Question about EMT education levels

[Kenyon]

Hey everyone, I'm fourteen years old, and aspire to become an emergency responder, whether it be in the field of para-medicine, law enforcement or the fire department. I'm new around this forum and I had a question about the levels of certification and training, specifically about paramedics.
So.. I understand that the first step in building a career is to get your EMT-B certification. It seems pretty straight forward to me. However, I cant seem to find anything regarding whether or not CA recognizes EMT-Intermediate's or not. I just wanted to get some clarification on that.

Anyhow, my main question is to follow. What is the paramedic level? When somebody says I am an EMT-P, is that person considered to be a paramedic, or do aspiring paramedics have to attend a special kind of school that has a particular Paramedic program. Is an EMT-P program the same thing?

I hear all about people moving away to go to paramedic school, so I'm not sure whether or not that means they are going to a school that offers EMT-P training, or if it's just some other kind of deal.

Thanks in advance, I hope for clarification on this subject!
Kenyon

 

[Akulahawk]

Hey everyone, I'm fourteen years old, and aspire to become an emergency responder, whether it be in the field of para-medicine, law enforcement or the fire department. I'm new around this forum and I had a question about the levels of certification and training, specifically about paramedics.
So.. I understand that the first step in building a career is to get your EMT-B certification. It seems pretty straight forward to me. However, I cant seem to find anything regarding whether or not CA recognizes EMT-Intermediate's or not. I just wanted to get some clarification on that.

Anyhow, my main question is to follow. What is the paramedic level? When somebody says I am an EMT-P, is that person considered to be a paramedic, or do aspiring paramedics have to attend a special kind of school that has a particular Paramedic program. Is an EMT-P program the same thing?

I hear all about people moving away to go to paramedic school, so I'm not sure whether or not that means they are going to a school that offers EMT-P training, or if it's just some other kind of deal.

Thanks in advance, I hope for clarification on this subject!
Kenyon

California does recognize the EMT-Intermediate, however, they call it EMT-II (2). EMT-Basics are called EMT-I (1). Only about 1 or 2 counties actually still use & certify the EMT-II. Every other county recognizes only 2 level EMT provider levels - the EMT-I and the EMT-P (Paramedic). An aspiring Paramedic basically has 2 ways to become a Paramedic. One is to go to a private program that covers all the info needed and the other is to go to a Community College that offers a program. The CC's typically require some kind of Anatomy & Physiology as a prerequisite.

Regardless, it's an excellent idea for an aspiring Paramedic to take A&P, Pharmacology, and a Pathophysiology course. Those courses cover portions of knowledge that aren't normally covered in any significant depth in a typical Paramedic course. This leads the Paramedic to have a MUCH more in-depth knowledge about the body and better able to figure out what needs to be done to start treating sick patients.