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Oklahoma City - An OSU Degree in OKC.

EMT - Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I BENEFIT FROM ATTENDING OSU-OKC FOR MY EMT TRAINING?

  • There are many benefits 
    • Our students have a high success rate, which is well above the national standard, on the NREMT cognitive and psychomotor exams
    • Being part of Oklahoma State University, our students have the resources to help them succeed and move forward with their academic careers
    • Receive your degree from Oklahoma State University
    • All of our full-time faculty and program director continue to work as providers in the field
    • Partnerships with local EMS agencies and fire departments
    • Flexible schedules with both day and night classes available for EMT

IS THERE A DEADLINE TO APPLY?

  • There is no application deadline. However, once classes are filled you will have to wait until the next available class.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET ENROLLED?

  • Complete the admissions process as outlined in the school catalog, or;
  • Be a current student in good standing; and
  • Provide all required documentation and vaccination records.
  • Contact the paramedicine program director or an academic advisor. All EMT classes will require their specific override prior to enrollment. Their contact information is at bottom of this page.

WHAT ITEMS WILL I NEED PRIOR TO STARTING?

HOW DO I REGISTER?

  • After you have been accepted to OSU-OKC, Contact the paramedicine program director or an academic advisor. All EMT classes will require their specific override prior to enrollment. Their contact information is at bottom of this page.

CAN I JUST REGISTER ONLINE FOR MY EMT CLASS?

  • Yes. However, all EMT and Paramedic classes require the approval from either your academic advisor or the Program Director. You will need to meet with one of them by either phone or in person. Once they give you the override you can enroll yourself online.

ARE CLASSES ONLINE, IN CLASS, OR BOTH?

  • To get your EMT you must complete 2 separate classes. You can take them both in the same semester. Emergency Medical Technician is 8 credit hours and is available in class as well as a hybrid/online format. You also need to take EMS Operations. This class is 3 credit hours and is available as a regular class or 100% online.

HOW ARE CLASSES SCHEDULED?

  • We have a diverse schedule with classes available during the day and/or in the evenings.
  • Class schedules can be found here https://osuokc.edu/ems/emt 

HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR CLINICALS?

  • OSU-OKC uses Fisdap to schedule all clinical (hospital) and field (shifts). Fisdap is an online scheduling tool that each student is required to purchase prior to the start of class. All clinical and field shifts are scheduled by week 3 of the semester. Students are able to select the shifts that best meet their own personal or work schedules.

WHERE DO I GO TO CLINICALS?

  • OSU-OKC has clinical contracts with many agencies across the state. We do shifts with hospitals, fire departments, EMS agencies, OSU football games, and other facilities here on our campus.

WHO IS MY POINT OF CONTACT DURING CLINICALS?

  • Your first point of contact is our Clinical Coordinator. They are available 24/7 to assist students with clinical concerns. Your second point of contract would be the Program Director who is also available 24/7 for students. However, many of the hospital clinicals will have an OSU-OKC clinical instructor available to them during the entire shift.

IS THERE ADDITIONAL COST BEYOND TUITION?

  • Yes. There are several additional costs beyond tuition. Please download the enrollment guide for specifics.

WHAT TYPES OF CLINICALS WILL I DO?

  • EMT students complete a minimum of: 
    • 48 hours on an ambulance
    • 8 hours in an Emergency Department

WHERE CAN I GET MORE ANSWERS?

  • You can contact the Paramedicine program office at 405-945-6778.

IS YOUR PROGRAM ACCREDITED AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

  • EMT programs are not accredited by any national agency. Accreditation only applies to Paramedic programs (OSU-OKC’s Paramedic program is accredited). Instead, all EMT programs are authorized by their state EMS office. OSU-OKC’s EMT program is an authorized training institution for EMT via the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

HOW OFTEN DOES THE PROGRAM START?

  • We offer EMT programs at the beginning of the spring, summer, and fall semesters.

DO I GET COLLEGE CREDIT FOR THIS?

  • Yes. All courses taken at OSU-OKC towards the Associate of Applied Science in EMS receive full college credit.

DOES THE PROGRAM PROVIDE LIABILITY COVERAGE, I.E., MALPRACTICE INSURANCE?

  • Yes. All students pay a small fee each semester which provides them with liability insurance for all clinical shifts.

IS FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE?

HOW CAN I PREPARE MYSELF FOR THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM?

  • Make sure you have the time to study, attend class, and attend clinicals and you should be all set!

WILL THIS HELP ME GET HIRED AS A FIREFIGHTER?

  • Yes! Many fire departments require their firefighters to also be licensed EMTs.

IF I HAVE A FELONY OR ARREST HISTORY, CAN I STILL GET ADMITTED?

  • OSU-OKC does not restrict who enrolls in the paramedic program based on criminal background. However, many of our clinical partners have strict requirements on who they allow to clinicals at their facility. If our clinical partners will not allow you to attend their facility then you would not be able to successfully complete our program. Likewise, once you complete the program, you would still need to become certified through the National Registry of EMTs. They have their own requirements related to criminal backgrounds. If you feel you have something on your background check that may hinder your ability to complete clinicals or become Nationally Registered, it is highly recommended that you discuss this with the EMS Program Director as well as the National Registry. Their website can be found here: http://www.nremt.org/

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME AN EMT?

  • OSU-OKC’s EMT program can be completed in 16 weeks for the spring and fall semesters. The summer semester is completed in 10 weeks.

WHERE CAN I GET A JOB AS AN EMT?

  • EMTs have many jobs to choose from once they become certified and licensed. Here are just a few of the places where you can work as a paramedic: 
    • Ambulance services
    • Fire departments
    • Emergency Departments
    • Special events such as concerts
    • Casinos and theme parks
    • Military careers
    • Schools and other educational institutions
    • Federal opportunities such as forest service and disaster assistance teams

DO I NEED TO BE AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN PRIOR TO STARTING PARAMEDIC?

  • Yes. In order to become a paramedic, you must first be a certified and licensed EMT. However, there is a small grace period where you can enter the paramedic program even though you have not yet passed your NREMT exam. Students may enter Paramedic Care 1 with successful completion of an EMT program but do not yet have their EMT certification. In this case, the student must successfully obtain their EMT certification in order to successful pass and complete Paramedic Care 1.

CAN I COMPLETE THIS PROGRAM WHILE WORKING FULL TIME?

  • It is possible. This program is very time-intensive. Students have been able to complete this program while working full time. However, it is advised to plan far ahead in order to ensure you have enough time to complete all of the required tasks of the program.

I USED TO BE AN EMT. HOW CAN I GET IT BACK?