Program Requirements
Applicants to the Paramedicine program must hold a valid Georgia Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate license or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician license. The Paramedicine program uses a competitive admission process to select students. Program faculty and the Admissions Office staff designed the process to ensure maximum opportunity for student success in the program. Applicants to Paramedicine must complete the general education and health core courses prior to the selection process. Applicants who are on academic probation or are academically dismissed from the college as of the application deadline will not be considered for admission. The Admissions Office staff admits students once per year during the spring semester for a start at the beginning of summer semester. Applicants must submit all required documentation to the Admissions Office by February 1 of the year they seek admission in order to receive consideration in the selection process. All applicants to the Paramedicine program must attend one EMS Programs Information Session before their application will be considered. Applicants not selected for the program may reapply during subsequent admission intake periods. The college does not maintain a waiting list of people seeking admission to the program.
Applicants must submit the following information to the Admissions Office by the application deadline for the year they seek admission to the program:
• Completed and signed application for admission and a $25 nonrefundable application fee.
• Official high school or GED transcripts and/or official college transcripts from all colleges attended in the past (see General Admission Requirements).
• Valid TEAS – AH exam
• Proof of legal presence in the United States.
• Completed and signed Intent form. Blank forms are available on the Paramedicine program webpage.
• Proof of valid Georgia Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate license or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician license.
• Proof of completion of core classes (diploma: ALHS 1011, ENGL 1010, MATH 1012, PSYC 1010; degree: BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, ENGL 1101, MATH 1101 or MATH 1111, PSYC 1101) with grades of C or better.
Applicants will attend a mandatory program orientation session.
Failure to attend this session or failure to make alternate arrangements to obtain the necessary information will result in the forfeiture of admission to the program. Prior to the beginning of the program, applicants must have the following current official documents on file with program faculty: (The requirements listed below will be covered during the orientation. No action is necessary prior to orientation).
• A signed document acknowledging that the commission of a felony before or during their enrollment in this program may prevent graduates from taking the licensure exam to become paramedics and that they may be required to complete drug testing and/or background checks at their own expense prior to participating in internships, practicums, or clinical activities at certain host sites for these activities (see Drug Testing/Background Checks).
• Completed immunization form that includes the following: MMR, Varicella, HBV, TDAP, and evidence of a two-step TB test and/or chest x-ray. Proof of annual flu shot or signed declination form.
• Copy of current valid driver’s license. Valid Healthcare Provider CPR card from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, American Safety and Health Institute, ProTraining, LLC, or EMS Safety.
• Completed academic honesty form.
• Verification of completion of the online version of New Student Orientation.
• Completed criminal background check.
• Completed drug screen check.
Readmission Policy
If students withdraw from the program for any reason, they must follow the steps detailed under Life Sciences Programs Readmission. In addition, students seeking readmission will abide by all policies and procedures in place at the time of their request for readmission.
Residency Policy
Only in the event that the program slots cannot be filled with Georgia residents who meet the minimum admissions criteria can out-of-state students be admitted to the Paramedicine program.
Competitive Health Program Mandatory Information Sessions
Students interested in the Paramedicine program must attend one Mandatory Information Session. Mandatory Information Sessions for the EMS Programs provide an overview of the roles each level of provider plays in the healthcare systems, the various programs available, educational steps, and the application and program requirements for all programs.
Graduates of the diploma and associate of applied science degree programs in Paramedicine will demonstrate:
- Use sound judgment to perform patient assessments and therapeutic procedures and modalities.
- Use critical thinking skills to assess and treat patients in emergency settings and to communicate effectively in a healthcare setting.
- Pass the National Registry of EMT’s paramedic practical and written examination.
- Demonstrate the personal and professional ethics and interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace.
The purpose of the essential functions list is to allow prospective students who are considering a career to be informed of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands related to training and employment in a field of study. These lists are provided to allow prospective students to make informed career choices by providing them with a summary of the physical abilities and personality traits that are generally required for the successful completion of a curriculum and result in employment in a field of study after graduation. For students to be successful in the Paramedicine programs, they must be able to perform the following essential functions:
- Defend how the Paramedic’s effective assessment is critical to clinical decision making.
- Appreciate how the Paramedic’s attitude affects assessment and decision making.
- Decide the appropriate BLS and ALS equipment, given a simulated call, to be taken to the patient.
- Justify the Paramedic’s general approach to the emergency patient.
- Choose the general approach, patient assessment, differentials, and management priorities, appropriate for a Paramedic, for patients with various complaints.
- Decide how the Paramedic will effectively communicate patient information face to face, over the telephone, by radio, and in writing.
- Promote the effective communication of patient information face to face, over the telephone, by radio, and in writing.
- Appreciate the use of scenarios to develop high level clinical decision making skills.
- Appreciate the importance of considering differentials during patient care.
- Promote and practice the process of complete patient assessment on all patients.
- Appreciate the importance of presenting the patient report accurately and clearly.
- Adapt to the role of a Paramedic team leader, and choreograph the EMS response team, perform a patient assessment, provide local/regionally appropriate treatment, present cases verbally and in writing given a moulaged and programmed simulated patient.
- Adapt to the role of a Paramedic team leader, while assessing and managing programmed patients or mannequins with various medical complaints, to include: considering differentials; making decisions
relative to interventions and transportation; providing the interventions; packaging patients; and working as a team. - Adapt to the role of a Paramedic team leader, while assessing and managing programmed patients or
mannequins with various traumatic complaints, to include: considering differentials; making decisions relative to interventions and transportation; providing the interventions; packaging patients; and working as a team.
