If you become a paramedic in the UK can you work as a paramedic in the US?

Answer 1

Not until you are certified in the United States. Read the below according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Licensure. All 50 States require certification for each of the EMT levels. In most States and the District of Columbia registration with the NREMT is required at some or all levels of certification. Other States administer their own certification examination or provide the option of taking either the NREMT or State examination. To maintain certification, EMTs and paramedics must recertify, usually every 2 years. Generally, they must be working as an EMT or paramedic and meet a continuing education requirement.

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They have to be licensed in the U.S. as well, but do they need to retrain like they are brand new to the field or can they simply take the exam to prove qualifications?

Answer 2

That question is difficult to answer. If you currently hold a Paramedic degree from a college in the UK and want to work as a Paramedic in Canada you would have to talk to the Provincial College that registers Paramedic or talk with the Provincial Health provider. Most provinces allow you to become a Paramedic if you have Paramedic training from abroad but you usually must go through a type of test that essentially let's them know wether your equivalent to there level of training/scope of practice. If you haven't been trained in minor things such as 12 Lead ECG of administering certain medications that aren't in the UK they can easily train you to do this and you'll be set.