How to Become an Emergency Medical Technician
Majors Overview November 13, 2012When there are a medical emergency such as a hiking accident, a heart attack or a car accident, the first level of response comes from an emergency medical technician (EMT). An emergency medical technician’s responsibility is to ensure the safety of those who need help and provide basic medical treatment at the scene. Thereafter, they help transport the patients to hospital for treatment by a physician. In this article, I’ll show aspiring EMTs how they can embark on a career as an emergency medical technician.
Aspiring EMTs must complete a basic training program for certification from the state. Once completed, they can upgrade to the intermediate level and finally to an advanced (paramedic) level.
Basic EMT Course
Accredited community hospitals, universities and colleges offer EMT-Basic courses, these courses require students to complete more than 180 hours of study. Once they have completed the course, the prospective emergency medical technicians are ready to take the certification exam.
The students become adept at various skills such as: how to handle emergency childbirth, what are the first response treatment to give in regard to common injuries, how to handle respiratory problems, how to administer bandages, how to deal with blood loss, how to perform CPR, and how to determine the patient’s condition.
The EMT-Basic course requires students to do several hours of classroom work as well as field-work. Having a high school diploma or GED will allow students to enroll into this program.
Intermediate Course
The EMT-Intermediate course takes emergency medical technician training to the next level. The minimum eligibility requirement for enrollment is the completion of EMT-Basic level certification. Advanced techniques and concepts are introduced to students in the EMT-Intermediate course that include administration of certain medications, the use of a defibrillator, administration of IVs, and airway support.
Supplemental Anatomy and Physiology Course
EMTs who wish to continue their medical education will benefit from a course on physiology and anatomy. This is offered by many colleges and universities as supplemental to their EMT training programs. Emergency medical technician who wants to upgrade to the paramedic level are required to attend this course. They are given an overview of topics such as homeostasis, electrolytes, nutrition, microscopic and gross anatomy. The emergency medical technicians improve their understanding of the human body by attending classes in physiology and anatomy. This in turn leads to improved treatment and diagnostic capabilities when they are required to perform in the field.
Life Support Courses
In some EMT programs, students are offered courses on life support, typically it cover issues that are more specific and sophisticated than the ones offered in basic EMT programs. Modes of treating children, treatment of cardiac arrest, treatment of injuries resulting from trauma, and treatment of trauma are some of the topics the programs may include. In certain instances, the classes can result in certification of a specialized nature, as for instance, a certification in advanced pediatric life support.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) Statistics
Top Schools with Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) Programs
| School Name | Tuition | Size | Degrees Granted | Degrees Granted By Type |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA |
$6,562 | 23,785 | 860 | Certificate (853), Associate (7) |
| Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL |
$2,446 | 37,453 | 517 | Certificate (396), Associate (121) |
| Instituto de Banca y Comercio Guaynabo, PR |
Unknown | 13,315 | 512 | Certificate (512) |
| South Louisiana Community College Lafayette, LA |
$5,038 | 4,084 | 442 | Certificate (431), Associate (11) |
| Miami Dade College Miami, FL |
$11,309 | 59,120 | 416 | Certificate (338), Associate (78) |
| Glendale CC – Arizona Glendale, AZ |
$7,638 | 20,154 | 406 | Certificate (397), Associate (9) |
| Front Range Community College Westminster, CO |
$10,741 | 18,151 | 395 | Certificate (395) |
| Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL |
$8,851 | 26,964 | 383 | Certificate (370), Associate (13) |
| Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA |
$6,433 | 16,715 | 358 | Certificate (349), Associate (9) |
