Many individuals desire to become an EMT as a stepping-stone profession for other careers, such as firemen, nurses, medical students, paramedics, and several other medical professions. The traditional strategy to acquire EMT training is to attend community college for a 12 month period, which generally runs from $300 – 500. However, dependent upon your overall schedule, there are accelerated EMT-B programs which cost around $3,000. Most of these accelerated courses usually take only Fourteen days to complete, instead of a community college’s 16+ week classes.
That is extremely desirable for many people, however, there are also downsides to accelerated programs. For starters, many EMS agencies who hire EMTs are against accelerated programs, since they believe the average person needs much longer to digest the information than just 14 days. And from what I have seen, even motivated EMT students themselves do not wish to simply skate through training, they realize people’s lives are in their hands and any slip up could cost them dearly.
I tend to agree. When occupying a very important role, there’s no room for unpreparedness. That is why many feel accelerated programs are not that valuable and should not be taken in the event the student is serious about becoming an EMT. Think about it this way – let’s say you had a significant organ replacement, would you want a surgeon who put a minimal effort to their education carrying out your surgery? Needless to say you wouldn’t. Some would say this is not a reasonable analogy, however lives are on the line whether people are being treated by an EMT, paramedic, or surgeon.
It’s unfortunate the average EMT salary is really much lower than they ought to be, but it doesn’t excuse EMS professionals from obtaining the absolute best education possible for the sake of people they treat each and every day. Doctors get paid commensurate with their level of training, and with EMT school having a duration of just one year, this is largely the reason why EMTs don’t get paid very well. Not to mention accelerated EMT courses take even less time to complete.
The good news for EMS professionals is the fact that when they become a certified EMT, they are able to convert their job into any of these mentioned professions within the medical industry. For example, a registered nurse will make upwards of $60,000 – $80,000 each year in some regions of the nation, for example California. Work in EMS will prepare students to make an easy transition through the numerous bridge programs available, such as the paramedic-to-RN program many online and traditional schools across the country are now offering.
Being an EMS professional, although extremely rewarding on many levels, is just a stepping-stone for some of those seeking a career in healthcare or the medical field. Although accelerated EMT courses are available, it is not recommended that prospective students cram through their education requirements as they may be hurting themselves over the long haul.
If you would like to pursue an occupation in emergency medical services and earn an amazing paramedic salary, be sure to visit Dave Morgan’s website which helps EMS workers on how to identify the right EMT training packages.
