Why Even Medical Professionals Need First Aid and CPR for their first USCG Captains License!

The USCG rule is that everyone is required to have a valid Adult CPR certification and basic first aid course completed within a year of submitting an application.

When it comes to obtaining or reinstating a USCG original officer endorsement, you might think that medical professionals like doctors or nurses would be exempt from certain requirements.

However, it may surprise you to learn that even medical professionals need to have a valid Adult CPR certification and complete a basic first aid course within a year of submitting their application.

It would make sense to waive the First Aid/CPR requirement for a Medical Doctor, Professional Nurse, Mariner Physician Assistant or Hospital Corpsman with a current license and/or certification, but the USCG requires everyone to have a valid Adult CPR certification and basic first aid course completed within a year of submitting an application, and that includes medical professionals.

And in a way this makes sense, since doctors only have to take CPR every two years; this way the Coast Guard adds another layer of safety for everyone aboard.

What First Aid CPR is accepted by the USCG?

The USCG will accept an American Red Cross First Aid and CPR card or a USCG approved course certificate for First Aid and CPR when you are getting your first USCG License or reinstating an old on as an officer.

You can take a course at the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, ASHI or a USCG course provider; all offer classroom courses that will meet both these requirements. No matter which provider you choose you need to make sure some portion of your First Aid and CPR course is done is person.  If your First Aid | CPR card from Red Cross says ONLINE anywhere on it the card will not be accepted.

At the moment Emergency University is the only CPR / FA provider approved by the USCG to preform their entire course online which includes virtual skills practice and testing.

If you already hold a valid STCW Basic Training, it covers this requirement.

We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!

MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Pro inside of the site.

No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application, you can choose to have the MM-SEAS staff create a perfect application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $349 or you can choose to submit on your own.

Pro MM-SEAS members get access to unlimited live 1 on 1 calls with one of our USCG Licensing Specialists. We've found that answering questions live with screen sharing in a video call makes both of our lives easier. Pro MM-SEAS members can access these features inside of MM-SEAS under License Guidance.