Program Purpose:
To prepare students for employment as registered paramedics (PMs) that can perform safely and effectively as part of an emergency medical team.
This 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. [CAAHEP: 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756, (727) 210-2350]
Employment Types:
Registered paramedics are employed by emergency care providers, ambulance companies, hospital emergency departments and intensive care units, and other settings.
Program Length:
53 credit hours (11 credit hours from the prerequisite EMT certificate program, plus an additional 42 credit hours); three semesters
Admission Requirements:
- Must complete all admission requirements of the College; have a high school diploma or GED diploma; and take the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) and place into college-level courses MAT1033 and ENC1101 .
- Must be a Florida-certified EMT or be eligible to take the Florida EMT examination. (EMT certification must be obtained before starting the program.)*
- Must hold current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification at the Healthcare Provider level or American Red Cross certification in CPR for the Healthcare Provider/Professional Rescuer. One of these two hands-on courses is required; online courses will not be accepted.
- Must pass all clinical affiliates’ requirements for criminal background checks, drug screenings and health/immunizations before starting all classes.
*Students who are not yet EMTs may wish to enroll in the Emergency Medical Technician Certificate (B312) program to begin their progress in this field.
Program Application:
The Paramedic certificate program begins each Fall and each Spring semester. It is a limited-access program with a limited number of seats per class. More information is available on the program’s Web page (www.tcc.fl.edu/ems). Application procedures must be completed by the published deadline. Applicants must submit both a general TCC application and a healthcare program application by the published deadline.
See important information in the Additional Healthcare Degree Requirements section of this catalog.
Academic Division:
Healthcare Professions, Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education
Contact:
(850) 558-4500 or healthedu@tcc.fl.edu