Paramedic Courses | EMT Courses

What are the academic requirements for entering an EMT or paramedic course?

Candidates for EMT training must be 18 years old in most instances, and have a high school diploma or equivalent GED. Being proficient in math and the related physical sciences would lend itself well to continuing on to an EMT program.

Are there accelerated EMT and Paramedic courses?

For aspiring students who wish to enter the job market quickly, or more experienced EMTs who wish to advance to the next level of certification, accelerated programs are a great option. These intensive eight-plus hour-a-day courses can distill the classroom training that typically takes 18-24 months down to only 12 weeks. his has the benefit of getting EMTs and paramedics out into the field much faster than would typically be the case.

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Accelerated courses are available through select community colleges and technical schools across the country. If a student has to EMT, Paramedic and Emergency Courses

seek out one of these programs out of state, arrangements can usually be made for the field portion of their education to be provided through an EMS agency in their home state.

These programs involve condensed classroom work as part of the book learning portion that can be completed in 12 weeks committing 40 hours per week, plus an additional 230 hours of clinical work and 200 hours of field work to gain on-the-job experience.

What can I expect from clinical education in EMT and paramedic training?

Clinical education is a standard part of EMT training, and is vital to gaining real-world work experience under the supervision of veteran paramedics. Clinical training for gaining field experience is most often arranged through city, township, or county fire departments, and should be pursued for the value of the experience since it won’t typically include financial compensation. Clinical education would also consist of time spent working in a hospital or ER. Each state’s board of emergency medical services sets the requirements for the number of hours of clinical education required for state licensure.

The clinical portion of programs designed for EMT-Ps who are training for a career in emergency medicine and pre-hospital care are several months in length and are designed to maximize students’ experience through direct exposure to emergency medical work. Students in these programs would operate in the same capacity as the experienced EMTs and paramedics they work under. They would be kept busy at the fire station or medical facility while on-call, and respond to emergency medical calls as part of the team. Students often stay on to continue their careers with the agency that provided them field training.

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What are the requirements of continuing education (CE)?

CE is used as a means by which to advance to the next level of EMT certification, or to meet the requirements for recertification and state license renewal. CE also serves as a means by which to keep EMTs and paramedics current on improvements to emergency medical equipment and techniques. Formal CE is offered through the same channels that provide initial EMT training: community colleges, vocational and technical schools, online schools as well as state colleges. Eighty hours of continuing education units (CEUs) every two years satisfies most state’s CE requirements for license renewal.

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Beyond just using CE to maintain licensure or to advance to higher levels of EMT certification, CEUs can also be used for successive career advancement if an EMT decides to move to another medical profession. For example, a paramedic could take CEUs so as to pursue a career as a registered nurse.

Classroom and online work represents only a small portion of CE. The vast majority is gained through on-the-job experience. Formal CE is intended to augment, not replace, the real-world experiences of practicing EMTs. In fact, if an EMT or paramedic works for a busy agency and responds to a certain number of calls weekly, some states waive CE requirements altogether. It is for this reason that NREMT recertification and renewal of state licensure is only granted to those who have been actively practicing emergency medicine.

CE involves demonstrating proficiency in the specific emergency medical procedures required of each level of EMT, but also provides an opportunity for exposure to new techniques, systems, tools, and practices in emergency medicine.