The career as a US air ambulance paramedic is both rewarding and exciting. The paramedics are expected to ride along with the patient in the aircraft providing emergency response as well as advanced life support to the patients en route the medical facility where the charge is then transferred. The job of a US air ambulance paramedic can be quite mentally stressful and physically demanding as are most jobs in this industry. Most air ambulance companies, apart from the required qualifications, also look for good physical fitness before hiring the services.
Qualification Requirements of US Air Ambulance Paramedics
To be considered by US air ambulance companies, a paramedic is usually expected to have at least 5 years of experience. The median salary offered is about $31,700 according to the statistics revealed by Bureau of Labor Statistics in the year 2014. All the states in the United States mandate that the paramedics are licensed for the job. An associate degree of certificate is enough for the job. The emergency medical technician paramedic certification issued by NREMT is a must.
Obtaining the Qualifications to become a US Air Ambulance Paramedic
You are first expected to get the CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and BLS (basic life support) certifications. If you’ve attended these classes in high school it is a huge plus. It usually takes just one session to get this certification.
Next is getting emergency medical training. The training involves both theoretical and practical classes in a vocational or technical education setting. Here, you would be trained to handle situations such as allergic reactions, substance abuse, etc.
You’re now ready to get the license through NREMT. You’ll have to take an examination which comprises of written as well as practical tests here.
It’s now time to gain experience to become a certified paramedic so that you can land a job with any of the US air ambulance companies. In order to get the certification, you will have to bag at least 1,200 hours of training. Once you gain that, you’ll have to undergo an extensive certification examination through NREMT. The certification qualifies you to take up the national certification to become a paramedic. Once you’re through this, you can gain the requisite experience and then apply for a job as a paramedic in any of the US air ambulance companies.
