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Paramedicine, AAS
Paramedicine is a career focusing on pre-hospital emergency medical care. A degree in this area improves knowledge and marketability in a highly competitive field. Upon completion of this program, students will be able to
- Sit for the NREMT written and practical examinations at the paramedic level.
Information & Opportunities
Information
Advising Information
Advising
Accreditation Outcomes
Outcomes
Required Courses
Pre-Paramedicine Requirements:
- OR
Pre-Paramedicine Total: 16
Fall Semester
First Semester Total: 16
Spring Semester
Second Semester Total: 17
Summer Semester
Third Semester Total: 15
Total Credits: 64
Admission Guidelines
- Candidates must have a valid NREMT certification, and be able to obtain Montana state EMT licensure prior to beginning ECP core paramedic courses.
- Applicants who do not meet the requirement of holding a valid NREMT certification may enroll in ECP 130 to meet this program requirement. ECP 130 is offered all semesters.
- Due to a class size limitation of 12 students, acceptance into the paramedic core courses is based on an application process and is competitive. This may result in a student needing more than two years to complete degree requirements.
- Applications are available here on February 1 and must be completed and returned no later than July 15. The priority application deadline is February 15.
- Placement in the paramedic core training is not guaranteed within two years.
- A maximum of 12 students will be accepted to begin the Paramedic (ECP) course series.
- Candidates must pass an entrance examination and screening process including an interview by members of the paramedic advisory committee.
- Candidates are subject to extensive background checks by the college, clinical sites, field internship sites, the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT), and the Montana Board of Medical Examiners (MT BOME).
- Compliance with all clinical and field internship site policies regarding Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is mandatory.
Program Information
- A field experience is required for this program.
- Paramedicine is a demanding program that requires students to maintain high academic and professional standards.
- A grade of "C-" or better is required in all non-core courses. Any grade of less than a "C-" will require retaking the course.
- Any course in the "ECP" series will require a grade of "B-" or better. Students must maintain an 80% grade average throughout the course of the core study to continue in the program.
- Students wishing to enroll in any ECP course, with the exception of ECP 130, must have submitted an application and received a letter of acceptance from the program director.
- Fees for this program are higher than average. Please see the program director for more details.
- The Paramedicine AAS program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
Additional Costs
- ECP 200, ECP 206, ECP 235, and ECP 250 are on-line courses and additional fees apply.
- The student is responsible for the purchase of their apparel for the clinical/field portion of the program.
- Students in the Paramedicine program must comply with Kalispell Regional Healthcare clinical policy agreement standards (which includes vaccinations/immunizations or appropriate lab work to ensure adequate protection from communicable diseases).
Opportunities After Graduation
- Most career EMTs and paramedics work in metropolitan areas; however, there are also job opportunities in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas.
- EMTs and paramedics are employed in a number of industries, including emergency medical services agencies (EMS), local governments, and hospitals.
- Employment for EMTs and paramedics is expected to increase 23.1% between 2012 and 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Job prospects should be good, particularly in cities and private ambulance services.
Advanced Placement Policy
- The FVCC paramedic program provides advanced placement for qualified students. Advanced placement is any process where the program formally recognizes prior learning of a student and applies that recognition toward meeting the program requirements. Advanced placement is applied on a case-by-case basis and allows a student to "place out" of specified program didactic, laboratory, clinical or field internship placements. This may shorten the time for completion of the program and is often thought of as an alternative pathway to program completion and eligibility for the National Registry at the paramedic level. These types of students often include physicians, registered nurses, licensed or certified Advanced EMTs, and licensed or certified paramedics.
- All students completing the program must demonstrate they have met ALL program requirements. Therefore, documentation of any student completing via an advanced placement policy must show how all of the program minimum didactic, laboratory, clinical or field requirements have been achieved through this process.
- All students, including those in advanced placement, completing the program are considered graduates and will be included in all outcomes reporting.
- Students wishing to obtain credit for prior experiential learning/work experience must meet all requirements found in the FVCC catalog under the section titled "Transfer and Grading."
- Evaluation of prior learning/advanced placement is requested by the student and evaluated by the Paramedicine Program Director for the final decision on acceptance or denial of the request.
Advising Information:
| Faculty Advisor | Academic Advisor |
|---|---|
| James LaPierre | Russ Lamson |
| BC 111-B | LRC 147C |
| (406) 756-6121 | (406) 756-3885 |
| jlapierre@fvcc.edu | rlamson@fvcc.edu |
