How to be a paramedic in California?

[Goreandglory]

I have been a CNA for about a year and although it's a good job I don't feel like it was something I was meant to do. I've always know I wanted to be in the medical field but, after completing my CNA program I realized that I wanted to be a paramedic. I am from a small town next to Monterey Ca. And there are no paramedic programs near me. I am aware that it is a hard job and it's not a lot of money but I'm ok with that. I will be taking EMT hopefully in August and afterwards I am lost as to the process. Now my question is: what do I do after I am an EMT? What paramedic programs do you recommend? How difficult is it to get accepted into a paramedic program in ca? And is there anything else I should do thAt will help me get a job as a paramedic afterwards? I've met with different counselors at my community college but none seem to know the answer to any of my question. Some say get a BA in something else because it will look good on my resume. Others say get a degree in fire science. Other say leave your job and current major work out a lot and go straight into EMT now while you are young. Oh I'm 22 years old, with a son, and his father supports me a lot! I would rather not leave my job now because I know I need to save money to move for the paramedic program

 

[Qulevrius]

The answer to your 1st question (i.e. 'what to do after becoming an EMT) is to find a job with an ambulance company and see how you like it. I personally would suggest to take the 1st job you're offered, even if it's a BLS/IFT, because it'll give you some insight into the nature of the job. Don't be in a rush to jump straight into a medic school, get some experience first before making a decision. You're 22 years young and have a responsibility to your child, that's one little life that depends on you and the choices you make. Just take one step at a time and explore the options.

 

[Aprz]

Good recommendation by @Qulevrius. Get an EMT job after you finish EMT. I suspect American Medical Response (AMR) is the 911 provider in your area.

https://career4.successfactors.com/...OB_SEARCH&_s.crb=kd+4qOkdqSYvDn9aYa005P70EnA=

There is a whole debate about whether if you should get EMT experience prior to working as a paramedic or not. On the forums, people are very split about this. I am North of you in the SF Bay Area and I believe most people are very pro getting experience first with a strong preference for 911 experience. A good compromise is getting experience while you go to paramedic school.

In my opinion, the primary pro to getting experience first is getting a feel for the field. I have a friend who found out he gets severe motion sickness while being in the back of the ambulance. He finished EMT, but didn't pursue EMS further after that. During my clinicals at paramedic school, one of the paramedics intern quit after participating in a code. You might a deal breaker and it would be bad to invest so much time and effort to find out that this isn't for you.

Go to any paramedic program that will accept you.

While socializing, people will say better things about community college programs, but nobody really cares. Nobody asks me where I went to school. None of my employers ever asked me where I went to EMT school or paramedic school. Community college programs tend to be cheaper, but they are also more difficult to get in. There are a lot of private paramedic programs eg NCTI (many locations), Westmed College in Merced and San Jose, Fast Response in Berkeley. It is pretty unheard of to be denied going to a private paramedic program, but they are way more expensive than community colleges.

There is an NCTI paramedic program near you.

https://ncti.edu/er/#student/register?course=413

I believe most paramedics do not have degrees. I think degrees are more desired by fire departments, but still not required. Feel free to get a degree in anything you want. It'll be more than what most paramedics have I think.

 

[Goreandglory]

One more question! Does it matter if the paramedic program is accredited? Thank you all for your responses!

 

[Tigger]

One more question! Does it matter if the paramedic program is accredited? Thank you all for your responses!

Yes. You cannot test for National Registry unless your program is accredited. Whether or not you need that in California is not something I am aware of but it be silly to not get your national certification.

 

[Goreandglory]

Yes. You cannot test for National Registry unless your program is accredited. Whether or not you need that in California is not something I am aware of but it be silly to not get your national certification.

Thank you! I recently requested information from a program about two hours away from my home it's pretty expensive and when I asked if they were accredited they just kept saying accreditation didn't make a difference which I highly doubted but I am very glad you cleared it up !

 

[gonefishing]

Thank you! I recently requested information from a program about two hours away from my home it's pretty expensive and when I asked if they were accredited they just kept saying accreditation didn't make a difference which I highly doubted but I am very glad you cleared it up !

Yes for California you need an accredited course.
Up near you, you have options if your willing to travel further north. You can also do Paramedic online courses. One who is accredited is Percom and offers a payment plan. You work at your own pace.