Online Medical Educational Resources
This page was originally created as a school project for EKU’s Emergency Medical Bachelor of Science Degree, Class ENG 102 “A Project.”
Last edited 02/2023
Here is a compilation of medical education resources for online learning and credentialing related to emergency medicine, first responders, and medical training in general. We are not endorsing any particular program and cannot recommend the online learning platform to everyone. You will have to seek out these options and make your own decision about what is the best option for you. This is simply a catalog of available options out there.
This is an editable page and we will update it from time to time with more relevant information.
Basic Online Learning - YouTube Channels
Basic Online Learning - Other Options
Certified EMT Courses
There are several online/hybrid options for EMS / EMT type training on certification. These typically give you a National Registry Certification but not a state license to practice. You can then take that certification and apply for a license to practice in a state such as Colorado or Alabama which makes it easy for you to get a state license. After that, you should be able to transfer that state license to your state of residence. States regulations differ from state to state to be sure to check your state’s regulations before signing up for one of these courses.
EMT training is very hands-on and these hybrid courses do not fully prepare you to treat a patient by themselves in my opinion. If you have no experience in EMS or Emergency Response you will have a hard time getting enough skills practice in these courses to be proficient in taking care of patients. These courses are better suited for active emergency responders looking for additional training and are surrounded by trained professionals that can mentor the student through their schooling.
There are many more options than the ones we have listed here. We do not specifically endorse any specific program.
North American Rescue – EMT-B, AEMT
NAR offers EMT and AEMT courses online with 1-week skills instruction and checkoffs in South Carolina and Nevada.
Elite EMS Education – EMR, EMT-B
Elite offers an economical EMR level training online with a skills checkoff in Texas at the end of the self-paced learning.
EMT and Fire Training – EMT-B, AEMT
EMT Fire Training offers an option to do your EMT Basic skills assessment remotely via webcam if you wish. They also have an in person skills checkoff option as well as an AEMT program.
NMETC / National Medical Training – Paramedic
NMETC is one of the few options for online Paramedic programs with a 12 day skills bootcamp in Maryland following your self-paced online training.
Online College Degree Options
When talking about degree options in the healthcare field, make sure you do plenty of research before starting your education. Depending on why you need the degree, you may need to attend a school that has at least a national accreditation but likely a regional accreditation. Also, be sure your degree will get you the classes needed for your end goals. For example, if you are seeking graduate studies for PA or MD you may want to enroll in a biology degree instead of emergency medicine so that you make sure you get the required prereq courses as part of your degree and you don’t have to pay for extra courses once your degree is complete.
The most economical method for online education is your local community college which is typically subsidized by state funds allowing residents in the state to receive cheaper tuition. Many community colleges offer online course options and even fully online Associates degrees.
Below are a few other options for online learning.
Columbia Southern University has several degree options in EMS and other emergency service options. They have an EMS Associates degree option for licensed paramedics. They are also accredited and the tuition is some of the cheapest you will find. Keep in mind that pricing might have changed since we posted this information so be sure to do your own research.
Eastern Kentucky University has several online degree options including an AS and BS option in Emergency Medicine. You have to already hold a paramedic license to get into these programs. Their tuition is competitive and you can save 25% off tuition if you are a member of FOAMFrat Online Training for EMS professionals. I am currently pursuing a BS in Emergency Medicine through EKU (02/2023). EKU allows transferred credits and accepts other ACE-recommended credit options such as AP, CLEP, DSST, and Study.com courses. I have personally had them accept CLEP, DSST, and Study.com credits for my degree.
Liberty University is an economical non-profit option for college education. While they don’t have a specific EMS-related degree option, they have several online degree options including RN-to-BSN and even a general health sciences degree. Liberty offers a 25% discount on tuition for first responders and significant military discounts as well. Liberty is very liberal when it comes to accepting other college credit options such as AP, CLEP, DSST, Study.com, Straight Line courses, etc.
Alternative Options for Earning College Credits
If you are a high school student, I would highly recommend taking advanced placement (AP) tests and taking advantage of that option if it is available to you.
CLEP testing is a method of obtaining college credits for material you already know or subjects that you would rather study on your own. Once you are ready to test, you can purchase a test online and then sign up through a local testing facility. They do have at-home testing options now but it required specific software and the proctoring process ended up being time-consuming to set up. I much preferred to drive to a testing facility. This option allows you to obtain 3-6 college credits per test for a fraction of the price of traditional college courses.
DSST, formerly known as Dantes Exam, is another way to achieve a pass/fail grade for general education classes. Be sure to check your college prior to taking these tests since DSST is not as widely accepted as CLEP testing. This testing process was originally set up for military students but it is now open to anyone.
Study.com offers economical and self-paced courses that are ACE-recommended for college credits. Ultimately it is up to your college whether they will accept these courses but I reached out to my school (EKU) and they said they would accept them after they spent some time reviewing the website and courses. Study.com offers a list of colleges that readily accept their courses for credit and among the list is Liberty University which we mention above.
Straighter Line is another site similar to Study.com. It is ACE-recommended as well and offers some different course options than Study.com does.
If you have any suggestions for information, education, or websites to add to this page, we would love to hear them. Fill out the form below with information about other resources so we can continue to update this page and push out relevant information.