As kids, a lot of us dream of becoming doctors. But when we grow up, not all of us have the desire or the drive to study forever to become one. If you’re still leaning toward the medical direction, though, you might want to consider paramedicine.
Are you physically fit? Do you have the stomach for torn flesh and broken bones? Are you able to withstand and thrive in high pressure situations? If you answered yes to all of those questions, then you may well be the perfect candidate to be an emergency medical technician (EMT).
EMTs and paramedics (the highest level EMT) respond to emergency calls. They care for the sick and injured in emergency medical settings and provide life-saving care to patients on the way to a medical facility. People’s lives often depend on their quick response and competent prehospital care. EMTs work with other professionals, such as nurses, physicians, firefighters, and police officers, and are typically supervised by a medical director, who is a physician.
We have a number of centers providing training for would be EMTs in the Philippines. Asia’s Emergency Medical Services Institute, Inc. (AEMS Institute) is the first Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education and training centre in Mindanao. It was set up in Davao City in June 2013 by AEMS President and Chairman of the Board Imee Callao, AEMS EMS Director and Consultant Paul Aiden Barson, and AEMS Head of EMS Training Craig Alister Gibson.
AEMS Institute is a non-government and non-profit organization registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission with Company Registration No. CN201329902. With its goal of “Developing tomorrow’s EMS leaders… because your life is our mission,” it has identified the need for quality, efficient, and effective professional training in order to achieve a fully integrated Emergency Services Management System in the country.
In line with their motto “Stellae Excellentiam Integritate et Honorem” or “Stars of Excellence, Integrity and Honor”, they aim to build a professional training and education centre. And through tie-ups with local educational institutions in the Philippines, they aspire to be in a position to offer not only modular education, but also an advanced curriculum, which will be accredited with the Philippine government’s educational agencies, offered by universities in the Philippines, and be internationally recognized. They believe that this direction will help the Filipino EMS professionals gain respect and recognition in the field of EMS, both locally and internationally, thus, making them globally competitive.
Courses
These are the main courses that are required to become a full-fledged paramedic:
- Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) – AEMS Institute started providing this course in March 2014. This is the first step in developing a career in Emergency Medical Services. Students must have a current CPR certification at the level of BLS Healthcare Provider (A.H.A) or Level C (Red Cross). The AEMS Institute usually runs a CPR course for students who don’t have the certification yet. No other prior medical experience or training is required. For more details on the course, check out http://asia-ems.blogspot.com/2014/07/aems-emergency-medical-technician.html.
- Advanced EMT (AEMT) Course – the next batch of training will begin in March 2015. After gaining experience as an EMT-B, this course will further enhance your skills and knowledge as an EMT. Interested? Visit http://asia-ems.blogspot.com/2014/08/advanced-emt-course-in-davao-city-on.html for more information.
- Paramedic Degree Course (EMT-P) – AEMS Institute aims to have this course ready in two years’ time, with the necessary accreditation from Philippines’ CHED and an affiliate college in Australia. Taking into consideration the time already spent on EMT-B and AEMT training, the Paramedic Degree course will just require an additional two years to complete.
To ensure they provide the highest standard of training possible, AEMS Institute strictly enforces minimum requirements for its instructors/trainers. All courses are presented by fully qualified Level 6/7/8 Intermediate/Advanced Life Support Paramedics or higher, with a minimum of 1000 hours work experience with an ambulance service.
Affiliations
Asia’s Emergency Medical Services Institute, Inc. is an accredited assessment center of the Australasian Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (AREMT), an approved training center of the American Safety & Health Institute (AHSI), an authorized training center of the South East Asia Prehospital Emergency Care College (SEAPHECC), and is affiliated with the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI).
Membership
The AEMS Affiliate/Membership Privilege is an annual membership for those who want to become affiliates/members of AEMS Institute, Inc. There are two types of membership:
- Individual – Php 500.00 annual fee with a pocket-type ID card. This is open to non-medical members and healthcare professionals such as Emergency First Responders (EFRs), EMTs, paramedics, nurses, and physicians, and will allow the member to avail of discounts on lectures and training sessions.
- Corporate – Php 800.00 annual fee, with discounted training rates for a maximum of five employees. This is open to private businesses, organizations, institutions, NGO’s, and government organizations. AEMS Institute provides free assessment of the required programs and resources suited to your type of business/organization.
Other Services
AEMS Institute is the first to be awarded the franchise of Lifeline Ambulance Rescue Inc. for Mindanao, Philippines. Via this partnership, AEMS provides ambulance services in Davao.
AEMS Institute is a committed partner of the community and is dedicated to protecting people’s lives through quality EMS education and training. It provides additional training for healthcare providers and members of the community and the workplace. Child and Babysitting Safety, Basic Wilderness First Aid, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support are just a few of the short courses offered by the institute. It also provides customized training and consultancy services for LGU-based disaster and rescue teams, such as their work with Kidapawan 911, for example.
AEMS Institute also grants EMT-B Scholarships to certain members of rescue volunteer groups – out-of-school youths who cannot afford a college education. This program provides its graduates with the skills they need to increase their chances of employment with privately-run ambulance companies.
Can’t get enough of Asia’s Emergency Medical Services Institute, Inc.? Then this list is for you:
Location: Ground Floor, AMS Compound, F. Torres St., Davao City, 8000
Phone: +63822824863 (landline), +639177029911 (Globe), +639253180888 (Sun)
Email: admin@asiaems.org
Website www.asiaems.org
Blog: www.asia-ems.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AEMS.Institute
[Photos from www.asia-ems.blogspot.com]
