I'm 16, female. I was at the hospital the other day and I saw these paramedics walk by and right there I knew I wanted to be a paramedic/EMT. I live in Texas, is there anything I can do to get started now? What are the classes like? How much do they make? I'm going to a community college next year.

You could call local EMT companies and ask if you could intern or do a job shadow. Community colleges do offer classes to become a certified EMT. Lots of First Aid, CPR, medical terminology and other similar topics are the focus of training.

As for the pay scale, that depends on your area. Contact an EMT company and I'm sure they'd be very happy to answer your questions. Good luck!

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Para...teps - wikiHow

Steps

1 To become a paramedic, you will first need an EMT-Basic certification. There are four levels of EMT:

E.M.R (Emergency Medical Responder) also known as a First Responder

EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) This is known as the "basic" level

A.E.M.T (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician) Also known as Intermediate

Paramedic

2 Get certified in CPR. This is required for an EMT-Basic class. Check first with the EMT course instructor or school, as CPR certification may be part of the class. If not, the Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, American Heart Association, and Wilderness Medical Associates all offer relatively inexpensive CPR classes, but entry into a paramedic program will give preference to the American Heart Association Healthcare Provider Card.

3 Get your EMT-B certification. Most community colleges offer EMT-Basic classes. They cost $500-$900 and last from 3 to 6 months, or a semester. In some communities, you may have to ride along as a "third person" for a few months before you will be put into a class. Sometimes you pay for the class and are reimbursed. In other cases the service will pay for your training.

4 Take the National Registry EMT-Basic exam. This is a computer-adaptive test and can be quite challenging. The test "adapts" itself to your skill level: It will adjust the difficulty of its questions to your ability to answer earlier questions correctly. Thus, if you answer the first questions correctly, the test will begin asking harder questions. The aim is to establish your level of knowledge. The exam includes "hands-on" testing too, and you should practice EMT skills until you're quite comfortable performing them before you take the EMT-B test.

5 If you pass the EMT-B exam, you have the choice of moving up to Intermediate or going into Paramedic.

6 If you go right into Paramedic training: Take an IV class (intravenous injections) and get IV-certified

Take an EKG interpretation class (echocardiograms)

Some programs require that you pass Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology classes

Most programs require that you pass college-level math, English and biology classes

Get certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support. Some Paramedic programs set time aside to include these certifications. Check with your program first.

You will need about a year of experience as an actively practicing EMT-B. (Some Intermediate classes may require this, too). Alternatively, some schools require documentation of the calls you have responded to, so you should keep a list of them and note the classification of each call (cardiac, trauma, respiratory, etc.) Review your list before taking part in any oral interviews regarding your qualifications.

Check the curriculum before you start, as some or all of the above mentioned classes may be included in the program so that you won't have to take them elsewhere.

7 The paramedic programs alone can cost up to $15,000 (not including books). The costs can vary greatly, so carefully research available options. Some fire departments will pay for your paramedic program if you're employed with them as an EMT-B/firefighter.

8 Study very hard for your paramedic exam. Many books have been written to help you prepare for the test. The exam is widely considered quite comprehensive and very difficult. It's impossible to study too much for it.

9 When you get your paramedic license, go job hunting.

10 Being a paramedic is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. There is no better feeling than knowing you have helped someone at a time of critical need.

11 If you are interested in a career in para-medicine, try contacting your local ambulance company to see if they will allow you to ride along during one of their shifts. This will give you a more realistic idea of what pre-hospital care entails and whether you and the job might be a good fit