Admission Indicators for Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Students

Background: Appropriate and timely response in urgent situations requires high knowledge, physical and mental preparedness. Since emergency medical technicians are the first professional respondents in the health system, selecting the right people among the candidates to study in this field is very important. Due to the fact that there was a no specific model in the country of Iran to propose the indicators considered in the selection of applicants for this field, the present study was conducted to propose the indicators for the admission of pre-hospital emergency medical students. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach according to three steps: Reviewing the texts, Meetings of scientific and operational experts and determining the validity and reliability of the content. After finalizing, the areas and indicators of student selection were used in the interview process of candidates in 2020. SPSS 24 software was used for quantitative data analysis. Results: Selection tools for pre-hospital emergency medical students in 4 areas and for 26 criteria in four areas including: a) General qualifications area with 8 criteria (documents concerning degree and identity, written GPA of diploma, entrance exam score, type of diploma, special abilities, working in relief organizations, gaining a scientific-sports position and interviewing of faculty members); b) Area of ​​physical health with 7 criteria (height, body mass index, visual health, hearing health, stuttering, organ dysfunction-physical disability and chronic debilitating diseases); c) Area of psychological status with 5 criteria (orderliness, responsibility, quick and correct decision making, stress management and belief in teamwork) and d) Area of physical fitness with 6 criteria (1600 meters run, 45 meters speed-run, 4 * 9 meters run, sit-up, long jump and Swedish swimming in 30 seconds) were developed. Conclusion: Given the vital importance of pre-hospital emergency medical jobs as the front line of the health system response, selecting the right people will play a significant role in increasing the quality of services provided, increasing patient satisfaction and ultimately improving the health of the community.