Okay, a little background info: I’m currently a high school school senior who is trying to somewhat plan out my career path. My dream to go to med school has been my goal since I was a kid but now I’m starting to rethink this plan (due to the grueling work hours, the amount of schooling and stress, debt, simply not getting into the school, etc) and add another “backup”. Becoming a physical assistant and going to a PA school has now become my other path choice. (TN: I DO know that getting into a PA school is practically as hard as getting into med school but that’s not my concern as of now.) The prerequisite courses I must take for PA and med school are practically the same and so are the volunteer/shadowing/work/research experience that I must gain. But, when researching for PA schools I notice that the clinical experience must usually be paid rather than volunteer, with a certain numbers of hours ranging from none to 2,000 hours. In order to get paid positions I plan to get either a CNA or EMT-B certification.
Now on to my question: I will most likely be attending an OOS college rather than one that is in-state. If I got my CNA or EMT-B certification in my home state in summer 2016 (after graduation) at a career training center would that certification be valid if I go to school in another state?
Each state has its own licensing and certification requirements for EMTs and CNAs.
Some states offer limited reciprocity to nearby states, but that is not guaranteed. Likewise, there is national licensing exam for EMTs, but not all states accept/recognize it. (My state doesn’t.)
You will need to check with the state licensing agency for EMTs/CNAs in the state where you plan to attend college to see if they will accept OOS credentials.
Not what you wanted to hear, I know… sorry.
@WayOutWestMom Thanks! I live in New York and I just checked the reciprocity requirements for CNAs in PA and MA and they said they will take it from another state if you fill out an application. But they also say the certification must be “active” in the nursing aide registry. Do I have to work as a CNA as soon as I get my certification in order for it to be active? Because I do not plan to work in my home state after I get my certification. I just want to do it here and start working as soon as I move to the new college state.
It depends on your home state’s regulations.
Most states require that you work X hours and complete Y hours of continuing ed courses every year to keep your license active. If you don’t start working within a certain period of time, the state will inactivate your license. I don’t how long the grace period is. I suspect it’s state specific.