Paramedic, A.A.S.

Program Description

The paramedic is a professional provider of emergency care to acutely ill or injured patients. The Paramedic Program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and clinical experience required to provide safe and effective pre-hospital care. Students may elect to take courses leading to completion of the Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate options. The program integrates classroom, laboratory, and applied clinical practice following the national standard curriculum of the Department of Transportation. The program collaborates with local fire departments and nationally recognized hospitals and emergency departments for medical, trauma, and specialty rotations. The program is approved by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service Systems, The Emergency Medical Services Board, and nationally by the Committee on Accreditation (CoAEMSP) through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination.

Must have a current EMT license and a minimum of one year experience as a licensed EMT.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Paramedic A.A.S. will be able to:

• Evaluate the clinical information of patients who are ill or injured
• Provide medical care to patients in an out-of-the-hospital setting
• Operate and troubleshoot medical equipment
• Communicate effectively with patients, physicians, and other health care providers
• Demonstrate the skills necessary to work as part of the medical team
• Demonstrate skills consistent with professional practice of the current Paramedic National Education Standards
• Apply the principles of the social sciences in the treatment of ill or injured patients

General Education Courses

The list of general education courses appears in the General Education List . Some programs recommend or require specific courses to fulfill general education requirements. Please check your program’s sequence of study for this information.

Sequence of Study - Paramedic A.A.S.

Below are the required courses for your program arranged in a suggested sequence. Please note that the sequence does not include developmental coursework. See Academic Preparation  for the developmental course sequence if applicable to you.

Required Courses (in expected order)

• EGL-1010 Composition I: Expository Writing Credits: 3 (English General Education Requirement)
• PAS-1000 First Year Experience Credits: 1 (Institutional Requirement)
• PSY-1010 General Psychology Credits: 3 (Social Science General Education Requirement)
• COM-1090 Interpersonal Communication Credits: 3 (Arts/Humanities General Education Requirement)
• BIO-2050 Human Anatomy & Physiology I Credits: 4 (Science w/ Lab Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• EGL-1340 Writing About Technical Topics Credits: 3 (English General Education Requirement)
• MAT-1250 Applied College Algebra Credits: 3 (Mathematics General Education Requirement)
• BIO-2060 Anatomy and Physiology II Credits: 4 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• PMD-1000 Introduction to Paramedicine and Medical Emergencies Credits: 4 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-1020 Pharmacology, IV Therapy, and Med Math Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-1050 Introduction to the Paramedic Clinical Environment Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-1010 Advanced Airway Management Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• PMD-1100 Paramedic Clinical Experience II Credits: 4 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-2010 Special Patient Populations Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-2030 Shock and Trauma Credits: 4 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-1030 Cardiology and EKG Interpretation Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• PMD-2020 Patient Assessment and Medical Emergencies II Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-2200 Paramedic Summative Clinical Credits: 4 (Program Requirement)
• PMD-2040 Preparation for the Paramedic Licensing Exam Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)

Program Total: 61 Credits

Check BIO-2050  for eligibility requirements.

Transferability

Credit earned at any public institution in the state shall be transferable to any other institution if the:

• Credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;
• Grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.00 or higher; and
• Acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing students following the same program. Refer to ARTSYS at artweb.usmd.edu and the receiving institution’s catalog to select transferable courses.

Need Help?

For help selecting an academic program or courses, consider using Career Coach, available at www.pgcc.edu/go/careercoach.