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Are you ready for a rewarding, challenging and fast-paced medical career that will always have job opportunities?
We are delighted to introduce you to an exciting and challenging health care career that will give you the professional satisfaction of helping people, saving lives, and working independently.
At Texas State Technical College (TSTC), you can join our Emergency Medical Sciences (EMS) program and graduate with a certificate, or earn an associate degree and become credentialed as a paramedic in as little as 15 months.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is the agency legally charged in the state of Texas to issue certificates or licenses for EMS professionals.
The National Registry of EMTs is the agency designated by the DSHS as the provider of the computer adaptive testing and psychomotor skills exams. Successful completion of that examination is necessary to apply for certification or license as an EMS provider in the State of Texas.
EMS Job Qualifications and Competencies
Essential Eligibility Requirements for Prospective Students
All EMS students must:
For more information, contact:
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EMT Certification Required to Begin Paramedic Classes
In addition, prospective paramedic students must provide proof of Texas or national registry of EMT certification for EMT-basic or EMT-intermediate prior to the mandatory EMS program orientation date.
A copy of a CPR Card for American Heart Association must be turned in prior to the start of the course.
EMS Certification Policy
A. Skills Proficiency Verification A candidate must demonstrate proficiency in all DSHS skills. Skills verifications are administered at the school for DSHS and through the NREMT for paramedic.
B. Written Examination A candidate must achieve a passing grade on the computer adaptive examination. The written examination is administered on campus at the Testing center testing, through Pearson Vue Testing Centers for the NREMT.
National Registry Testing
A. The Department of State Health Services requires candidates to successfully pass the National Registry of EMTs examination as a condition of eligibility to apply for EMS certification or license.
B. The psychomotor skills exam portion is administered by NREMT for the Paramedic level and by the college for the EMT level. There is a “site usage” cost charged by all institutions who administer the paramedic test. This cost is not included in Texas Sate Technical College tuition
C. In addition to the DSHS certification application and the site usage costs, there is an additional cost, payable to the NREMT for that test.
| EMT Basic | EMT Paramedic | |
| Tuition Fee | $2,400 | $6,000 |
| Other Course Expenses | ||
| CPR/AED | $65.00 | $65.00 |
| L1 Background Check | $25.00 Varies by Clinic | $25.00 Varies by Clinic |
| NTC Drug Screen | $35.00 Varies by Clinic | $35.00 Varies by Clinic |
| Physical Exam | $45.00 Varies by Clinic | $45.00 Varies by Clinic |
| National Registry Exam | $70.00 | $110.00 |
| Immunizations | $75.00 | $75.00 |
Reciprocity with Other States
A. Requirements for EMS certification vary significantly from state to state. Students who anticipate practicing in another state should contact the agency responsible for credentialing EMS personnel in that state as soon as possible to obtain information regarding requirements for reciprocity.
B. Meeting reciprocity requirements is the responsibility of the student.
The Texas State Technical College Paramedic program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). This letter is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, it is a status signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation Standards through the Letter of Review Self Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the NREMT's Paramedic credentialing examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation.
To contact CoAEMSP:
8301 Lakeview Parkway Suite 111-312 Rowlett, TX 75088 214-703-8445 FAX 214-703-8992 www.coaemsp.org
For more information, contact the Texas State Technical College Continuing Education Department at 956-364-4606.