Paramedic Program
A paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation. Paramedics function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight. Paramedics perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance. The paramedic is an essential link from the scene into the health care system.
Today’s paramedics are professional health care clinicians and practitioners of emergency field medicine. The present paramedic curriculum provides both a broad-based medical education and a specific intensive training program designed to prepare the student to perform the traditional role as providers of emergency field medicine. It also provides a broad foundation in anatomy and physiology, patient assessment, pathophysiology of disease, and pharmacology that allows students to expand their roles in the health care industry. Our paramedic program is intended to produce graduates who are prepared for employment in paramedic positions in today's health services field.
Our program provides learning opportunities that introduce, develop, and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. Program graduates are to be competent in the general areas of: communications, math, and basic computer skills, as well as, competent in the occupational areas of: anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, medical terminology, operations, patient assessment, pharmacology, advanced airway skills, cardiology, trauma, medical emergencies, gynecology, obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatrics, special patient needs, critical thinking, assessment/evidence based patient care, and therapeutic communication.
Successful completion of the program allows the graduate to challenge the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Paramedic certification examination and apply for Georgia licensure as a paramedic as set forth by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma.