Is any1 on here a paramedic or doctor?

Questions about becoming a Paramedic?

• Hello, Ever since getting diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma at the age of 5 I've wanted to be in a medical field (I'm in remission). I don't find I'm smart enough and don't have the money to pay for college to be a full blown doctor. A paramedic is something I could probably do though. I just have some questions about schooling and requirements to get schooling. Please ask if you need anything cleared up. :P If you guys can bring up any answers to questions I did not post please do. These are just the first questions I thought of. -Is High school required (this is just a curiosity question. I do not plan on dropping out) and what kinds of grades would I need? -Does it make it harder to get into a paramedic school if you've had to repeat a grade? -Is any years of college required? -How long does paramedic training usually take? -What is the yearly salary for a paramedic? -Is it classified as a full time job?

• Answer:

  1. A high school diploma or GED is required. The high school grades you need depend on the school you apply to for your training. 2. I don't think so...as long as you have graduated from high school and completed all your prerequisites to paramedic school. 3. Again, this depends on where you go. Most paramedic programs are offered at technical schools and community colleges...so you will spend a couple years at one of these institutions to complete your training. But it does not normally require that you attend a four-year college or university. 4. Expect it to take 2-3 years. First you will need to become an EMT-Basic. This course lasts 3-6 months. Then you will proceed to the paramedic program, which lasts 1-2 years, depending on the school. 5. That varies widely by state. Look it up for the state you live in. 6. This depends where you live. You can get a full-time job as a paramedic, but many states have a combined fire/EMS system--which means that to be hired full-time, you will need to be a firefighter as well as a paramedic. You will need to research how the fire and EMS systems in your area are organized.