Taking a 6 month paramedic program is the fastest way to establish a career in the healthcare field. In this blog post, I have curated a list, with details, of the best paramedic program that you can complete in just 6 months or less. Without any further ado, let’s get started.
Medical and healthcare programs typically take a lot of time to complete, ranging from 4 to 8 years, and are among the many reasons why most people don’t pursue a medical education. However, from the title of this post, you already know that not all medical programs take time to complete because you can complete and earn a paramedic certification in just 6 months.
The 6 month paramedic program is actually common and mostly offered by community colleges and vocational institutions. To get into the paramedic program, you should consider getting foundational knowledge of the medical field. You can take free online first aid courses or take some free online medical courses to get the fundamental knowledge that is required.
Doing this, that is, getting foundational knowledge in medical courses, will increase your chances of getting accepted into the 6 month paramedic program. There are also free medical books you can download online to prepare yourself for interviews and entrance exams which can be set by your host institution to screen/evaluate you before accepting you.
Also note that the entry requirements vary from school to school, student residency status, and other factors. You can get these details by contacting the admissions office of your preferred institution for the 6 month paramedic program. Of course, you no longer need to look or search for these programs since I have curated the best ones, and their details, here.
You simply need to read through the programs and their details to find the one that piques your interest and then go ahead to contact the institution offering that program for further information.
10 Best 6 Month Paramedic Program
A paramedic is a licensed healthcare professional, highly trained and skilled in medical practices to carry out some of the duties of a duty. These medically skilled professionals work autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialize in clinical practice, education, leadership, and research.
However, paramedics are known to provide specialist care and treatment to patients who have been involved in accidents and other emergencies. They mostly respond to emergencies with EMT personnel but they are neither doctors nor nurses they can only work alongside them. And paramedics have more medical training than EMTs since they are able to provide advanced emergency medical care which the EMTs cannot provide.
As a paramedic, you will work in emergency rooms and ambulances treating patients with urgent problems. The expertise of paramedics is also required in other settings such as on cruise ships, firefighting teams, air rescue transport, oil-drilling platforms, ocean rescue teams, and SWAT teams.
The duties of a paramedic include:
- Responding to emergency calls
- Dressing wounds and injuries
- Providing patient care in hospitals and other medical facilities
- Using ventilators, defibrillators, and other specialist equipment
- Driving and staffing emergency vehicles like ambulance
- Teaching and training members of the public to use first aid techniques correctly
- Monitoring and administering medication, pain relief, and intravenous infusions
These are the typical tasks of a paramedic but to progress in the field, there are other skills that you need to possess which are:
- Effective and strong communication skills
- Empathy and care for others
- Be physically fit
- Navigational and driving skills
- Resilience
- Stamina
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make swift decisions and stay calm under pressure.
These skills you will gain during your education and training as a paramedic, and through the programs listed and discussed below, you will gain these skillsets and more from some of the best instructors and expert trainers in the field.
The best 6 month paramedic training programs are:
- Certificate IV in Health Care – Australian Paramedical College
- Paramedic Program – Dallas College
- Paramedic Program – Orange County Emergency Medical Training (OCEMT)
- Accelerated Paramedic Program – Denver Health Paramedics
- Paramedic Program – Elite Medic Training Academy
- Accelerated Paramedic Training – Mid-Plains Community College
- Accelerated Paramedic Training – Mid-Plains Community College
- Accelerated Paramedic Program – UCLA Center for Prehospital Care
- TEEX Paramedic Program
- Paramedic Program – Saddleback College
- EMT – Paramedic – St. John’s University
1. Certificate IV in Health Care – Australian Paramedical College
The name of this program might be confusing to you or probably what you are not expecting it to be but trust me when I say this is one of the best paramedic programs out there. Certificate IV in Healthcare is a 6-month emergency healthcare course offered by the Australian Paramedical College. This certification will equip you with foundational skills that are required for all pre-hospital first care responders.
Getting this certification will launch you into a career in the paramedic field. It is not offered online, and therefore, for only Australian citizens and permanent residents. The college also offers a diploma in emergency healthcare and a certificate III in non-emergency patient transport.
2. Paramedic Program – Dallas College
Dallas College in Texas, US is offering a paramedic program that you can complete in 7 and a half months which is just an extra 1.5 months and there isn’t much difference. The program consists of 39 credits which students must complete to be awarded the certification.
During the program, you will take classroom lectures, and engage in hands-on practice in labs, ambulance experience, and hospital rotations with an emphasis on emergency department experience. This way, you will get equipped with essential skills to progress in your career.
To enter this program, you must have prior training as an EMT and have your current and valid state of Texas EMT certification or National Registry credential, you can find other requirements on the program website. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and cohorts are year-round. The total program fee is $300.
3. Paramedic Program – Orange County Emergency Medical Training (OCEMT)
The paramedic program from OCEMT is an accredited program that meets the standards of Title 22 from the California Code of Regulations and takes 6 months to complete. In the course of the program, you will gain a handful of essential skills that will prepare you for the licensure exam to earn your certification and progress into the field as a certified paramedic.
The required course hours are 1,296 and split across didactic, labs, internship, field experience, and hospital clinics. The total cost of the program is $12,000 and includes books, licensing fee exam application fee, practical exam fee, textbooks, uniform, clinical equipment, and live scan.
4. Accelerated Paramedic Program – Denver Health Paramedics
Denver Health Paramedics is offering an accelerated paramedic program that takes 6 months to complete. They also offer a 12-month paramedic program for those who may be interested. To indicate your interest in this program, you must submit a complete application form and after it is approved, you will be invited for a panel interview.
There are certain requirements that you must meet before you even apply. You must be at least 18 years old and be a high school graduate or have a GED. You must have also completed an EMT basic training program and worked as an EMT for a minimum of 6 months. Applicants must also have a current CPR certification, a basic EKG course, and an IV therapy approval course.
Three recommendation letters are also required and a non-refundable application fee of $75. The total program cost is $9,290.
5. Paramedic Program – Elite Medic Training Academy
The Paramedic Program at Elite Medic Training Academy is not a 6 month program but a 12-month program but I had to add it here because it is free. Yes, entirely free. The academy is located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and is accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The course is a hands-on clinical session and instructor-led classes. The credits earned from this course can be applied for an Allied Health degree at Holyoke Community College. When you complete this paramedic program at EMTA, you will gain employment at the National Ambulance.
6. Accelerated Paramedic Training – Mid-Plains Community College
Mid-Plains Community College has an accelerated paramedic training program that takes 12 weeks to complete. The program consists of didactic training, labs, and clinical hours all of which offer you the essential skills you need to advance in the medical field. The program prepares you for the licensure exam to get your certification and start practicing.
If this program interests you then you must have prior knowledge of anatomy and physiology. A criminal background check will be conducted on all applicants by a certified agency. The tuition for residents is $10,064 and non-residents are charged $11,282.
7. Accelerated Paramedic Program – UCLA Center for Prehospital Care
The Accelerated Paramedic Program at UCLA Center for Prehospital Care is one of the best paramedic programs because it is from UCLA, one of the best schools in the US and it is also the first accredited paramedic program in the US. Although this program takes 8 months to complete and not 6 months, you sure have a lot to gain from it.
To qualify as a student, you must hold a California EMT certification, 6 months of EMT work experience, hold a BLS certification, complete paramedic prep, pass the entrance exam, and hold a valid state driver’s license. During your paramedic class, you will earn 3 other certifications in ACLS, PALS, and, PHTLS.
8. TEEX Paramedic Program
TEEX Paramedic Program is a 7.5-month and 1,262-hour program designed to take your EMS career to the next level. The Commission accredits it on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The program consists of didactic training, online co-requisite courses, classroom lectures, hands-on lab, clinical and field experience, hospital experience, EMS experience, and a capstone EMS internship with 20 team leads.
The entry requirements for this program include the following:
- You must have completed high school or a GED
- You should be able to carry 125 pounds
- Hold an EMT certification
- Hold a current CPR certification from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association
- Drug screening test
The total program tuition is $5,000.
9. Paramedic Program – Saddleback College
Saddleback College has been offering this paramedic program since 1988 and has decades of experience training and educating people in the profession. The program takes 6.5 months of full-time study to complete.
The Allied Health Education Programs accredit the program upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions.
10. EMT – Paramedic – St. John’s University
Lastly, on our list of best 6 months paramedic program is the nationally accredited paramedic program offered at St. John’s University. It is a 1100+ hour program that covers didactic and clinical training, lab sessions, clinical rotations, field experience, and field internship.
To be accepted into the program, you have to meet the following requirements:
- Possess a current EMT certification
- High school diploma or a GED
- A valid driver’s license.
- $200 non-refundable application fee.
- Online application
The tuition for the program is $9,200.
This wraps up the 10 best 6 months paramedic programs, although some are a little over 6 months they are all designed to make you a paramedic much quicker. From the details here, you can compare each program to find one that suits your demand and go ahead to begin the application process on the school website or in person.