Course Descriptions

The mission of the EMS/Paramedic Program at North Central Michigan College is to prepare students in the most effective way to become intelligent, competent, and compassionate providers of emergency care. The EMS/Paramedic Program at North Central offers students four levels of study to prepare them to work in pre-hospital emergency support services. Students in each of these programs are expected to complete a rigorous course of study and to meet minimum requirements established by the licensing board of the State of Michigan. All programs are licensed by the Michigan Department of Community Health, are overseen by a physician director, advised by a committee of area EMS providers and employers and meet or exceed national guidelines.

North Central offers students four EMS programs -­ two leading to licensure as an EMT-­Paramedic (Program Codes 253 and 153), and two leading to licensure as an EMT-­Basic (Program Codes 152 and 053). In addition, successful completion of EMS 120  and EMS 130  enables the student to sit for National Registry certification and, if successful, eventual licensure as an EMT-­Specialist in Michigan (see below for more information).

The Associate of Applied Science degree (Program Code 253) prepares students to function at advanced levels for pre-­hospital emergency support services. Successful graduates are eligible to sit for the National Registry Exam which opens employment opportunities in many other states in the pre-­hospital fields of EMS, public safety, and fire rescue. Graduates may also work in the emergency departments of hospitals and free-­standing clinics, and work as safety coordinators for industrial plants. Students are expected to complete a rigorous course of study and to meet minimum requirements established by the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Admission to the College (and, by separate application, to the Program itself) is required, assessment testing is required, and financial aid may be available. The program also requires that students commit time (approximately 75 hours per semester) beyond that spent in the classroom to complete program requirements and expectations. To obtain State of Michigan licensure in this field, an individual must be at least 18 years of age.

The Associate of Applied Science degree is frequently considered the minimum qualification necessary to be employed in management positions in EMS; in terms of preparation for licensure as an EMT-­Paramedic, the Associate of Applied Science degree (Program Code 253) and the EMS/Paramedic Certificate (Program Code 153) are identical.

Successful completion of EMS 120  and EMS 130  enables the student to sit for the Advanced EMT National Registry Exam (leading to licensure as an EMT-­Specialist in Michigan.) Students wishing to gain experience as EMT-­Specialists may elect to leave the program and work after completing the necessary registry examinations and gaining state licensure. These students may re-­enter the EMS/Paramedic program within one year without re-­taking EMS 120  and EMS 130 .

Students who already possess National Registry status as EMT-Specialists or possess a Michigan EMT-Specialist license must begin the paramedic program with EMS 120  unless they have successfully completed EMS 120  and EMS 130  at North Central within one year of the time of registration into EMS 220 .

The EMS/Paramedic Certificate (Program Code 153) prepares students to function at advanced levels for pre-hospital emergency support services. Successful graduates are eligible to sit for the National Registry Exam which opens employment opportunities in many other states in the pre-­hospital field of EMS, public safety, and fire rescue. Graduates may also work in the emergency departments of hospitals and free-­standing clinics, and work as safety coordinators for industrial plants. Students are expected to complete a rigorous course of study and to meet minimum requirements established by the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Emergency Medical Technician course (Program Code 053). Admission to the College is required; however, no assessment testing is required and students do not qualify for financial aid. The student will be eligible to sit for the National Registry Exam and, upon successful completion, be licensed as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic in the pre-hospital field of EMS, public safety, and fire rescue in many states. This is a non-degree program.

Application Procedure for EMS/Paramedic Program Program Codes 253 and 153 only

Students must complete an Application for Admission to the College as well as a separate EMS/Paramedic Program Application (which is part of the “Allied Health Program Application,” available here: Allied Health Application); this application should be sent directly to the Associate Dean of Health, Business, and Technology by July 1 for anticipated September entry. All transcripts to be reviewed for consideration of prior course work should be received by the Registrar at North Central prior to consideration for entry into the program.

A candidate’s signature on the program application authorizes a criminal background check; students may be denied admission to the program based on the results of this check. In addition, a student who has been convicted of a felony or is on probation may not be eligible to take the National Registry examination and/or be licensed by the State of Michigan. Contact the Michigan Department of Community Health (517-­241-­3024 or National Registry License and/or the National Registry of EMTs (614-­888-­4484, or www.nremt.org) for more information regarding this policy.

Students interested in the EMS/Paramedic program are encouraged to contact the Associate Dean of Health, Business, and Technology as soon as possible for specific assistance with both the admissions process and with individual course counseling.

Admission to the Emergency Medical Service/Paramedic program (program codes 153 and 253) is competitive, and there is no guarantee of admission. The top candidates are chosen by an Admissions Committee in the summer preceding each September entry date. Because of the nature of this program, in addition to the general admission requirements of the College, applicants will be ranked according to the system outlined below. Only the top 15 candidates will be admitted to the program.

Applicants should submit applications by July 1 of the year of their anticipated September entry.

Students are ranked on the basis of the following:

• Successful completion of EMS 110  (students may apply to the Program before they have successfully completed the National Registry EMT-Basic exam, but they must successfully complete the Registry EMT-Basic exam before they will be allowed to enter EMS 130  , if admitted to the Program),
• or proof of a valid EMT-Basic license;
• COMPASS testing (Reading, Math, and Writing, or ACT) results, or
• Placement into college courses (must place into at least ENG 111  or above and MATH 110  or above)
• Relevant work and/or volunteer experience, as demonstrated on the Visit, Volunteer, Work Experience Form (part of the Allied Health Program Application).

These admission requirements reflect the College’s commitment to equal opportunity and treatment of students.

Since the EMS/Paramedic program is rigorous and demanding, a good state of physical and emotional health is necessary. Interested students are encouraged to consult the North Central Michigan College Allied Health Student Handbook for a concise statement of the functional abilities required for training and employment in this profession.

Once accepted, students are required to:

• Submit a comprehensive Medical History form completed by a physician;
• Submit proof of the following immunizations (and maintain proof as indicated):
  • negative tuberculin test annually (or negative chest x-­ray in case of positive skin test);
  • proof of Hepatitis B immunization (or titre);
  • proof of varicella immunization (or titre);
  • proof of annual influenza immunization;
  • proof of measles, mumps, rubella immunization (or titre);
• Submit proof of and maintain current health insurance (or if uninsured, contact Student Services for information on health insurance plans for college students) for the duration of the EMS/Paramedic program;
• Submit proof of and maintain current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers status.

The EMS/Paramedic Program reserves the right, as part of its normal review of students who have been placed on probationary status in the program (see the Allied Health Student Handbook) to ask students to leave the program at any time or at the completion of EMS 130  (allowing these students to pursue certification/licensure as Advanced EMTs (National Registry) or EMT-­Specialists (Michigan).

Occasionally, depending on enrollment applications to the EMS/Paramedic program, a limited number of slots in EMS 120  and EMS 130  will be available to students wishing only to pursue the option of testing at the AEMT level from the National Registry (leading to licensure as an EMT-­Specialist in Michigan). The application procedure for these students is identical to the regular EMS/Paramedic program (either Program Code 253 or 153), and these students will follow the same curriculum (including the co-­requisite to EMS 120 , BIO 133 ) as those admitted to the paramedic program at the same time for EMS 120  and EMS 130 . These students, however, will not be allowed to continue into EMS 220 , EMS 230  and EMS 270  unless slots become available through attrition.