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Certifications › EMS medical courses

Course card · National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)

GEMS — Geriatric Education for EMS

GEMS is the NAEMT course on assessing and caring for older adults in the prehospital setting, now in its third edition. The 8-hour course earns a card recognizing you as a GEMS provider for 4 years.

Named in 2 of 29,080 postings on this site as of 11 Nov 2026, mostly EMT / AEMT (2).

Where to take it EMT / AEMT jobs

The facts, from the issuer

What it is

GEMS prepares prehospital practitioners to respond to, assess and care for older adults; the third edition is current.

NAEMT — Geriatric Education for EMS · checked ·

Quote
“NAEMT's Geriatric Education for EMS course prepares prehospital practitioners to respond to, assess, and care for this fast-growing patient population.”

Who it is for

The 8-hour GEMS course is for EMTs, paramedics, emergency medical responders, nurses, PAs and physicians.

NAEMT — Geriatric Education for EMS · checked ·

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“The 8-hour course is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, emergency medical responders, nurses, physician assistants and physicians.”

Format

GEMS also runs as an 8-hour online course; passing it earns a GEMS provider certificate valid for 4 years.

NAEMT — GEMS Courses · checked ·

Quote
“Successful completion earns a GEMS provider certificate (valid for 4 years) and 8 hours of CAPCE credit, issued by NAEMT.”

How long it lasts

The classroom provider course earns a certificate, a card recognizing you as a GEMS provider for 4 years, and 8 hours of CAPCE credit.

NAEMT — GEMS Courses · checked ·

Quote
“Students who successfully complete the course receive a certificate, a card recognizing them as a GEMS provider for 4 years, and 8 hours of CAPCE credit.”

Find a class or test site

Find a classroom GEMS course with NAEMT's Locate a Course search or through an authorized training center.

NAEMT — GEMS Courses · checked ·

Quote
“If you are interested in taking a classroom GEMS course, view Locate a Course for upcoming courses in your area”

Where to take it

Start with the issuer’s own class or test-site search:

Classes in our training directory that teach GEMS: 12 listed in 10 states. Pick a state, enter a ZIP, or use your location. Your ZIP and location are not sent anywhere: the page downloads, from this site, the ZIP-area file for the first two digits of your ZIP and the class lists for nearby states, and works out distances in your browser.

Distances are straight-line from the ZIP or city centre (U.S. Census 2024 gazetteer), not drive times. Listings come from state approved-program lists, issuer directories and providers' own pages. A listing is not a partnership; confirm dates, price and seats with the provider.

Related

Every fact above was read on the issuer’s own page on the date shown, with the exact words quoted. Anything the issuer does not publish is left out, so a missing fee means the issuer leaves pricing to the class provider or did not publish one. Employers decide which cards they accept; check the posting.