PARAMEDIC

The following course of study is for Emergency Medical Services personnel who have current licensure as Tennessee Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and wish to obtain paramedic licensure as a competent entry-level Paramedic. The course of study is one year. Classes will meet two days per week. Students are responsible for scheduling their clinical times; however, ALL COMPETENCIES MUST BE MET. The student will be educated from the New U.S. D.O.T. National Standard 1999-2000 Paramedic Curriculum. After being accepted into the program, the student will achieve competencies in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains from didactic instruction, classroom lab skills, actual clinical application with patient contacts under the supervision of a trained pre-hospital and hospital preceptor. Affective or behavior evaluations will occur in the classroom as well as the clinical setting. The student will move from observer to participation in the clinical phase and completing as a team leader in the field internship phase. The student will be reviewed during the various phases of the program in order to be able to progress to the next level. After successfully passing the program, a summative review for terminal competency will be performed. The summative review will be performed by faculty, preceptors, program director and medical director for recommendation of the competency exam. The program is approved by the Emergency Medical Services Division Board (EMS), Tennessee Department of Health and Environment and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs.

Admission Requirements

The Admission Criteria for the Paramedic program are established by the Division of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Tennessee Department of Health, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and Southwest Tennessee Community College Emergency Medical Technology Communities of Interest Committee. These criteria are subject to change. In admitting students, the Admissions Committee will apply the latest admission criteria. To be eligible for consideration for admission, the applicant must:

1. Be currently licensed, certified or registered as a Tennessee Emergency Medical Technician-Basic or be eligible. Eligible means the applicant meets all requirements but needs to apply or have applied and awaiting approval for such licensure. Proof of licensure must be made by the official beginning of the first semester of enrollment or the student will not be eligible for the program.
2. Have a minimum 2.5 ranking on the EMS prescribed evaluations, which include successful completion of written Basic EMT knowledge assessment examination, a psychological evaluation, and a personal interview. In addition, the student must pass an Anatomy and Physiology competency Exam as well as successfully complete a Paramedic Student Success and Critical Thinking Class. Class is chosen from applicants with the highest ranking from the above tests.
3. Submit special admissions application by deadline date.
4. Total cost of this program ranges from $5,000 to $6,000.
5. Applicants will be selected on a space available basis. The applicant will meet two phases of admission.

The Admissions Office will collect and determine if the applicant has met the criteria for college admission into a technical certificate program. The department will collect and rank the following information for admission to the program:

• Test scores from the written examinations
• MMPI scores from the psychological profiles
• Oral interview scores from the oral interview
• Copy of the current Tennessee EMT license or proof of eligibility
• Competency in math, writing and reading. Students can show competency in these areas by meeting college level placement requirements (ACT score, qualifying GPA or qualifying COMPASS score). Any student not meeting college level placement requirements must successfully complete appropriate developmental courses.
• Competency in Anatomy and Physiology.

When all information has been compiled, an EMT program representative and an Admissions Office representative will meet and certify the paramedic applicant pool. Certification will be determined by clearance from the Admissions Office and the EMT program. Clearance will be defined as having met the criteria from both Admissions and EMT program.

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Retention Policy

Students must comply with the following retention policies established by the Division of EMS, Tennessee Department of Health and Environment, Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Programs, State of Tennessee Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board and Southwest Tennessee Community College Emergency Medical Technology Communities of Interest Committee.

1. Complete and return all required forms and documents.
2. Successfully complete all competencies as defined by the EMS program standards.
3. Demonstrate proficiency using skills acquired during training which verify knowledge and technical capabilities in emergency care.
4. Attend all classes, on time, and in compliance with all clinical and departmental rules and regulations.
5. Meet all standards.
6. Maintain a GPA of 2 in all EMT courses.
7. Successfully pass the Paramedic Program competencies before taking the National Registry Exam.
8. Pass the program comprehensive written and practical before taking the National Registry Exam.
9. Successfully move from observer to team leader.
10. Students must take the National Registry Exam within 30 days of successful completion of the Program Comprehensive Exam or repeat the Comprehensive Exam.
11. Students who are unsuccessful on the National Registry Exam must return to the Southwest Tennessee Community College Paramedic Program for Remediation after each attempt.
12. Students must have a current Southwest E-mail account and check it daily.

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Plan of Completion

1. Meet all pre-admission testing criteria
   • COMPASS/ASSET test
   • Anatomy and Physiology competency exam
   • EMT knowledge assessment exam - must pass or be automatically disqualified
   • MMPI-psychological profile
   • Sit for oral interview - must complete any preadmission assignments
   • Final overall score from all tests must meet the minimum of 2.5
2. Must successfully complete program orientation prior to acceptance.
3. Must sign an acceptance form for the paramedic student position and agree to all rules and regulations.
4. Must register for each semester
5. Must be able to meet any travel requirements.
6. Must have a medical clearance.
7. Must undergo a background check, drug screening or communicable disease testing at anytime before or during the program.
8. Must purchase all equipment and supplies as agreed upon in the orientation.
9. Must undergo education in HIPAA and blood-borne pathogens.
10. Must obtain malpractice insurance with the current required coverage.
11. Must obtain a clinical uniform and class room uniforms.
12. Must successfully complete all cognitive competencies with a minimum grade of 80 percent from each instructor.
13. Must successfully pass all psychomotor and clinical competencies.
14. Must meet a minimum score of 2 on all affective competencies.
15. Must attend the program-sponsored human cadaver lab.
16. Must submit research and implement an injury prevention project.
17. Must keep and submit periodically a clinical and personal journal.
18. Must present actual patient case contacts at the end of each semester.
19. Must complete a 10-page paper
20. Meet all requirements.
21. Must complete items 1-20 before being considered and recommended for team leader.
22. Must complete 50 patient contacts as team leader.
23. Must pass program comprehensive exam after Medical Director review..
24. Must undergo a successful summative review.
25. Must be deemed as a competent entry level paramedic by the faculty, preceptors, program director or medical director.
26. Must attend a program-sponsored graduation.
27. Must complete paperwork for licensure examination.

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Required Courses

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Malpractice Insurance

Students are required to obtain malpractice insurance for participation in the Paramedic program. Malpractice insurance should be good for one year from the beginning of the Paramedic or EMT program.

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Program Costs

In addition to tuition and lab fees, students may have additional costs ranging from $400 to $1,000 to include uniforms, duty shoes, physical examinations, laboratory tests, immunizations, graduation, certification and licensure fees.

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Learn more about our graduation rates, placement rates, program costs and other important information.