Emergency Medical Technician

Emergency Medical Technician or EMT is a course that students choose to study after secondary school. If they want to complete their graduation in this stream, they need to pass their 10+2 level. This course of study involves pieces of training and demonstrations about handling any critical emergency situations and giving immediate care to an injured person before medical help arrives. Applicants need to simply apply for this course to the level they want to complete. There is no admission exam for the Emergency Medical Technician course.  

There are several options to pursue this course a diploma, certificate, graduation, and postgraduation. Students can also choose their mode of study which is online or offline. Some of the colleges in India that offer Emergency Medical Technician courses are; AIIMS, Delhi; Christian Medical College, Vellore; JIPMER, Puducherry; KGMU, Lucknow, etc. 

The course fee for the Emergency Medical Technician degree depends upon the level of the course. However, in India, the average course fee range for Emergency Medical Technicians varies from 50,000 to 2,00,000 INR. There are various designations after completing the Emergency Medical Technician degree like Ambulance Driver, EMT-Paramedic, etc.

Here are some quick highlights on the Emergency Medical Technician Course: 

There are many vital areas that are covered under the Emergency Medical Technician course. In India, this study sector's growth is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Alongside medical practitioners, the candidates who complete the Emergency Medical Technician course provide immediate medical assistance in case of any unfortunate accidental situations. Besides, there are options for both offline and online study for this course so that more students can continue their education according to their convenience.

The different types of Emergency Medical Technician courses are

There are no definite entrance exams for this course. During admission to diploma or certification courses, students need to produce their secondary-level passing certificate. While taking admission to graduate or post-graduate courses, students are asked to submit their 10+2 and graduation certificates respectively.

Students who want to enroll in a graduate-level degree course for the emergency medical technician, need to pass their 10+2 level with at least 55% aggregate marks. He/she should be from a science background. It is mandatory to have physics chemistry or biology as the core subject of study. Students having zoology, botany, or computer science as core subjects can also apply for an undergraduate degree in emergency medical technician.

There are plenty of options for students if they want to pursue their postgraduation degree as an emergency medical technician. The initial criterion is to have a bachelor's degree in the relevant field. Other accepted degrees include; MBBS, BDS, BPT, and B.Sc. Nursing, BNYS, BSMS, Emergency Care, Trauma Care, etc.

There are many options that a student can choose from while applying for an Emergency Medical Technician course at any level. They need to provide the required educational certificates while applying for their desired level of Emergency Medical Technician course.

There are several colleges in India that offer Emergency Medical Technician degrees at various levels. On the online studies front, many prominent online educational platforms like Udemy, and Coursera offer degree courses in Emergency Medical Technician. Some of the offline colleges and online platforms details are mentioned below:

Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician:

Diploma in Emergency Medical Technician:

Under-Graduate Degree in Emergency Medical Technician:

Post-Graduate Degree in Emergency Medical Technician:

The level-wise average course fee for Emergency Medical Technician is given below:

• The average course fee for the certificate course ranges between  20,000 to 50,000 INR.
• For a Diploma degree in Emergency Medical Technician, a candidate has to pay an average admission fee between 40,000 to 1,00,000 INR.
• The average admission fee for most of the colleges in India for an Undergraduate course in MD Radiology is 50,000 to 2,00,000 INR.
• The average cost for completing a Postgraduate course in MD in Radiology lies between 90,000 to 3,00,000 INR.

The level-wise curriculum is given below:

Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician:

The certification course for Emergency Medical Technician is an 8 to 10 weeks long course. The syllabus includes:

• Diabetic Emergencies-  Prepares students to deal with mainly two kinds of diabetic emergencies that is hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis. 
• The Well-being of the EMT- The most important thing is how an EMT specialist should deal with any kind of emergency with a calm and composed mind so that the patient and his/her family do not get nervous, is taught here.
• Altered Mental Status - Learning how an EMT profession should deal with Altered Mental Status patients and the rudimentary about the disorder listing and Moving Patients- Under this, EMT professionals are taught how to properly move and lift a patient from the accident scene.
• Allergic Reaction- Students learn how to diagnose any allergic reactions in patients by knowing their medical history, etc.
• Medical, Legal and Ethical Issues- Various ethics and legal policies stated as per the Government, are taught to aspiring EMT professionals.
• Environmental Emergencies- Students learn to tackle any kind of environmental emergency situation like drowning, illness, or attacks due to extreme temperatures, electrical shock, etc. 
• The Primary Assessment- How to treat and handle patients immediately is demonstrated to the Emergency Medical Technician aspirants under this subject.
• Pediatric Emergencies- Candidates learn how to deal with various problems arising among infants, children, and adolescents.

Diploma in Emergency Medical Technician-

Students who pursue a diploma in Emergency Medical Technician course have to study about several methodologies at a very basic level. They are also introduced to many organ-related emergencies and how to respond to them at a very basic level. The major subjects that are taught are 

• EMS Response to Terrorism- Through this subject, Emergency Medical Technician specialists are trained and demonstrated how they should handle any terrorist situation with maximum effectiveness.
• Pharmacology- A basic introduction to pharmacology is given to the candidates for any instances where they must administer some mandatory medicines. 
• Biostatic and Research Methodology- How to apply statistics in the biology field for conducting research, is taught in this subject.
• Emergency Department Equipment- The fundamentals of various emergency equipment, how to maintain the quality of those pieces of equipment, etc. is taught under this subject.
• Hematologic and Renal Emergencies- As the name suggests, how to diagnose all the blood and kidney-related issues in case of any emergencies, is explained here.
• Patient Assessment- The basics of how to correctly and carefully examine the conditions of the patient in an emergency scenario, is demonstrated under this subject.
• Advanced Pre-Hospital Care - All the rudimentary care that is essential to administer to injured persons before transferring them to hospitals, is taught under this subject.
• Exploring Emerging Technologies for Lifelong Learning and Success- Under this subject, the candidates are taught about all the modern age technologies, and how to effectively use them for medical purposes, etc.

Undergraduate in Emergency Medical Technician:

At the undergraduate level, students are taught about some of the fundamentals of various sciences which the professionals need to know in order to have a piece of in-depth knowledge about Emergency Medical Technician services. The area of study includes subjects like

• Environmental Health and Science- This subject covers the fundamentals of the environmental and health sciences that Emergency Medical Technician professionals need to learn.
• Introduction to Emergency Services- Candidates are introduced to the various types and processes of emergency services for different kinds of situations.
• Microbiology- Rudimentary concepts of microbiology are taught to the candidates in this subject.
• Anatomy- It is very essential for Emergency Medical Technician professionals to know the basics of anatomy for emergency situation diagnosis. This is covered under this subject.
• Hospital Management- Many designations of Emergency Medical Technicians need basic knowledge about hospital management, which is taught to the students in this subject.
• Psychology- All Emergency Medical Technician course candidates need to undergo at least 120 hours of training in psychology for providing alternative care for any psychological-related ailment emergency.
• Biostatic and Research Methodology- It includes all the research methodologies and statistical methods that are necessary to monitor the medical condition of the patients. 

Post-Graduate Emergency Medical Technician

There are major study areas that are covered under a post-graduation degree in Emergency Medical Technician. The major subjects taught under this degree are

• Disaster Management- A thorough study with a proper demonstration involving how to handle any disaster situation, is given to EMT professionals.
• Surgical Emergencies- Under this subject, Emergency Medical Technician aspirants are made familiar with many accidents and situations that can happen due to critical surgeries and how to control the situation effectively.
• General Approach for Emergency Medicine- Some situations may need emergency administration of medicines. Emergency Medical Technician professionals are taught about several medicines in a general approach.
• Advanced Trauma Management- This is an upgradation for what is taught to the candidates at their graduation level. Here more topics of trauma and how their effective management should be done are taught.
• Eye and Ear Emergencies- Emergency Medical Technician professionals are taught about how to diagnose any issues related to the eye and ear in emergency situations.
• Pulmonary and Cardiac Emergencies- Under this subject, all the professionals of Emergency Medical Technician are taught how to quickly respond to any critical heart related issues immediately in order to save a life.

Both Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics are branches of medical studies. The professionals of these streams mainly deal with many emergency situations before victims are actually taken to hospitals. But, there are certain differences between Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technician.  

The graduation and post-graduation level evaluation in Emergency Medical Technician is divided into semesters. The structure is given below. 

Graduation Level

Elective (any two):

• Practical Training in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis
• Digital Subtraction Angiography
• Coronary Angiography
• Immuno-Techniques in Disease Diagnosis
• Digital Subtraction Angiography
• Polysomnography

Post-Graduation Level

Elective (any two):

• Assault and Abuse Emergency Department
• Pre-Hospital Management and EMS (Emergency Medical Services)
• Special Situations in the Emergency Department
• Environmental Emergencies

Some of the best books that students can refer to while studying the Emergency Medical Technician course are:

• ABC of Prehospital Emergency Medicine by Mathew Boylan
• Assessment Skills for Paramedics by Amanda Bieber
• Careers in Emergency Medical Services by Institute of Career Research
• People Care by Tom Dicks
• First Responder’s Guide to Abnormal Psychology by William I. Dorfman
• First Responder (8th Edition) by J.David Bergeron
• EMS Supervisors by Orlando Dominguez
• Preventing Exposure to Bloodbourne Pathogens Among Pandemic by Winifred L. Boal
• Professional Practice in Paramedics, Emergency and Urgent Care by Val Nixon
• Safe Patient Handling and Movement by Audrey Nelson
• Safe Transfer and Revival by Peter Driscoll

Below mentioned are a few designations along with their average salary for students’ reference:

There are many private and government/public medical organizations that recruit professionals for Emergency Medical Technician. Some of the top recruiting agencies are

• Alchemist Ltd and Mayom hospital
• Global Hospitals
• Kokila Ben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
• Medica Super Specialty Hospital
• Aster DM Healthcare
• Columbia Asia
• Apollo Hospitals
• Fortis Hospital

Certain skills that make an individual more professional and perfect in Emergency Medical Technician coursework are:

• Ability to assess any situation quickly effectively, and with a calm mind
• Ability to take correct decisions quickly in case of emergencies
• Should be able to handle pressure situations
• Should have the skill to multi-task
• Should be highly motivated and have a knack to help others
• Should possess the aptitude to work in a team
• Should have very clear concepts and in-depth knowledge of the basic ideas of the subject
• The individual should have a knack for conducting training and demonstration sessions whenever the situation demands
• Should be self-reliant
• Must have knowledge about several medical equipment
• Should possess excellent communication skills