To be a paramedic you have to have patience, skill and determination. Paramedic training takes approximately 2 years to complete and is offered at a wide range of college campuses and online.There are a series of classes that you must go through before you are a Paramedic the first class is EMT basic. During this class you will learn a series of basic life saving skills as well as CPR. You must have your shots up to date as well as being able to pass a 10 step drug screening. Some states require that you ride an ambulance to get a first view of what you will be doing.The second step to the Paramedic program is the EMT intermediate, this class is a little more in depth as far as the procedures you will learn how to do and drugs that you will be required to learn. You must still have a CPR certification, set of shots and be able to pass a drug screening. The EMT intermediate class also requires so many hours riding on an Ambulance.Once you have passed both the EMT basic and intermediate classes you must now take the Paramedic class and be able to pass a series of tests such as the National Registry Exam, once all of this is done you will now have your Paramedic certification. During this part of the Paramedic program you will also be required to put in so many hours in a hospital setting as well as ride on the ambulance.Every state and county varies with Paramedic schedules some may work 24 hours on and 48 hours off while others may have shifts available that are 12 hours. A Paramedic's work is never done each day is unlike the one before because every call is different. There never seems to be a dull moment.Once you complete your Paramedic classes and achieve your license you will be asked to keep up several things such as your shots, periodic drug screenings and CPR certifications. You will also be asked to take several refresher classes periodically throughout the year to keep you up to date on the newest medicines and technology. With most Paramedic programs it will take approximately 18-24 months to obtain your license.Now that you have obtained your Paramedic license the sky is the limit you now can apply these to getting your nursing license or further. You are no longer confined to just being a Paramedic.