Course Catalog

Paramedicine, Diploma (PT12)  Diploma


Campus Locations: Valdosta, Coffee

Purpose: The Paramedicine program prepares the student to provide advanced medical care in the pre-hospital setting.

Curriculum: The curriculum includes classroom and online lecture that cover advanced-level pathophysiology and theory of respiratory, cardiovascular, medical, traumatic, geriatric, obstetric, and pediatric emergencies. The classroom lab skills include advanced airway management, cardiac care, medical care, traumatic care, pediatric, and obstetric care as well as pharmacological interventions. The clinical component includes training at various sites including hospital, pediatric office, and ambulance.

Careers: Paramedic careers include ambulances, fire rescue departments, medical offices, and hospitals

The Paramedic diploma program provides learning opportunities that introduce, develop, and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program provides opportunities to upgrade present knowledge and skills from the EMT/EMT-I 1985/AEMT levels to a paramedic level. Successful completion of the program allows the graduate to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Paramedic certification examination and apply for Georgia licensure with the State Office of Emergency Medical Service and Trauma (SOEMST) as a paramedic. Criminal background checks and drug screens may be required based on the requirements for participation in clinical experiences.

Requirements:

  • Submit a completed application and application fee
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Submit official high school transcript or High School Equivalency transcript or college transcripts showing successful completion of 60+ semester credits or 72+ quarter credits
  • Submit official college transcripts, if applicable
  • Present acceptable ACCUPLACER, ACT, ASSET, COMPASS, PSAT, or SAT scores or GED score of 145 or higher or have one of the following: an associate degree or higher or have a HOPE GPA of 2.6 after the completion of 10th grade. Documentation on a college transcript of successful completion of appropriate courses from a regionally accredited college or university may be accepted in lieu of test scores.

Additional Program Requirements:

  • Students must successfully complete the Emergency Medical PreParamedic Technical Certificate of credit prior to registering for the occupational courses included in this program (2000 level EMSP courses) OR must hold certification and/or licensure as an EMT I/85 (with successful completion of Georgia State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma EMTI to AEMT update course); EMT I/99; or AEMT
  • American Heart Association Provider CPR Certification, physical examination, up-to-date immunizations, criminal background check and drug screen required prior to start of clinical rotation.
  • Students must complete all of the required core courses and maintain a GPA of 2.0 to qualify for the program.

Start Terms:

  • Coffee – Summer 2024, Summer 2025
  • Valdosta – Fall 2023, Summer 2024, Fall 2024

Wiregrass EMS Student Handbook – 2023

This program is a HOPE Career Grant eligible program for students who are HOPE Grant eligible. The Career Grant award is a fixed amount per semester based on the number of credit hours taken. Maximum award per term is $500.

Program Mission Statement: “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.”

The Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Paramedic Program 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
9355 – 113th St. N., #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
https://www.caahep.org/

To Contact CoAEMSP:
8301 Lakeview Parkway Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
214-703-8445
FAX 214-703-8992
www.coaemsp.org


Program Effectiveness based on pass rates for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Paramedic written exam.

2018:
Pass Rate: 80%
Retention: 62%
Job Placement: 100%

2019:
There were no program graduates for calendar year 2019.

2020:
Pass Rate: 57%
Retention: 89%
Job Placement: 88%

2021:
Pass Rate: 33.3%
Retention: 80%
Job Placement: 100%

Gainful Employment Information
Curriculum Outline (58 hours)
General Core Courses 9
ENGL 1010

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Diploma Level Reading and Writing Scores OR READ 0090 and/or ENGL 0090 w/ a “C” or better Co-requisite(s): None Emphasizes the development and improvement of written and oral communication abilities. Topics include analysis of writing, applied grammar and writing skills, editing and proofreading skills, research skills, and oral communication skills.

3
MATH 1012

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Diploma Level Math Scores or MATH 0090 w/ a “C” or better Co-requisite(s): None Emphasizes the application of basic mathematical skills used in the solution of occupational and technical problems. Topics include fractions, decimals, percents, ratios and proportions, measurement and conversion, geometric concepts, technical applications, and basic statistics.

3
PSYC 1010

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): None Co-requisite(s): None Presents basic concepts within the field of psychology and their application to everyday human behavior, thinking, and emotion. Emphasis is placed on students understanding basic psychological principles and their application within the context of family, work and social interactions. Topics include an overview of psychology as a science, the nervous and sensory systems, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, intelligence, lifespan development, personality, psychological disorders and their treatment, stress and health, and social psychology.

3
Occupational Courses 49
ALHS 1011

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 5 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None Focuses on basic normal structure and function of the human body. Topics include general plan and function of the human body, integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous and sensory systems, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, and reproductive system.

5
EMSP 2110

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 2 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course introduces the student to the role of the paramedic in today's healthcare system, with a focus on the prehospital setting. This course will also prepare the student to integrate scene and patient assessment findings with knowledge of epidemiology and pathophysiology to form a field impression. This includes developing a list of differential diagnoses through clinical reasoning to modify the assessment and formulate a treatment plan. Topics include: EMS Systems; Research; Workforce Safety and Wellness; Documentation; EMS System Communication; Therapeutic Communication; Medical/Legal and Ethics; Life Span Development; Public Health; Incident Management; Air Medical; Scene Size-Up; Primary Assessment; History Taking; Secondary Assessment; Monitoring Devices; and Reassessment.

3
EMSP 2120

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course expands the concepts of pathophysiology as it correlates to disease processes. This course will enable the student to apply the general concepts of pathophysiology to the assessment and management of patients in the emergency setting. Topics include: Pathophysiology.

3
EMSP 2130

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 2 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course will equip the paramedicine student with an expanded knowledge of pharmacology, as well as skills used to manage the respiratory system. Students will learn to use these advanced resuscitative skills to mitigate patient care emergencies, and to improve the overall health of the patient. Topics include: Principles of Pharmacology; Medication Administration; Emergency Medications; Airway Management; Respiration; and Artificial Ventilation.

3
EMSP 2140

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course equips the paramedicine student with an expanded knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and electrophysiology of the cardiovascular system. Students will also examine the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, and will begin to integrate advanced assessment skills (including ECG interpretation) into the assessment of cardiac patients. Topics include: Anatomy, Physiology, and Electrophysiology of the Cardiovascular System; Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease; Assessment of the Cardiac Patient; Electrocardiographic (ECG) interpretation.

4
EMSP 2310

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 2 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course will enable the student to integrate assessment findings with principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a field impression and implement a comprehensive treatment/disposition plan for a patient experiencing a cardiovascular emergency. Topics include: Cardiovascular Emergencies and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).

3
EMSP 2320

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 4 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course will enable the student to integrate assessment findings with principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a field impression and implement a comprehensive treatment/disposition plan for a patient experiencing a medical emergency. Topics include: Medical Overview; Neurology; Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Disorders; Immunology; Infectious Disease; Endocrine Disorders; Psychiatric; Toxicology; Respiratory; Hematology; Genitourinary/Renal; Non-Traumatic Musculoskeletal Disorders; Diseases of the Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat; and Assessment of Medical Emergencies.

5
EMSP 2330

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course will enable the student to integrate a comprehensive knowledge of causes and pathophysiology into the management of traumatic: cardiac arrest and peri-arrest states; shock, respiratory failure or arrest with an emphasis on early intervention to prevent arrest. This course will also include integrating assessment findings with principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a field impression to implement a comprehensive treatment/disposition plan for an acutely injured patient. During this course, the student will complete a nationally recognized pre-hospital trauma course (i.e. PHTLS, ITLS, ATT, etc.). Topics include: Shock and Trauma Resuscitation; Trauma Overview; Bleeding; Chest Trauma; Abdominal and Genitourinary Trauma; Orthopedic Trauma; Soft Tissue Trauma; Head, Facial, Neck, and Spine Trauma; Nervous System Trauma; Special Considerations in Trauma; Environmental Emergencies; Multi-System Trauma; and Assessment of Trauma Emergencies.

4
EMSP 2340

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 3 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course will enable the student to integrate assessment findings with principles of pathophysiology and knowledge of psychosocial needs to formulate a field impression and implement a comprehensive treatment/disposition plan for various special patient populations. During this course, the student will also complete a nationally recognized pediatric course (i.e. EPC, PALS, PEPP, etc.). Topics include: Obstetrics; Gynecology; Neonatal Care; Pediatrics; Geriatrics; and Patients with Special Challenges.

4
EMSP 2510

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 6 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2510 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - I is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2520, EMSP 2530, EMSP 2540, EMSP 2550, EMSP 2560 and EMSP 2570. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

2
EMSP 2520

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 6 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2520 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - II is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2510, EMSP 2530, EMSP 2540, EMSP 2550, EMSP 2560 and EMSP 2570. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

2
EMSP 2530

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 6 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2530 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - III is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2510, EMSP 2520, EMSP 2540, EMSP 2550, EMSP 2560 and EMSP 2570. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

2
EMSP 2540

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 3 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2540 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - IV is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2510, EMSP 2520, EMSP 2530, EMSP 2550, EMSP 2560 and EMSP 2570. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

1
EMSP 2550

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 3 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2550 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - V is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2510, EMSP 2520, EMSP 2530, EMSP 2540, EMSP 2560 and EMSP 2570. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

1
EMSP 2560

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 3 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2520 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - VI is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2510, EMSP 2520, EMSP 2530, EMSP 2540, EMSP 2550 and EMSP 2570. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

1
EMSP 2570

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 3 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None This course provides the paramedicine student with supervised clinical experience in various clinical settings. EMSP 2520 Clinical Applications for the Paramedic - VII is one in a series of courses that also includes: EMSP 2510, EMSP 2520, EMSP 2530, EMSP 2540, EMSP 2550 and EMSP 2560. The successful completion of all of these will result in meeting all clinical standards required by the State Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (SOEMST). Topics include: Clinicals.

1
EMSP 2710

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 0 Lab 2 - 0 Lab 3 - 6 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None Provides supervised field internship experience in the prehospital advanced life support setting. Topics include: Field Internship.

2
EMSP 2720

Weekly Contact Hours: Lecture - 2 Lab 2 - 2 Lab 3 - 0 Pre-requisite(s): Program Admission Co-requisite(s): None Allows opportunities to demonstrate critical thinking skills and assessment based management techniques through competency based evaluations relevant to the practice of a Paramedic. Topics include: Assessment Based Management for Paramedics.

3
Faculty
Advisor

EMS/Paramedicine Instructor
Valdosta Campus

Advisor

Director of EMS/Paramedic and Fire Science Programs
Valdosta Campus

Advisor

EMS Paramedic Program Instructor
Coffee Campus

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