City College Paramedic Program: Requirements and Opportunities

A career as a paramedic offers a challenging and rewarding opportunity to provide critical medical care in emergency situations. Paramedics represent the highest level of prehospital care providers, equipped with advanced skills and knowledge to manage a wide range of medical emergencies. City colleges offer paramedic programs designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this demanding field. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the requirements, curriculum, and career prospects associated with city college paramedic programs.

What is a Paramedic?

Paramedics are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with advanced education and experience. They are licensed to perform more complex procedures than EMTs, including intubation, IV starts, cardiac pacing, defibrillation, and administering a wide range of medications. Paramedics typically work within the 9-1-1 system, responding to emergency calls and providing on-scene medical care.

Prerequisites for Paramedic Programs

Before applying to a paramedic program, candidates must meet specific prerequisites to ensure they have a solid foundation in basic medical knowledge and skills. These prerequisites typically include:

High School Diploma or Equivalent: Applicants must possess a high school diploma or a GED certificate.
Valid EMT Certificate: A current and valid state EMT certificate is a mandatory prerequisite. This ensures that applicants have already acquired fundamental skills in emergency medical care. In the state of Illinois, you must be currently licensed by the State of Illinois as an EMT-B.
AHA BLS Certification: Current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) through the American Heart Association (AHA) is essential.
EMT Experience: Many programs require a minimum of six months of EMT experience. This practical experience provides valuable exposure to real-world emergency medical situations. 6 months or more EMS field experience in the CCEMSA region or, one year or more EMS field experience or first responder experience or acute patient care experience.
Anatomy and Physiology Course: Completion of a college-level anatomy and physiology course is essential for understanding the structure and function of the human body. Demonstration of the ability to successfully complete a college-level science course by earning a passing grade of a C or better in a 4 credit hour course (with a lab).
Paramedic Entrance Exam: Some programs may require applicants to pass a paramedic entrance exam to assess their aptitude for the program.
Math and English Proficiency: If you were successful in completing high school math and English courses with a grade of C or better, then you are likely proficient. If you were not successful or it has been a long time since you were in high school, then visit the FCC Math Support Center for resources on how to improve your math skills or the Writing and Reading Center for resources on how to improve your English skills.

Note: All prerequisites must be completed by the application due date.

Curriculum and Program Structure

Paramedic programs are competency-based and include a combination of classroom instruction, laboratory practice, clinical rotations, and field internships. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including:

Anatomy and Physiology: A detailed study of the human body's structure and function.
Medical Terminology: Learning the language of medicine to communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals.
Patient Assessment: Developing skills in assessing patients' conditions and identifying medical emergencies.
Trauma Management: Learning how to manage traumatic injuries, such as fractures, burns, and bleeding.
Cardiac Care: Understanding heart conditions and how to provide emergency cardiac care.
Respiratory Care: Managing respiratory emergencies, such as asthma and pneumonia.
Medication Administration: Learning how to administer medications safely and effectively.
Advanced Airway Management: Mastering advanced techniques for managing a patient's airway, such as intubation.
Intravenous Therapy: Learning how to start and maintain intravenous lines.
Emergency Medical Operations: Understanding the principles of emergency medical operations, such as triage and incident command.

The program is competency-based and includes at least 1,290 hours of lecture, lab, clinical, and field internship content. The Contra Costa College paramedic program, for example, is a two-day per-week, 16-month program. The program begins in the fall and concludes at the end of the following fall semester (including summer session).

Clinical Rotations

Students spend a significant amount of time in clinical rotations at hospitals. During these rotations, students work under the supervision of experienced healthcare professionals and gain hands-on experience in providing patient care. Students spend about four months working with real patients, including adults, pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatric, and geriatric patients.

Field Internship

The final phase of training involves a field internship in the prehospital environment. During the field internship, students work alongside experienced paramedics on ambulances, responding to 9-1-1 calls and providing on-scene medical care. The field internship typically takes about four months but may be extended as needed.

Program Outcomes and Certification

Upon successful completion of a paramedic program, graduates earn college credit and a Certificate of Achievement in Paramedic Studies. Graduates will also be eligible to take the national paramedic certification exam and apply for state paramedic licensure. Successful completion of the Paramedic Core Curriculum provides an Advanced Certificate in Paramedic level of training and eligibility to take the National Registry certification exam.

National EMS Certification

National EMS Certification is an important component of public protection, attestation of competency. Many states use the National Registry certification as a basis for licensure.

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Licensure

Licensure is required to practice as a paramedic. It is important to understand the differences between certification and licensure.

Career Opportunities for Paramedics

Paramedics are in extremely high demand and enjoy a wide range of career opportunities. As a licensed paramedic, you will work as the highest level of the prehospital care team and may find employment with a fire department, private ambulance service, third city service, hospital, or other operation. They make more money than EMTs and tend to have even more job opportunities, since they are often preferred to EMTs in settings like emergency rooms and fire departments.

Some common career paths for paramedics include:

Fire Department: Many fire departments employ paramedics to provide medical care at fire scenes and other emergencies.
Private Ambulance Service: Private ambulance services provide medical transportation for patients who need to be transported to hospitals or other medical facilities.
Hospital: Some hospitals employ paramedics in their emergency departments to provide advanced medical care.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Paramedics work as part of emergency medical services, responding to 9-1-1 calls and providing on-scene medical care.
Event Standby Agencies: EMTs work in the prehospital setting for ambulance agencies, fire departments, park service, or event standby agencies.

Job Description

Emergency Medical Technicians Job Description: Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

Additional Information for Prospective Students

Information Meetings: If you are interested in the Paramedic program, it is recommended attending an information meeting held each October and February on Zoom.
Transfer Questions: Paramedics are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who have more education and experience, and are licensed to perform more advanced procedures.
Financial Assistance: Financial assistance with program fees may be available by applying for Financial Aid, and/or using your Veteran benefits. Please contact the Financial Aid office and/or the Veteran's Resource Center on campus for more information.
Academic Counseling: Meet with an academic counselor to discuss the most efficient path to completion by scheduling an appointment and completing a Student Education Plan (SEP).
Selection Process: The Paramedic Program is a selective enrollment program; selections are made by interview process. Interviews with Chicago EMS Region XI Admissions Committee will be offered to those applicants who have met or exceeded the Malcolm X College Paramedic Program admission requirements and completed all required admission paperwork. Selection of candidates for this program is highly competitive.

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