Emergency Medical Technology/Paramedic (Certificate)
Program Description
The Paramedic Certificate Program integrates rigorous academic instruction with hands-on skills labs, case-based simulation, clinical and field internship experiences. The program is designed to prepare competent, confident, and compassionate paramedics ready to meet the demands of today's dynamic emergency medical services (EMS) environment.
Participants will develop critical thinking, leadership, and clinical judgment essential for success in high-pressure prehospital settings. Emphasizing professional ethics, cultural competence, and interprofessional collaboration, our program fosters not only technical proficiency but also the interpersonal skills necessary for effective patient care and teamwork.
The curriculum follows the latest scientific evidence and meets and exceeds the National EMS Education Standards. Graduates are eligible and prepared for the NYS Paramedic certification exam and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Paramedic certification exam.
Nurses, physician assistants, and physicians with critical care experience may be eligible for advanced standing in the paramedic program.
Program Pre-requisites:
- Current NYS certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
- A high school diploma or GED.
- At least 10 months of full-time experience as an EMT or equivalent part-time experience.
Credentials
The following credentials are earned throughout the program:
- American Heart Association Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
- American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Provider
- American Heart Association Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)-Advanced Provider
Program Goal: 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.
Program Details
Pre-Admission Recommendations: Basic EMT Course
Basic EMT
- Students must apply to the Paramedic Certificate Program by completing an EMT Department Application.
- Applicants must be a New York State Certified Basic EMT with an expiration beyond the end date for the paramedic program.
- Satisfactory completion of the Basic EMT certification and field experience does not guarantee admission into the paramedic degree or certificate program.
- In accordance with the requirements of 10 NYCRR Part 800, students must not have been convicted of any misdemeanors or felonies. Students with convictions will be individually reviewed by the New York State Department of Health and may not be automatically barred from certification. The New York State Department of Health will determine if the conviction is applicable under the provisions of Part 800.
Paramedic
- Applicants are STRONGLY encouraged to be an active member of a volunteer, commercial
or municipal EMS agency and attain as much EMT patient care field experience (in a
non-driving role) as possible prior to entering the program. EMT faculty believes
paramedic program success is heavily influenced by the amount of patient care experience
the applicant brings with them into the program.
- Students must contact the Emergency Medical Technology Department at South Campus
for an interview and preliminary advisement prior to registration.
- Graduation applications are required upon successful completion of the program.
Students must meet all of the following prerequisites:
- maintain a current New York State EMT certification beyond the end date of the EMT-Paramedic
Certificate Program;
- hold a high school diploma or equivalent;
- a student who previously attended ECC must be in good academic standing; and
- students are required to complete an Allied Health Physical examination with the appropriate
immunizations, signed by a physician verifying physical fitness to provide advanced
life support.
Required Math Competencies
Student must successfully complete the ECC pretest for math (AARLV2 or higher). If
you do not score at the AARLV2 level or higher on the placement test you may:
- enroll in and successfully complete the ECC non-credit math course MT 003 prior to
the start of the EMT - Paramedic Certificate Program; or
- study on your own material similar to the content of the pretest and retake the pretest
to score at the AARLV2 level.
The math pretest may be waived if you meet one of the following:
- scored 500 points or higher on the math section of the SAT;
- successfully completed a college level math course; or
- passed the New York State Math Regents examination with a score of 85 percent (B)
or higher within the last three years.
Required Math & English Competencies
Students applying to the paramedic certificate program must demonstrate they are prepared
for college level English and Math. This can be achieved by the student taking the
SUNY Erie Math and English Pretest or may be waived based upon SUNY Admissions Department
requirements.
ECC Paramedic Outcomes 2021-2023
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| NYS Written Pass % | 98% | 98% | 100% |
| NYS Practical Pass % | 98% | 98% | 100% |
| Student Retention Rate | 88% | 75% | 87% |
| Employer Placement % | 96% | 98% | 100% |
The Erie Community 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
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
To contact CoAEMSP:
214-703-8445
www.coaemsp.org