A paramedic is a medical professional who works as an emergency medical care responder. They provide primary and essential medical and trauma care in urgent situations such as cardiac attacks, accidents etc. The formal paramedic training normally takes about two years to finish. Several paramedical institutions offer programs in the area of para-medicine, at diploma as well as degree levels. There are also schools with medical and nursing degrees that offer paramedic trainings.
Paramedic training as well as career is rather demanding. It entails hard work, immense commitment, and high level education. Paramedics are required to train and work under pressure for irregular hours, be on-call and pro-active, have an extensive understanding of treatment options and presence of mind to take proper decisions in an emergency situation.
The chief areas of work in paramedical sciences are spinal wound supervision, fracture administration, obstetrics, managing burns and evaluation of common incident scene. A paramedic has to be familiar with the medical apparatus preservation measures, radio operating process and operation of emergency vehicle. The job also necessitates good vision, accurate color vision, physical alertness, emotional strength and exceptional hand-eye co-ordination.
Educational requisites to enroll as a Paramedic:
Anyone who wants to undergo EMT(Emergency Medical Technician) training is required to possess a high school diploma or GED and be 18 years old. The aspirant has to clear a physical assessment and undertake a test for tuberculosis and hepatitis B. Many states necessitate background verification for unlawful activities.
EMT Basic training is mandatory to obtain paramedic certification. This program is developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The training includes trauma, cardiac emergencies, airway management and patient assessment therefore; EMT Basic technicians have the skill to provide advanced first aid in these situations.
The requirements for an intermediate level EMT are different in each state. The Nationally defined levels are EMT-Intermediate 1985 and EMT-Intermediate 1999. The training can take around 30-350 hours to complete, depending on the extent of practice. The candidate is trained to administer intravenous fluids, medicines and analyze heart beats.
The EMT-Paramedic program covers higher medical skills, analysis and physiology which take 1-2 years to complete. Trainees involve in ambulance runs and medical rotations. Apart from performing all lower EMT level duties, a paramedic is trained to read EKGs, use various advanced medical equipment and carry out endotracheal intubations.
The certification for paramedic is obtained by successful conclusion of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification exam. Few states also grant certification exams for paramedics. Ongoing learning and updated courses are made compulsory by some states to enable the paramedics to uphold their eligibility. The license is required to be renewed every 2-3 years.
Paramedic career – post training and certification:
To start a career in this fast-paced field one should seek positions in ambulance services or in local municipal emergency medicinal services. Then move on to search for opportunities at hospitals, private clinic, trauma centers, police or fire departments, helicopter flight crews, rescue squads etc. They can also choose to work as medical lab technicians, physiotherapists, radiography technicians, speech therapists, dialysis therapists, emergency technicians and care practitioners, audiologists, perfusion and cardiac technicians and respiratory therapists.
For a career as oil rig paramedic or flight paramedic; advanced skills and knowledge are required in addition to the formal paramedic education. In addition, there are posts for paramedics in military, marine and mineral exploration etc.
An alternative career for paramedics comprises of chiropractor, physician assistant, gerontologist, instructor or dispatcher and medical equipment salesperson. Superintendent, executive directors or operations manager are few other paramedic career alternative.
