is they will teach you what is required to become a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician – Basic (NREMT-B) during your first semester, then you begin to learn what is needed to become a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic (NREMT-P). Both of these require clinical hours, and ride time on an Ambulance with an EMT-Paramedic who is qualified as a Preceptor through the teaching facility.

Some Colleges / States require that you complete the NREMT-B requirements and practice as such for a period of time (usually 6 months to a year) before you can apply for Paramedic Training.

And finally on the opposite end of the spectum, some Private EMS agencies have what is considered college sponsored training centers and teach both EMT-B and EMT-P courses, and some are even doing NREMT-Intermediate which is between NREMT-B and NREMT-P. The Paramedic courses here are usually only a year long, but are very intense. Again it varies from state to state.

As for the pay, that varies as well, most medics start out making 30 – 40K a year, but usually only work 8 – 10 days (full 24 hour shifts) a month. So many will work part time on the side either for another agency or a hospital. Some paramedics can make 40 – 80K depending on the area they are in and certain specialties, and of course years of experience.

Paramedic is not a job for everyone, and does demand a lot from a person to be one. The average career span for a Paramedic is 10 years, then they either burn out, or become Instructors, sometimes both, which makes for some very interesting classes.

As for what to study in H.S. I would suggest Math (especially Algebra) and Science (BIO/CHEM, and ANAT/PYSIO). It wouldn’t hurt to also focus on Public Speaking or Speech, as well as Computer Applications. Paramedicine is considered a Science, and the colleges that do offer it do so as either a Certificate course or A.S. Degree. These are very common in Community and Technical Colleges, and many medics go on to get either their RN, PA, or some even go on to Medical School.

I suggest that if this is something that you are seriously considering then you should research it and talk with your local Paramedics.

Hope this helps and good luck!

True. EMT programs will take anyone with a highschool diploma. You can be a complete retard and become an EMT – you should have seen the braindead people I certified with. If you’ve a basic knowledge of biology and human anatomy, and the medical knowledge one can gain from watching “ER,” then you can pass an EMT-B course.

Paramedic is a level of EMT. There’s Basics, which is what most people who are called “EMTs” are. Then there’s the Intermediate classes, which are useless except in rural areas – cities almost never employ EMT-Is. (There’s 2 or 3 levels of Intermediate in many places – it’s confusing and depends on your state.) Intermediates get IV skills, a few new drugs, and simple intubations.

Paramedics are EMTs (EMT-Ps, to be exact, but none of them will call themselves that) with an extra year or two of schooling who learn more about medical conditions and procedures used to treat them. (Edit to add: You CAN go to college for a paramedic certification – some places offer an AS degree. It’s not a must.) Paramedic skills that EMT-Bs don’t perform include IV administration, using a wider range of medications, reading EKGs, and advanced airway skills such as endotrachial intubations of various sorts, and also less automated defibrillators to play with.

The pay sucks. The hours suck worse. EMT-Basics start at about ten bucks an hour and you’ll be doing 12-hour overnights on a crappy transport service. Paramedics can make decent money (30-40k a year, which ain’t bad for a job that doesn’t need a college diploma) depending on where you live, though. It’s a good job if you’re an adrenaline junkie who enjoys hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror, and are not easily squicked out by being bled or vomited on.

To become a paramedic, a degree is usually optional. It depends on which state you live in. A few states require paramedics to obtain an associates degree, but most don’t. Check with the Board of EMS in your state to find out what the requirements are. Basically, it’s the same training and certification, but to get your associate’s degree, you complete an additional year of “core” classes (math, english, and the like). If you don’t opt for the associate’s degree, certification will only take about a year or so. Having the associate’s degree will help you stand out when you apply for jobs, though.

In high school, I’d try to pay attention in the sciences and math classes. It wouldn’t hurt to learn a foreign language (a significant numner of my patients only speak Spanish).

The pay for a paramedic is OK, you can live off it, but you won’t be funding family vacations to the Carribean any time soon. Lots of paramedics take on second jobs to bring in extra money. It also really depends on what type of job you work, and what state you work in. THe pay can vary from $10 an hour (starting salary for a new medic at a private ambulance service), to $25 an hour (experienced flight medic pay or working as a fire-medic for a well paid fire department).

The hours are rough…most shifts are 24 hours on/ 48 hours off. You can find shifts for 8, 10, or 12 hour slots, but they can be a bit harder to find.

There are several different levels of Emergency Medical Technician. First off is the EMT-B or EMT Basic. Second is the EMT-I or Intermediate. Lastly, is the EMT-P or Paramedic. When people refer to EMT, they are usually talking about Basics, and when they mention paramedic, they are usually referring to the EMT-Paramedic.

Hope this helps!