Paramedic Education | EMT Education

Paramedic Educational Requirements

Paramedic schools vary largely in length and cost. There are community colleges that offer Paramedic programs and there are also many private Paramedic schools. The community college programs often times are more difficult to get in to, however are exceptionally less expensive, usually costing around $2500-$3500. Often times with financial aid the schooling can even be free. Private schools are easier to get into and often times will be faster programs. Private schools cost range from $8,500-$15,000.
It is VERY important when choosing which school to attend that you find out the percentage of their students pass rate through the National Registry Exam. This will give you a very good idea of the quality of education that the school offers.

A Paramedics education is usually obtained in a variety of different steps.

1. The first step to becoming a Paramedic is getting the EMT- Basic License. This class normally takes one semester and implements various assessment techniques and non-invasive emergency care.

2. Anyone working towards becoming a Paramedic is advised to obtain EMT experience prior to going to Paramedic school. The vast majority of a Paramedics job is learned through being an EMT. It is recommended to have six months to a year of EMT experience before continuing your education to become a Paramedic. However often times it is not required.

3. Paramedics are required to take classes in Anatomy and Physiology, Medication administration and dosages, and CPR.

4. When Paramedics begin their Program their first portion of training is called the Didactic stage in which they are put through a rigorous class that involves lectures and hands on skill training. The paramedic is required throughout this class to maintain a grade of 80% or better, or is excused from the program.

5. After completion of the Didactic portion of the Paramedic school, the student is then put in what is called his or her Clinical Rotation. During this period the Paramedic is placed in a hospital for up to 300 hours of hands on hospital experience. This includes Emergency Room, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Intensive Care, and Operating Room Rotations. The vast majority of the training is done in the Emergency Room.

6. After completion of the Clinical portion is lastly the Internship. During this phase of the Paramedics training the student is assigned a Preceptor. The preceptor is an experienced Paramedic. The Preceptor’s duty is to take the educational skills learned in Didactic, and the hands on skills learned in Clinicals, and teach the Paramedic how to implement them in the field. The internship can take 480-700 hours. During this time the Preceptor must make a choice as to whether or not he believes the Paramedic candidate is fit and prepared to practice medicine as a Paramedic.

7. After the Paramedics internship is complete, he or she is allowed to take the National Registry test. This test is designed to test the Paramedics knowledge and skills. There are two different portions, one of which is a written exam. The other of which is a skills exam. The written exam is a two hour exam in which the Paramedic is rigorously tested on all aspects of medicine within his or her scope of practice. The skills test consists of Airway Management, IV access Management, Static and Dynamic Cardiac situations, and lastly the assessment portion in which the Paramedic runs through Trauma and medical scenarios with a Proctor.

8. After successful Completion of Both tests the Paramedic is Licensed as a Paramedic EMT.