The state of South Carolina will require that you successfully pass the NREMT examinations and be Nationally Registered prior to being granted state certification.
Paramedic Training Programs in South Carolina
Below, please click on a school to get admissions information on their programs:
Greenville Technical College – Greenville, SC
PO Box 5616, Mailstop 1221
Greenville , SC – 29606-5616
Horry-Georgetown Technical College – Myrtle Beach, SC
743 Hemlock Ave.
Myrtle Beach , SC – 29577
LowCountry Regional EMS Council – Walterboro, SC
237 Oakland Drive
Walterboro, SC 29488
Pee Dee Regional EMS – Florence, SC
1314 W Darlington Street
Florence, SC 29501
SC Midlands Emergency Medical Service Management Association – West Columbia, SC
3201 Leaphart Rd
West Columbia, SC 29169
Spartanburg Community College – Spartanburg, SC
PO Box 4386, EAC 345
Spartanburg, SC 29305
Trident Technical College – Charleston, SC
65 Columbus St
Charleston , SC – 29403
Program Requirements
· South Carolina requires that paramedic students be certified as an EMT prior to enrolling into a paramedic program. If you don’t have state certification, NREMT-B certification will likely suffice.
· You will also need to have proper CPR certification, and in many cases, have completed an anatomy and physiology course, too. Depending on the program, an ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification is required, as well.
· One must be a high school graduate who is at least 18 years old. If you’re not a high school graduate, a GED will suffice.
· Immunizations are certainly required (since you’ll be getting hospital experience throughout the course). You’ll likely need to go through a criminal background check and drug screening, too. Written references may or may not be required by the school.
· Paramedic training courses can typically be found at community colleges. An EMT-P course often provides students with a mixture of classroom and in-hospital clinical experience, as well as some field experience.
· You will want to make sure that whichever paramedic training program in SC you select is an accredited program.
Where can I find an accredited paramedic training program in South Carolina?
Make sure you visit the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) to find an accredited paramedic training program. This is important, because as of January 1, 2013, all students will need to complete paramedic education at an accredited school in order to take the paramedic NREMT exam.
Do I need EMT experience to apply to a paramedic training program?
This varies from school to school, so check be sure to check around for a program that fits you best. Typically, you don’t need EMT experience, but it’s always encouraged and some schools firmly believe that students with EMT experience are more likely to successfully pass their paramedic training course.
How long will it take me to become a paramedic?
This really depends on the college and training program you select. Typically, a paramedic program can take anywhere from 6 months to two years to complete.
The paramedic program at Horry Georgetown Technical College will take students three semesters to complete.
How much will a paramedic training program cost?
All paramedic courses are a bit different and vary college to college. But, typically, you can expect to pay anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000 for a quality and thorough paramedic training course. Some programs can most certainly exceed that cost, however.
TAKING THE PARAMEDIC NREMT EXAM
After you successfully complete the required paramedic training course, you will need to pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam. This is both a computer adaptive test (cognitive examination) as well as a skills test (psychomotor examination).
Cognitive Examination
The cognitive examination will cover the entire spectrum of EMS care. This includes Airway, Ventilation, Oxygenation, Trauma, Cardiology, Medical, and EMS Operations. The maximum amount of time you will be given to pass this portion of the exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Psychomotor Examination
The psychomotor examination consists of 12 separate skills laid out in a scenario-type format to approximate the abilities of the EMT-Paramedic to function in the out-of-hospital setting. Those taking the test are actually allowed to bring their own equipment to the exam provided it is approved for testing by the National Registry Representative in attendance at the examination.
The psychomotor exam portion of the paramedic NREMT exam will test your knowledge and competency in each of the following skills: Patient Assessment-Trauma, Ventilatory Management, Cardiac Management Skills, IV and Medication Skills, Oral Station, Pediatric Skills, and Random Basic Skills.
PRACTICING AS A PARAMEDIC
The state of South Carolina will require that you have successfully passed the NREMT examinations and be Nationally Registered prior to you being granted state certification. State certification comes when you are employed with an EMS provider.
How much money does a paramedic make annually?
An average paramedic salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2011, is about $34,030 per year.
According to Greenville Technical College, which has an accredited paramedic program, the salary of a paramedic in upstate South Carolina can start at $34,000 and top out at about $43,000.
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