Paramedic Overview Accreditation Outcomes Assessment Admission This rigorous program prepares Emergency Medical Technicians for Massachusetts and National Registry Certification as Paramedics. It covers all aspects of advanced life support care and prepares its graduates to function as Paramedics in a variety of settings. The 17-24 month program meets two evenings per week plus an average of two Saturdays a month for 11 months, followed by 6-9 months of continued clinical and field internship experiences. This is an evening and weekend program with classes held approximately five Saturdays per semester at GCC, and an option of classroom lectures at either GCC or our Northampton location. Lectures are held Tuesday and Thursday nights at GCC or Monday and Wednesday nights in Northampton. Students must pick one or the other location; it is not permitted to switch between GCC and Northampton during the course of the program. The program begins every fall and the entire program from start to finish takes 17-24 months to complete, actual time may vary based on student scheduling during field work requirements. The GCC Paramedic program does NOT accept prior learning assessment for advanced placement into our program. Section 1: GCC – Tue/Thurs 5-9:30pm Section 2: Northampton – Mon/Wed 5-9:30pm 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! Download an info packetComplete an applicationExperience Verification FormView enrollment deadlinesDownload health forms:Physical Exam Form • Immunization Form What You'll StudyCourse Sequencing PMC GCC's Paramedic Certificate Program is a comprehensive course of study in advanced life support care. Lecture Schedule Section 1: GCC – Tue/Thurs 5-9:30pm Section 2: Northampton – Mon/Wed 5-9:30pm Both sections meet together on scheduled Saturdays, 9am to 5pm at GCC for skills labs, seminar teaching and other specialty topics. Curriculum Documents Paramedic (PMC) required courses - from our official academic catalogDegree completion checklist (2022-23) • Worksheet to track your progress towards completing this program if you start this year To plan certificate completion, see the course descriptions in the academic catalog which specify the planned semester(s) in which required classes are to be scheduled. 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. Fall 1 EMS 105 – Principles of Advanced Life Support (5 credits) Introduces the certified EMT to principles of Department of Transportation Advanced Life Support Curriculum. Students study roles and responsibilities, EMS systems, legal and ethical issues, patient assessment, fundamentals of respiration and advanced airway management. This course includes the fundamentals of perfusion and techniques of intravenous therapy. In order to progress from Fall 1 to January Intersession, and from January Intersession to Spring 1, a minimum grade of 80% must be achieved. January Intersession EMS 202 – Pharmacology (2 credits) Introduces pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The course includes a review of the metric system. Students calculate drug dosage concentrations and IV medication infusion rates. The course introduces basic concepts of pathophysiology. Spring 1 EMS 203 – Management of Medical and Shock-Trauma Emergencies (8 credits) Expands upon pharmacological interventions and integrates patient management skills with medical and trauma situations encountered by paramedics. This course includes the pathophysiology and management of disease processes and shock-trauma conditions. It provides special considerations of neonatology, pediatrics, geriatrics, medical incident command and rescue situations. Students begin limited clinical experiences. Students receive Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) certification and Pediatric Education for Pre-Hospital Professionals (PEPP-Advanced Life Support) certification upon successful course completion. In order to progress from Spring 1 to Summer Session, and from Summer Session to Fall 2 and completion of clinical and field experience, a minimum grade of 80% must be achieved. Summer Session EMS 204 – Management of Cardiovascular Emergencies (8 credits) A comprehensive approach to adult cardiac emergencies encountered by paramedics. The course includes cardiovascular pathophysiology, 3-lead and 12-lead dysrhythmia interpretation techniques, dysrhythmia management, electrical therapy and cardiac pharmacology. Students practice intensive patient management simulations. The student receives Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification upon successful course completion. Fall 2 - Completion of clinical, monthly scheduled meetings, case study presentations, simulation scenarios, field clearance exam and a weekend PALS class EMS 210 - Paramedic Clinical (2 credits) Provides students with continued practice of invasive skills and patient management under the supervision and direction of licensed hospital staff. Students attend 5 class meetings, integrate advanced patient management simulations and produce a research paper based on clinical experiences. Students attend Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) 2-day class. EMS 211 - Paramedic Fieldwork Internship I (2 credits) Provides assignments with certified Paramedics. Students perform pre-hospital treatment under supervision. January/Spring 2 - Final completion of field time, field capstone, GCC paramedic completion (cognitive and sim scenarios) and NREMT exams EMS 212 - Paramedic Field Internship II (2 credits) Continuation and completion of fieldwork assignments with certified Paramedics. Includes fieldwork rotation at a high volume EMS systems in Western MA. Course descriptions are available in the academic catalog. Find courses GCC Paramedic Program Goal Our Paramedic program goal is to prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels. 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 What's Next Take certification examination for NREMT-Paramedic. Consider this program if You are a currently certified Basic or Advanced EMT (minimum 75 patient contacts) You want to improve and upgrade your patient care knowledge, ability and confidence You are willing to make a serious commitment of time and energy to complete this demanding program The Paramedic program of Greenfield Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). Massachusetts Office of Emergency Medical Services 67 Forest Street Marlborough, MA 01752 (617) 753-7300 Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) 8301 Lakeview Parkway Suite 111-312 Rowlett, TX 75088 (214) 703-8445 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709 Seminole, FL 33775 (727) 210-2350 2018 2019 2020 COVID 2021 COVID 2022 COVID Enrolled 29 retention 29 retention 29 retention 22 retention 25 retention Completed 27 93% 27 96% 22 76% 20 91% 22 88% NREMT* Psychomotor pass rate pass rate pass rate pass rate pass rate Passed 27 100% 27 100% 20 95% 20 100% 18** 100% NREMT* Cognitive Passed 1st attempt 25 93% 20 74% 19 90% 13 65% 16 89% Passed 2nd attempt 2 100% 5 93% 1 91% 5 90% 2 100% Still eligible to test 2 0.07% 1 5% 2 10% 4 Never passed 1 4% Positive Placement 100% 96% 86% 90% 100% (of 18 certified) * National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians ** 4 not tested yet Acceptance into the Paramedic Certificate Program at Greenfield Community College is very competitive. The program accepts students on a rolling admission basis, based on completion of specified admission criteria. Acceptance is contingent upon space availability. We do maintain a waitlist. 1. Apply online to Greenfield Community College 2. Complete the Math and English placement tests. If you have transcripts from another college, you must submit official transcripts for review. Call 413-775-1147 or see the Testing Center for more information on placement testing or to schedule an appointment. 3. Meet with the Paramedic Program Director to do the following: Submit proof of EMT certification. Submit Experience Verification form (page 3 of the Program Application) Complete written EMT entrance exam 4. Submit the Paramedic Program Application. 5. Gather health records and proof of all immunizations required by the PMC program. A physical exam by a health care provider must be completed AFTER APRIL 1 and all health information must be submitted to the GCC Health Records Office by AUGUST 1 in order to remain enrolled in the program. A scheduled physical date must be submitted with application materials if health records are incomplete at time of application. CORI GCC requires that Paramedic students meet the requirements of a CORI (Criminal Offenders Record Information) check every six months. Students who fail to meet the requirements of GCC will not be able to begin or continue in the program. A CORI form will be provided for your signature upon acceptance to the program. CPR and EMT Certification All Paramedic students are required to submit current AHA BLS Provider-level CPR certification covering adult, child and infant before final admission to the program. Students must maintain CPR and EMT/Advanced EMT currency while in the program. Age Requirement Students must be 18 years of age to begin classes in the PMC program.