Paramedic, AAS

The Paramedic, AAS program prepares students for a rewarding career in a dynamic and rapidly growing healthcare field. Graduates are trained to assess patients and initiate, manage, and evaluate care for medical, trauma, and cardiac emergencies. Instruction emphasizes evidence-based practice, critical thinking, and effective decision-making while following physician direction and established treatment protocols.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Paramedic certification examination.

The Paramedic, AAS program follows the same curriculum pathway as the paramedic diploma program, with the addition of two semesters of coursework completed after the core paramedic requirements. Successful completion of these additional semesters results in the awarding of the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Paramedicine.

Clinical and Field Experience: Students participate in extensive clinical and field experiences in a variety of healthcare and prehospital settings. These experiences are designed to develop competency in real-world patient care situations.

• Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical and field sites.
• A completed health examination and current CPR certification are required prior to participating in clinical experiences.
• All students must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check and Child and Adult Abuse Registry check before clinical placement.

Student Responsibilities:Students are expected to demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and adherence to program and clinical site policies throughout the program. Active participation in both classroom and experiential learning environments is required to successfully meet program competencies.

Admission Requirements: Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission to the program:

• High school diploma (minimum GPA of 2.5), or equivalent GED (minimum score of 550) or HiSET (minimum score of 15)
• If applicable, a minimum college GPA of 2.0 for students who have completed 8 or more college-level credit hours
• ALEKS placement score of 14 or higher
• Demonstrated reading and writing proficiency through one of the following:
• • ACT scores of 18 or higher in both Reading and English, or
  • Accuplacer Classic scores of 66 in Reading Comprehension and 74 in Sentence Skills (or WritePlacer score of 5), or
  • Accuplacer Next Generation scores of 250 in Reading and 250 in Writing (or WritePlacer score of 5)
• Successful completion of a Criminal Background Check and Child and Adult Abuse Registry check prior to clinical participation

Accreditation: The Iowa Central Community College Paramedic program, on the Fort Dodge campus, 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 Education Programs, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org. To contact CoAEMSP, 214-703-8445, www.coaemsp.org.