Paramedic Course

Classes Begin August - May Tuesday & Thursday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Paramedic Course is a nine-month program based on the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards which were developed in 2009 by the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) in cooperation with National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) which is the foundation of knowledge and skills of the EMT-Paramedic.

The goal of the EMT-Paramedic Program is to prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains without exit points at the Emergency Medical Technician- Intermediate, and/or Emergency Medical Technician–Basic, and/or First Responder levels.

The Paramedic Program is based on five major divisions that include didactic, clinical & field internship. In addition, the Paramedic Program includes six certification courses: BCLS Instructor, PALS, ACLS, PHTLS, NRP, and PEPP Certifications.

The EMS student must be a current Iowa EMT-Basic/EMT, an Iowa EMT-Intermediate, Advanced EMT, or an Iowa Paramedic with current AHA Healthcare Provider CPR, or American Red Cross equivalent, and have a High School Diploma or GED to be eligible to take the course. Upon successful completion of the program, the student is eligible for the National Registry EMT-Paramedic Psychomotor & Written Examinations.

Upon successful completion of the National Registry examinations, the student will be eligible to receive a State of Iowa, EMT-Paramedic certification. The National Paramedic is the highest trained pre-hospital care provider in the State of Iowa. 

Admissions Requirements/Prerequisites:

• Evidence of high school diploma accredited as documented by the ADVANCED Organization or its equivalent.
   
• Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of enrollment.
  
  
• High school transcripts and any post high school transcripts (technical school, college, etc.) These should be official transcripts mailed directly to EMS Program Director.
  
  
• CPR Certification – current American Heart Association BLS Provider certification should be submitted prior to the start of the first class.
  
  
• State of Iowa EMT or State of Iowa EMT-Intermediate/AEMT certification.  Provide documentation of a current certification upon acceptance into the program, and such a certification needs to be maintained throughout the entire course including field internship experience.
  
  
• Must possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
  
  
• Must be physically able to perform the skills required of EMS personnel.
  
  
• A student with less than a High School diploma completion or GED must be tested for reading and comprehension to evaluate and/or remediate deficiencies to improve chances of successful program completion.
  
  
• Pre-Entrance Exam- This exam covers EMT- Basic level knowledge and a passing score of 80% is recommended. Those individuals that pass the examination will be scheduled for an interview with the lead Paramedic Educator & the EMS Program Director.  If an individual does not receive a passing grade, he/she may be asked to reapply for admission into the next scheduled Paramedic Course, or based on high school/college transcripts, the EMS Program Director w approval of the EMS Medical Director may choose to accept the student for admission.
  
  
• Once students are eligible for the Paramedic Program by meeting the above requirements, then all course requirements for completion of the Paramedic Program are reviewed with the student to include course schedule, curriculum, didactic hours, clinical rotation, field experiences/internship requirements, as well as successfully completing all of the Learning Domains; cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. All program requirements; didactic, clinical, field/internship must be completed during the 9 month training program before the student is eligible to complete the program and sit for the National Registry Psychomotor & Written Examinations.
  
  
• Pre-Entrance Physical Exam – Upon acceptance into the Paramedic Program, the course schedule, and an additional expense sheet is reviewed with the applicant. All Paramedic student candidates are encouraged to complete physical requirements ASAP, and is mandatory prior to clinical eligibility.
  
  
• National Background Check and Drug Panel: A student must be compliant with a negative Background Check, Adult, Child Abuse, Sex Offender Registry, and negative drug screen to remain in the Program.  

If interested, please call the EICC EMS Department at 563-336-3444.

 

EICC is extremely proud that our Paramedic 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).Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Program We’re also happy to report that our Paramedic students perform extraordinarily well on the NREMT Cognitive (written) exam and the NREMT Psychomotor Exam.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

Committee on Accreditation for the EMS Professions
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
www.coaemsp.org

CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

The most current CoAEMSP Annual Report was for the calendar year 2021. The most recent success rate for the National Registry of EMT Paramedic/State Cognitive exam was 86%

The most recent positive placement rate for graduates was 86%. Positive placement is defined by the CoAEMSP as ‘Employed full or part-time in a related field and/or continuing his/her education and/or serving in the military’. Positive placement is measured at completion of the program.

The most recent retention rate was 78%.