EMTs, or emergency medical technicians, and paramedics respond to victims of incidents such as heart attacks, gunshot wounds or vehicle accidents, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment of these professionals is projected to increase 9 percent from 2008 to 2018, reports the BLS. This is fitting in Michigan, where health care is a top industry in cities such as Lansing, according to City-Data.com. Average EMT salaries in 2010 in Michigan were $40,000, reports SimplyHired.com. Several schools in Michigan offer EMT training to prepare students for this demanding field.
Certificate/Degree
Multiple Michigan schools, including Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, offer a Basic EMT certificate program, the lowest EMT training level. Individuals who have a current medical first responder (MFR) license and current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification can take an MFR-to-EMT matriculation course at Glen Oaks, as well. Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Kalamazoo offers a two-year associate degree program in emergency medical services along with EMT Basic and paramedic programs. Lansing Community College provides a 14-credit Basic EMT training program. EMT students at LCC can choose to complete all courses in one semester through an EMT day academy or over two semesters through night classes. The Lansing school also offers an associate degree program in emergency medical services. These types of associate degree programs typically prepare students to become paramedics, the highest level of EMT.
Admission
To get into Michigan EMT training programs such as the Basic EMT courses at Lansing Community College, students must have their CPR certification, be 18 years old and be willing to have their criminal backgrounds investigated. In addition, students must meet reading and writing requirements. Students at Kalamazoo Valley Community College must take prerequisite courses such as anatomy/physiology and a Basic EMT course to get into the associate degree program in emergency medical services.
Courses
Classes in Michigan Basic EMT training programs cover topics such as medical terminology. Emergency medical services classes include human physiology and prehospital emergency medicine and pharmacology. Associate degree students also learn about medical emergencies, trauma rotation, specialized care rotation, gerontology and cardiovascular emergencies. Students in Kalamazoo Valley Community College's associate degree program additionally complete an EMT medical emergencies clinical and a paramedic-level field internship in an advanced life-support-services setting.
Licensing
Michigan EMT training programs make students eligible to take National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians computer-based and practical exams at basic EMT, intermediate EMT or paramedic levels. This is required to be licensed in the state of Michigan, according to EMT-National-Training.com. Once students have their industry license through the Michigan Department of Community Health, they must renew it every three years by fulfilling continuing education requirements.
Prospects
After completing EMT training programs in Michigan schools, students can find jobs with clinics, with rescue squads or in emergency rooms, according to Glen Oaks Community College. They can also work in ambulances, for public service agencies or for the government, reports Lansing Community College and the BLS.
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