Individuals who want to be paramedics need competence in basic math skills, including the ability to convert fractions and decimals, and to multiply and divide, according to Sherman.
Paramedics are either certified or licensed, according to Sherman. They can also be nationally registered through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). There are written and practical skills’ exams at both the state and national registry levels. There are math questions on the written examinations, and the students must also be able to perform dosage calculations during their practical exams.
Math class requirements are highly variable, depending upon the school program. Many technical college programs in the United States require a basic entrance exam to demonstrate aptitude in mathematics. Some schools use the “Accuplacer Exam," according to Greg Friese, founder of Emergency Preparedness Systems. This exam has three parts: arithmetic, elementary algebra and college-level math. The difficulty of the next question depends upon success or failure of the previous one. Wisconsin’s Mid-State Technical College requires a score of 79 on the Accuplacer.
Any student who is anticipating a career as a paramedic should participate in online math practices. Mid-State Medical College has a “Math Practice for Paramedic Students” that mirrors situations a paramedic might encounter. Paramedic educator Buck Ferris delivered a program on medical math for paramedics through EMS Boot Camp. It teaches students dimensional analysis to properly calculate medication dosages, according to Friese.
Physicians order paramedics to administer proper medication amounts. Paramedics must learn the math formulas that are necessary to determine the amount of fluid or medication that must be administered.