Paramedic Paramedic Certificate Build the patient care knowledge, medical skills and confidence necessary to advance your career in emergency medicine Request Information Apply Now Program Contacts Laura Earl, Health Occupations Admissions (413) 775-1816 earl@gcc.mass.edu Dawn Josefski, Program Director (413) 775-1761 josefski@gcc.mass.edu Program Overview Admission Degree Requirements Learning Outcomes Faculty Career Outlook Upcoming Events Health & Safety Expo Saturday April 26 - 10:00am As a certified basic or advanced EMT, you can complete GCC’s paramedic certificate to take the next step in your career. Our rigorous program covers all aspects of advanced life support care—such as advanced patient assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment plans and implementation. The paramedic certificate program starts each fall and meets two evenings per week, as well as an average of two Saturdays a month, for 11 months (including six to nine months of clinical and field internship experiences). 29credits Certificate Certificates are typically completed in one (1) year and designed for immediate workforce entry Learn more CORI/SORICORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) and/or additional background checks required for participation in this program.Learn more This program follows a specific sequence of required courses. 100% attendance at all classes and clinical sessions is required. A strict attendance policy forces the supervised makeup of all missed work. Classes must be completed sequentially within 24 months of beginning the program. Consult our Student Handbook and academic calendar for policies and important dates. The paramedic program is a comprehensive course of study in advanced life support care. Lecture Schedule Section 1: Tue/Thurs 5-9:30 p.m. Section 2: Mon/Wed 5-9:30 p.m. Both sections meet together on scheduled Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at GCC for skills labs, seminar teaching and other specialty topics. Paramedic students are required to purchase malpractice insurance, lab coats, paramedic program shirts and texts. There are lab fees which cover the cost of drug screen testing and the costs of ACLS, PALS, PHTLS and PEPP certifications, disposable goods, instructor/student ratios and examination supplies. Students are required to cover the cost of drug screen testing and costs associated with travel to and from clinical and feld sites. What's Next?The curriculum of GCC’s paramedic program meets the most recent national standard requirements for paramedic education. This program meets the most recent National Standard curriculum requirements for paramedic education and prepares you to take the National Registry certification examination. Paramedics go on to work with fire departments, ambulance services, hospital emergency departments and in other clinical settings where advanced emergency care skills are required. Accredited by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Office for Emergency Medical Services (OEMS), CoAEMSP (#600741) and CAAHEP Learn More Paramedic is a health occupations program with a special admissions process and health requirements. You must submit a separate application to this program in addition to a general application for admission to GCC. Please review all criteria prior to applying! Apply to GCC Apply to the Program Applicants must be at least 18 years of age; have current Basic EMT or Advanced EMT certification; have at least 75 ambulance patient care experiences; complete a written Basic EMT test administered by the program; and place beyond or complete ENG 090 with a passing grade. All students entering the paramedic program will be required to have a CORI (Criminal Offenders Record Information) check. A student with a charge in the Lifetime Presumptive Disqualification Category is ineligible for placement in the program. Discretionary Disqualification Category charges will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Paramedic students will also be required to have a national background check prior to their hospital clinical rotations, which includes a nationwide record indicator with sex offender, national fraud and abuse search and a county criminal search. Students are required to have a mandatory drug screening prior to their hospital clinical rotations. Applicants need to know that individuals with a record of conviction by a court of law will be required to provide a complete explanation to the Office for Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) in order to be permitted to take the certification exam. Admission Documents & Forms Admission Information Packet Paramedic Program Application Enrollment Deadlines Physical Exam Form Immunization Form Experience Verification Form Technical Standards Program applicants must: Be ambulatory and able to lift, carry and balance up to 100 pounds Be in sufficient physical condition so as to be able to bend, stoop, balance and crawl on even and uneven terrain Have the ability to withstand varied environmental conditions such as extreme heat, extreme cold and moisture, at times under prolonged conditions Possess fine motor coordination and hand/eye/foot coordination required to perform technical and precise skills. Motor coordination may be defined as the ability to make a movement or response quickly and accurately Possess the visual acuity necessary to perform technical skills and to make precise discriminations Have sufficient verbal ability and auditory perception to be able to perform comprehensive patient assessment, management and transport Be able to effectively communicate with patients, bystanders and other health care providers. Communication involves speech, reading, writing, and awareness of emotional messages included in body language, tone and presentation. Have the emotional stability and maturity to exercise sound judgment while effectively completing patient care activities Occupational Risks Provision of emergency medical services poses inherent occupational risks for EMS responders. Risks include the following: Violence/assaults Verbal threats/aggression Motor vehicle crashes Infectious disease Lifting injuries Sprains and strains Psychological trauma Hazardous chemical exposure Hyper/hypothermia Program Goal To prepare paramedics who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession Program Learning Outcomes Students completing a course of study in this program will be able to: Demonstrate the ability to gather information, assess a patient, develop and execute a treatment plan as a team leader relative to the role of an entry-level paramedic Conduct oneself in an ethical manner Conduct oneself in a professional manner Show proficiency in interpersonal relations and communication Integrate pathophysiologic concepts with assessment findings to develop a field impression and treatment plan for patients with both medical and traumatic emergencies Demonstrate technical proficiency in all of the skills necessary to fulfill the role of an entry-level Paramedic Use critical thinking skills to assess and treat patients in a variety of settings Communicate effectively through oral and written methods in a patient care setting Demonstrate preparedness proficiency to pass the National Registry Paramedic Level cognitive and psychomotor examinations Graduate Outcomes Graduation Year 2020 COVID 2021 2022 2023 2024 Enrolled 29 retention 22 retention 25 retention 17 retention 20 retention Completed 22 76% 20 91% 21 84% 14 88% 17 85% NREMT Psychomotor pass rate pass rate pass rate pass rate Passed 20 95% 20 100% 20 95% 14 100% NR* NREMT Cognitive pass rate pass rate pass rate pass rate pass rate Passed 1st attempt 19 86% 13 65% 18 89% 10 71% 9 53% Passed w/in 3 attempts 1 91% 6 95% 2 95% 13 93% 6 88% Passed w/in 6 attempts 0 5% 0 1 100% 2 100% Never passed 2 9% 1 5% 1 5% Positive Placement 86% 90% 90.5% 100% 100% * Not required nothing found