How to Become a Paramedic (EMT) in Virginia | ECPI University

How to Become a Paramedic in Virginia

(Without Spending 30 Months in School)

It’s been said there are no shortcuts in life. Still, you wouldn’t drive hours out of your way to get somewhere if another road took only 30 minutes? Unfortunately, that’s how it’s been in Virginia for people who want to become paramedics. Here, Paramedic (EMT) programs typically take between 27 and 30 months to complete. You begin at the basic level and progress through the following stages:

  • EMR (Emergency Medical Responder)
  • EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
  • AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician)
  • EMT-I (EMT-Intermediate/99)
  • Paramedic

The school sets the pace, gradually sending students through the program semester by semester – with long breaks and lost time during the summer. What’s more, you have to pass a series of certifications at each level in order to progress to the next.

What if you could finish sooner by attending school year-round?  What if you could learn everything in a more holistic environment, designed to prepare you for just one certification test in order to become an EMT? That’s exactly how the Paramedic (EMT) program works at ECPI University.

At our Newport News campus, the EMT degree program is designed to prepare you to become certified at the highest level of pre-hospital advanced life support care. In class, labs, and through clinical rotations, you can learn:

  • How to manage trauma
  • Advanced airway management
  • How to control excessive bleeding
  • Basic EMT pharmacology
  • Methods to handle respiratory and cardiac emergencies
  • Care for soft tissue injuries
  • Techniques for addressing musculoskeletal injuries
  • Procedures to identify head, spinal, and neck injuries
  • Methods for lifting and moving injured patients
  • Shock management procedures
  • Procedures for managing IV fluids

Here’s the best part: You can complete this entire program in a fraction of the time. By attending class year-round, you can earn the Associate of Applied Science in Emergency Medical Services in just 16 months. If you are already an EMT, you can complete the program even sooner, in as little as one year.

If you want to save lives and make a difference, considering become a paramedic.

Not everyone can be a paramedic. It takes someone with compassion, a good listener with solid problem-solving skills, someone who is cool under pressure. If that sounds like you and you want to learn more about this rewarding field, contact ECPI University and its Newport News Campus today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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