How to Train to Become a Paramedic
Paramedics are relied upon to respond to emergency medical conditions and problems quickly and with competency. Paramedics provide a necessary service in emergency situations that often helps save a person's life and transport them to the hospital to receive additional care. To train to be a paramedic, you must follow certain training guidelines and a certification process.
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Things You'll Need
- EMT/paramedic training (see resources for list of schools)
- EMT/paramedic certification
Instructions
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How to Train to Become a Paramedic
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Enroll in a paramedic course. These are offered at many community colleges, some state colleges, and hospitals.
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Enroll in your classes, which often can be taken as weekend or night courses. To enroll you must have a high school diploma or GED. You will need to fill out an application, and more than likely have an interview with a representative from the school you are applying to.
Paramedic classes will include human anatomy, biology, medication/drug interactions and reactions, psychology, physiology, and extensive first aid and emergency medical procedure training.
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Complete your training in classroom and field study. This will consist of 750 to 1,500 hours of field instruction and classroom lectures and written work.
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Work in the field as a volunteer. This may be a requirement of your certification program; however, if it is not, it is still extremely beneficial. This will give you hands-on experience and training to deal with emergency situations.
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Complete and pass the National Registry EMT Examination. This will certify you to work as an EMT/paramedic in the state you live in.
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Apply for jobs. Hospitals, fire departments and municipalities hire EMT/paramedics, who often are paid $33,000 to $42,000 a year. In general, they make $10-15 an hour depending on the location, demand and hours worked (full-time or part-time).
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Tips & Warnings
EMT/paramedic jobs are becoming more and more necessary. There is a lack of certified EMT/paramedics today, so it is a growing field. Completing your EMT/paramedic certification will increase your chances of being accepted into firefighter training program. Some municipalities now require firefighters to have EMT/paramedic training in addition to their fire training.
Previously, many EMT/paramedics were volunteers. Today many are paid through a hospital or local government for their services because the demand is so high and the hours, heavy lifting, and constant movement are very strenuous. When you work as an EMT/paramedic, be prepared to do a lot of manual labor and be on your feet a lot.
