About Air Ambulance Training

Candidates for air ambulance training are only admitted to schools and on-the-job training programs if they possess medical experience. Typical candidates for this career start out as nurses, paramedics, EMTs, technical therapists, military medics and other triage-specific workers. Pre-hospital emergency care and resuscitation expertise are highly-sought qualifications. In addition to having the right mix of medical knowledge, air medics must also be decisive and cool under extreme pressure, possessing patience, excellent communication skills and confidence. Serious physical demands further narrow the candidate pool.

While candidates can start out with a high school diploma, qualified college grads are quickly pushing them aside. Most candidates are armed with around five years of emergency medical experience. They are more likely to be admitted into an air ambulance program if they already have emergency medical technician certification. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) offers five levels of education: First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate (a two-channel course of study) and Paramedic. Some states offer additional designations. Expect coursework focused on respiratory, trauma and cardiac emergencies, patient assessment, emergency room practices and practicums focused on blood loss, fractures, airway obstruction, cardiac arrest and childbirth. Backboards, suction devices, splints, oxygen delivery systems and stretchers are basic tools of the trade and must be used correctly before a candidate can move on to a final exam administered by a state-certified NREMT proctor.

Add around five years of experience in critical care medicine to your resume before you consider applying for a job as an air medic, then expect to add helicopter underwater escape, fire fighting and winch training to your skill sets. If you have certifications in multiple medical disciplines, your path to a career in this field will be greatly enhanced. Time on the job as an airborne med-evac pro can help you earn a graduate certificate in what has often been referred to as "care in the air." State requirements vary greatly; there's a wide spread of from 30 to 350 hours of advanced training required from one state to another so you must check with your state's NREMT to get specifics. Training is most intensive when one seeks the highest certification of all: EMT-Paramedic. To attain this lofty position, coursework in anatomy and physiology is so rigorous, some community colleges and technical schools confer an associates degree upon those who complete the program.

Like all medical professionals, there are mundane tasks in between crises that are usually relegated to trainees, such as inventorying and restocking the aircraft's medical supplies, starting charts en route to the hospital, filling out forms, attending to patient requests and, in some cases, helping to maintain the aircraft. Should the craft and crew be exposed to toxic elements, a member of the crew must undertake decontamination of the plane and its contents immediately. It's not an exaggeration to say that once formal training ends, on-the-job training begins.

Given the critical nature of the job, air ambulance professionals must keep their skills up-to-date. Coursework in occupational safety, sea rescue and boat-to-helicopter maneuvers may be mandated. Ongoing coursework and workshops in fatigue-related stress situations are recommended. While you will have a universe of experts to help you out--including FAA-sanctioned senior administrators, flight nurses, life support critical care flight paramedics and board-certified physicians and specialists--in the end, every member of the profession must assume that he will be flying solo, so being a jack of all trades isn't just practical; it's lifesaving.