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A fully trained paramedic is like an emergency room
on wheels. They can give shots of medicine, start
IVs (tubes that provide medicine and other fluid),
put in a breathing tube, and other advanced types
of care.
One way to describe the difference between
an EMT and a paramedic is that EMTs cannot
break a person’s skin. That is, they can’t start IVs
or give injections, while a paramedic can.
First Steps
Like most students looking at jobs with special
skills, future EMTs and paramedics have to attend
classes. After applying to a school or business that
provides the classes, they hit the books! To be-
come an EMT, you need about 150 hours of work
in the classroom and another 10–20 hours learn-
ing in the field.
In the classes and coursework, EMTs learn
basic life support. That teaches them how to
make sure a patient is breathing and has a steady
pulse. They learn how to dress wounds quickly to
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