In January the first cohort of paramedicine students will begin classes at Chattahoochee Technical College’s Appalachian campus in Jasper. The college will accept 20 students into its diploma or degree programs each spring.
This summer the Appalachian campus also will launch an accelerated EMT (emergency medical technician) to paramedic program that will shave a semester off the usual timeline and allow graduates to enter the field quicker and at a lower cost.
“We kept hearing from fire departments and ambulance services that there was a need for EMTs and paramedics in this area,” said Phil Klein, paramedic program director at Chattahoochee Tech.
Job demand is expected to increase by 33 percent through 2020, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
Chattahoochee Tech’s new programs are in the process of earning national accreditation, which will allow graduates to sit for the NREMT exam, which is required for paramedic licensure.
A paramedic for 20 years, Klein is excited to build a program from the ground up, especially as the role of the job is expanding. “There is more to learn in terms of skills and medications. Our program will follow the new national curriculum that has been adopted by most states,” he said.
With changes to the health care system under way, Klein sees a growing role for “community paramedics,” who could deliver some services to patients in their homes.
Presently, paramedics perform emergency medical services at accident sites and in ambulances while delivering patients to medical facilities. They learn and follow the same advanced life-support procedures as nurses and doctors.
“We serve people from all walks of life,” Klein said. “People think that you have to be an adrenaline junkie to deal with emergencies, but there are times when nothing much happens.”
Paramedics need to be compassionate and have a desire to help people, as well as the ability to make quick decisions and work autonomously. “A lot of times you are dealing with people who are hurting and scared. If you can calm them down and help them, then you will do very well in this field,” Klein said.
Admission to the program is competitive and requires students to take college core prerequisite courses, as well as anatomy and physiology, and medical terminology classes before applying. Students are selected based on their GPAs and scores on the TEAS/HOBET standardized admission test. Tuition is $85 per credit hour for both the degree (72 credits) and diploma (60 credits) programs.
Graduates of the paramedic degree program complete 240 hours of classroom theory, 360 hours of lab work and 600 hours of clinical rotations, in which they work with various departments in hospitals, ambulance services and urgent care facilities. Most find jobs with ambulance and fire services at starting salaries from $30,000 to $40,000, Klein said.
“It’s a very rewarding job. There’s nothing like shaking hands with someone you saved by administering CPR,” he said.
For some, a paramedic degree is a stepping stone into nursing, medicine, firefighting or law enforcement.
For information, call 706-253-4594 or go to www.chattahoocheetech.edu.
About the Author
