Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Emergency Medical Technicians are front-line first-responders in emergencies. They care for sick or injured patients in the field and transfer them to emergency departments at medical facilities. Through hands-on laboratory training and a supervised clinical externship, Pima Medical Institute’s EMT program equips students with the essential knowledge, practical mastery and high-pressure decision-making confidence required in pre-hospital emergency medicine.

Program objective. To develop in students the personal traits and professional skills needed to perform as competent, entry-level Emergency Medical Technicians. The program introduces students to management of pre-hospital sick or injured patients and their safe transportation to an acute care hospital. Topics to be covered will include anatomy and physiology, communication, patient assessment and emergency interventions. Graduates of this program receive a certificate. The Emergency Medical Technician program courses are eligible for consideration for credit toward PMI’s Paramedic Associate of Occupational Science Degree Program. Graduates of this program are eligible to apply to take the NREMT certification examination at the EMT level.

Why Choose Emergency Medical Technician?

EMTs are the backbone of emergency medical response, acting as the primary initial medical providers on scene during acute trauma and medical emergencies.

EMTs perform vital responsibilities such as:

• Responding to 911 calls for medical emergencies, accidents and injuries
• Performing scene assessment, safety checks and patient triage
• Assessing vital signs and applying basic life support (BLS)
• Managing airway care, oxygen therapy and CPR/AED use
• Controlling hemorrhage, splinting and spinal immobilization
• Administering emergency medications (epinephrine, naloxone, oral glucose)
• Providing safe, monitored ambulance transport
• Documenting care and handing off patients to hospital staff

Core skills you’ll develop.

• Clinical: Emergency interventions and life-saving care in the field, including airway management, CPR/AED, hemorrhage and shock control, burn care and fracture immobilization
• Assessment: Scene management, patient assessment and triage of emergency and traumatic situations
• Administrative: NIMS/ICS incident management, disaster response protocols and EMS medical documentation and patient care reporting (PCR)
• Anatomy: Foundational anatomy, physiology, emergency medical terminology and pediatric, geriatric and obstetric emergency care
• Transport: Safe transport of sick or injured patients to hospital or emergency department including ambulance operations and vehicle safety protocols
• Communication: EMS communications and dispatch systems, high-stress decision-making, patient empathy and crisis communication

Continuing your education. Interested in continuing your education? At Pima Medical Institute, we offer a Paramedic associate degree so you can advance your career in emergency care.

We also offer an online associate degree in Health Care Administration that will give you the skills needed to enter the leadership or management tracks in healthcare, all with the flexibility of virtual instruction. Work on your degree anywhere, anytime.

About Pima Medical Institute. Pima Medical Institute started changing lives in 1972, when Richard L. Luebke, Sr., and his wife, JoAnn, opened the first campus in Tucson, Arizona. Over 175,000 graduates have since advanced their education, and many are serving their communities through meaningful health care careers. The school’s mission is to improve the quality of people’s lives by providing the best value in medical career education.

Eligibility requirements.

• Possess a high school diploma or recognized equivalency
• Additional requirements may apply by campus

Program-specific requirements. In addition to the Admissions requirements listed in the Prospective Students section of this catalog, applicants must be 18 years of age.

High school verification. Proof of valid high school completion or equivalent must be submitted (high school diploma or transcript, GED report and certificate, or an official associate or bachelor’s degree transcript). Pima Medical Institute does not enroll ability-to-benefit students, and applicants under the legal age must have written approval of a parent or legal guardian.

Entrance exams. Applicants for non-degree programs are required to take the Wonderlic SLE and receive a minimum score of 14. The exam may be waived for applicants who submit official transcripts that document completion of an associate degree or higher.

Background check, drug testing and vaccinations. Depending on the program, a background check and/or drug screening may be required prior to enrollment, during the program, and/or prior to externship/clinical training; the cost of the background check/drug screen is an out-of-pocket expense. The cost of required vaccinations and titers is also an out-of-pocket expense, and students are required to follow all clinical experience vaccination requests and policies.

At a glance. Course length: 15 Weeks (approximate); Lab hours: 80; Class hours: 100; Externship hours: 12.

Las Vegas campus. The 2026 tuition price list shows 9.5 semester credits and 192 clock hours over 15 weeks, including 0 externship credits (12 hours).

• Certification: Pima Medical Institute's Emergency Medical Technician certificate program prepares graduates to apply to sit for the NREMT EMT exam.*
• Find out more: Entry-level roles
• Career advancement: Advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT), paramedic, EMS supervisor and emergency services coordinator

Certification and state registration requirements vary.

Careers. The Emergency Medical Technician certificate program prepares students to apply for roles and other related career opportunities including:

• Private ambulance services and patient transport providers
• Municipal fire departments and rescue squads
• Hospital emergency departments and urgent care centers
• Industrial, event and security emergency response teams
• Wildland fire crews and search & rescue teams
• Air Medical and flight EMS transport teams
• Military and Federal EMS systems

EMT certificate graduates can:

• Become an important part of the health care team
• Serve as a first responder in emergencies
• Use their education to advance into other health care career and education opportunities like Pima Medical Institute’s Paramedic program.

Job outlook. 5% Growth — The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects this occupation to grow faster than average over the next 10 years with a median pay of $46,350 per year. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, EMTs and Paramedics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm (visited June 07, 2026).

Career Services. When you’re a Pima Medical Institute student, you get access to our Career Services team—here for you when you need extra help with finding the right job opportunities, building a resume, strengthening your interview skills or just looking for general guidance.

Clinical externships. At Pima Medical Institute, most programs allow students to work in their field through clinical externships—a chance to be mentored by full-time professionals and interface with real patients.

In addition to real-world experience, clinical externships offer students resume-worthy opportunities, letters of recommendation from supervisors and sometimes job placement directly after graduation.

Student Services. Our team of student service professionals are on hand to see students through the challenges they might face during their academic career. We offer guidance and resources to ultimately help build employable medical professionals.

Application process.

• Submit the form below. A few quick details so we can get to know you before we connect.
• Chat with our team. They'll ask about your goals, your background, and what's drawing you to healthcare. From there, they'll help you find the right program and campus for where you are in life right now.
• Attend your campus tour. Experience Pima Medical in person and picture yourself in a career that matters. We'll walk you through programs and what to expect.
• We help you complete your application. Our team guides you through every step, including enrollment and financial services, so nothing stands between you and getting started.