Notes

Click Here To Request An Application For The Paramedic Training Program

The GFC-UPMC-CEM Paramedic Training Consortium is a one year certificate program, and provides training for the student in necessary cognitive and practical advanced life support skills necessary for an entry level paramedic to successfully operate in a pre-hospital or clinical setting. This on-line catalog is true and correct in content and policy.

Our program utilizes current and modern equipment based on the national standard curriculum for EMS, and prepares the student to pass the practical and written National Registry tests.

Program Objectives

To prepare competent entry level Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedics in the Cognitive (Knowledge), Psychomotor(skills), Affective(Behavior) learning domains.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate cognitive and critical thinking skills necessary to provide proper care to patients suffering from medical or trauma incidents.
• Perform advanced life support skills based on local, state and national guidelines and protocols.
• Provide a safe environment for patients, team members, other agencies and the public.
• Communicate pertinent patient information to other healthcare professionals, and accomplish required documentation as required by state and national requirements.

Clinical Learning

Clinical and field training provide an opportunity to develop and apply clinical knowledge and skills to the actual treatment of emergency patients. Students are required to average between 16 – 24 clinical hours per week.

As students are instructed in the theoretical practice of emergency medicine, they participate in various supervised clinical experiences. These experiences are designed to refine the skills involved in patient care.

During clinical and field training, students have an opportunity to rotate through some of the area’s most respected emergency medical services and health care facilities. While in training, each student completes in-hospital clinical experience in the following areas:

• Emergency Department
• Critical Care (Trauma ICU, Cardiac Cath Lab, etc.)
• Burn Care
• Operating Room
• Psychiatric
• Pediatrics
• Obstetrics/Gynecology
• Trauma
• Respiratory Care

Field Rotations

As part of the program, students complete field clinical course work with a number of excellent emergency medical services agencies in the Chester, Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery County areas.

The field and clinical training enables students to apply their knowledge and clinical skills in the out-of-hospital environment. Each student is assigned an experienced paramedic who will serve as a preceptor and mentor during each term.

At the successful completion of the didactic and clinical courses, students are required to complete a 120 hour Summative Field Evaluation. This summative evaluation provides students the opportunity to serve as a team leader and to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the role of an entry level paramedic.

Specialty Certifications

As part of the curriculum design, the didactic and practical experiences allow the students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain certification/successful course completion in the following specialty courses:

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Accreditation

The GFC-UPMC-CEM Paramedic Training Consortium 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
25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, FL 33763
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

To contact CoAEMSP:
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
Phone: 214.703.8445
Fax: 214.703.8992
www.coaemsp.org

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center accreditation is through The Joint Commission (TJC) formerly, The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Admission Policies

GFC-UPMC-CEM Paramedic Training Consortium does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, national origin, religion, age, political beliefs, disability, or any other factor, in its employment practices or in its policies relating to recruitment of students. We do reserve the right to revise tuition and fees without prior notice if it becomes necessary.

Requirements for Admission

• Be a current Pennsylvania or Nationally Registered EMT with a valid certification or eligible for Pennsylvania certification by endorsement (out of state certifications).
• Have either a High School diploma or a recognized GED.
• The student must pass a qualifying written exam to be accepted to the Paramedic Program.
• The student will be evaluated using a Selective Assessment tool.
  • based on your High School or College Assessment
  • employment assessment component as well where points are awarded for military service, current certifications, professional organization memberships, etc.
  • The final component is the oral interview and the entrance exam.
• The student must pass an oral interview with select panel members from Consortium faculty and other EMS professionals.
• Pass a criminal background check.
  • Pennsylvania State Police (PATCH)
  • ChildLine child abuse background clearance
• Pass a drug screen.
• National Incident Management Courses (NIMS) – 100,200,and 700

Click Here To Request An Application For The Paramedic Training Program

Additional Requirements

The following aptitudes are required by the PA DOH and are a minimum foundation that each program builds upon. Please see specific course handbook for further information on requirements.

Aptitudes:

• Vision:
  Students must have visual acuity sufficient to distinguish visual color discrimination in examining patients and determining by appearance diagnostic signs that require immediate detection and proper action
• Hearing:
  Students must have hearing acuity sufficient to receive verbal directions and instructions and to distinguish diagnostic signs
• Reading/Writing:
  Students must have the ability to read and write English sufficiently to read items such as prescription bottles, and to write English sufficiently to complete patient record forms and examination
• Physical:
  Students must have the ability to perform the skill objectives as outlined in the EMT National Educational Standards as well as the functional job description of an EMT provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of EMS

Note: A waiver request may be submitted in writing to the Program Director if accommodation is needed for any of these. A request for accommodation does not guarantee reprieve or special considerations. All accommodation requests must be submitted prior to the start of the second class and the Training Institute will only offer the same accommodations as that is allowable from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of EMS. All students must have the aptitudes as listed above when taking the practical skills examination for certification. Medical problems must be resolved prior to taking the practical examinations.

Advanced Placement

No advanced placement policy is used for the GFC-UPMC-CEM Paramedic Training Consortium as it is a certificate program. Advanced placement may be recognized by institutions that GFC-UPMC-CEM Paramedic Training Consortium has an agreement with, or other institutions that agree to accept credit hours for our program.

Transfer of Credits

GFC-UPMC-CEM  Paramedic Training Consortium is a certificate program. At the successful completion of the program, the student is eligible to sit for the National Registry cognitive and psychomotor exams.
The student has the option to obtain credits through enrollment in West Chester University. Credits will be applied to a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences upon successful completion of the Paramedic Training Program and successful NRP Certification.

Dr. James Brenner
CONTACT (610) 436-3357

Experiential Learning

No credit is offered for experiential learning.

Plan of Study for Completion

Required Courses:

• Medical Terminology
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Pharmacology
• Fundamentals of ALS
• Emergency Airway Management
• Cardiac Emergencies
• Medical Emergencies
• Traumatic Emergencies
• Paramedic Clinical
• Capstone Field Externship
• Paramedic Lab I
• Paramedic Lab II
• Paramedic Lab III

Criteria for Graduation

Satisfactory Academic Progress

It is the intent of the GFC-UPMC-CEM Paramedic Training Consortium to provide for the individual needs of the student and ensure you are afforded the best opportunity to successfully complete the cognitive and psychomotor requirements of the program. If you feel that you are in need of individual attention, it is available; however, it is your responsibility to ask for it.

You are expected to:

• Obtain a 70% or better in each class.
• If you fail to earn a 70% unless otherwise noted on the initial attempt at a test, you will be placed on academic probation. Failure to obtain a 70% or better the second time will result in academic dismissal from the program.
• Failure of 2 or more tests in one Phase will result in dismissal from the program.
• You must maintain a 70% grade average at all times. If your average falls below 75%, you will be placed on academic probation. Two consecutive phases on academic probation will result in academic dismissal from the program.

You are expected to take all of the quizzes and exams as scheduled. In the isolated instance when an emergency prevents you from taking an exam with a class, you must contact your instructor immediately.

All students must receive a 70% or better unless otherwise noted in all required tests in the professional curriculum. Students who receive a grade below a 70% must successfully repeat that test (attainment of a grade of 70% or better).

The school reserves the right to drop a student at any time for reasons deemed adequate by the Program Director and faculty

Click Here To Request An Application For The Paramedic Training Program

 Outcomes Assessment