Missouri EMT and Paramedic Schools - MO

An EMT must be in good physical form so as to be able to lift patients (Missouri was ranked the 13th most obese state in 2009 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) from sometimes awkward positions (such as behind the wheel of a crushed car) and onto a gurney (even when the patient may have a neck injury that must remain immobilized). They must be emotionally stable to deal with the gruesome reality of sickness and injuries while helping to calm sometimes panicky patients. EMTs must have a clean criminal history and a strong desire to help others, as well as be at the center of some very exciting human dramas. EMT students must already have earned a high school diploma or an equivalent GED.

Basic EMTs can take as little as a semester of coursework to prepare for the EMT basic exam. Paramedics must learn everything a basic EMT must know in addition to another 1,500 hours or so of training. Many paramedics learn their trade in junior or community college. Others attend vocational school or earn a bachelor’s degree.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring EMTs and Paramedics in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Independence, Missouri may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the St. Johns Mercy Medical Center, St. Anthony’s Medical Center, Barnes Jewish Hospital and Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

There are several Missouri EMT schools as well as Missouri paramedic schools available.