What is Emergency Medical Services?
Modern emergency medical services (EMS) can trace its roots back to the 1960’s. This is when a formal curriculum and scope of practice was designed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Since then, EMS has grown exponentially in education and in scope of practice.
As a mixture of public safety and healthcare, EMS requires a unique knowledge of field operations, anatomy and physiology, emergency procedures, and critical thinking skills. The paramedic is currently the highest skill set and level of training within EMS. Paramedics today can intubate, defibrillate, start intravenous lines for medication administration, start interosseous lines, perform needle decompression, and much more. The paramedic performs these skills autonomously, operating under standing orders approved by a physician.
The EMS-Paramedic Certificate Program prepares students to function in the emergency medical profession as a paramedic to deliver emergency care in a variety of environments. The paramedic primarily provides pre-hospital emergency care to acutely ill and/or injured individuals while working on an ambulance, mobile advanced life support unit, industrial on-site unit, fire departments, emergency departments and other agencies. This program provides a comprehensive course of study that prepares the graduate for licensure as a Paramedic (EMTP). The curriculum is structured based on the National EMS Education Standards and regulations set forth by the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS). The three-phase curriculum is designed to provide the student with the cognitive knowledge, psychomotor skills, and affective behaviors necessary to competently perform as a Paramedic. Graduates will be eligible to apply to take the National Registry Paramedic Exam and may earn a certificate upon completion of the program. Enrollment in the EMS-Paramedic Certificate Program is limited; therefore, a selective admissions process is followed. Students must hold current unrestricted certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Kentucky or hold a current unrestricted registration with the National Registry EMT as an EMT to be eligible for paramedic program admission.
What is an Emergency Medical Technician?
The primary focus of the EMT is to provide basic emergency medical care and transportation for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. This individual possesses the basic knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation. EMT’s function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight. EMT’s perform interventions with the basic equipment typically found on an ambulance. The EMT is a link from the scene to the emergency health care system.
What are my career choices?
This program prepares individuals for positions in agencies and institutions that provide emergency response services.
What are my degree, diploma, or certificate options?
Certificates
*Offered at the Somerset South Campus and Clinton Center.
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 105 - Emergency Medical Technician | 6 |
| CPR 100 - CPR Healthcare Professionals | (1) |
| Total | 6-7 |
*Offered only at the Somerset South Campus and the Clinton Center.
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 120 - Seminar in Advanced Emergency Medical Technician | 4 |
| EMS 121 - Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Lab Skills | 2 |
| Total | 6 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 125 - Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Clinical Experience | 3 |
| EMS 130 - Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Field Internship | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
Total credit hours for certification: 12
Applicants must be a certified KY EMT upon entering the first term. Offered only on the Somerset campus.
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| BIO 135 - Basic Anatomy and Physiology with Lab | 4 |
| or BIO 137 and BIO 139 | (8) |
| AHS 115 - Medical Terminology | 3 |
| Total | 7 (11) |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 201 - Principles of Paramedicine I | 6 |
| EMS 203 - Practicum I - Clinicals | 1 |
| EMS 204 - Paramedic Lab I | 2 |
| Total | 9 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 202 - Principles of Paramedicine II | 5 |
| EMS 206 - Practicum II | 3 |
| EMS 207 - Paramedic Lab II | 1 |
| Total | 9 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 205 - Principles of Paramedicine III | 6 |
| EMS 208 - Principles of Paramedicine IV | 6 |
| EMS 209 - Paramedic Lab III | 2 |
| Total | 14 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 212 - Practicum III - Field | 4 |
| EMS 213 - Principles of Paramedicine V | 2 |
| Total | 6 |
Total credits for certificate: 45-49
Special notes: If BIO 135 has been completed, then BIO 137/BIO 139 is not necessary.
Associate of Applied Science Degree
Applicants must be a certified KY EMT upon entering the first term. Offered only on the Somerset campus.
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| BIO 135 Basic Anatomy & Physiology with Laboratory | 4 |
| OR BIO 137 and BIO 139 | (8) |
| AHS 115 - Medical Terminology | 3 |
| Total | 7 (11) |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 201 - Principles of Paramedicine I | 6 |
| EMS 203 - Practicum I – Clinicals | 1 |
| EMS 204 - Paramedic Lab I | 2 |
| ENG 101 - Writing I | 3 |
| MAT 110 - Applied Mathematics | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 202 - Principles of Paramedicine II | 5 |
| EMS 206 - Practicum II | 3 |
| EMS 207 - Paramedic Lab II | 1 |
| Oral Communications | 3 |
| Digital/Computer Literacy | 0-3 |
| Total | 12-15 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 205 - Principles of Paramedicine III | 6 |
| EMS 208 - Principles of Paramedicine IV | 6 |
| EMS 209 - Paramedic Lab III | 2 |
| Total | 14 |
| Class | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EMS 212 - Practicum III – Field | 4 |
| EMS 213 - Principles of Paramedicine V | 2 |
| PSY 110 - General Psychology | 3 |
| Heritage/Humanities | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
Total credits for degree: 60-64
EMS-Paramedic Admissions Point System
Additional Costs for SCC EMS-Paramedic Program
Paramedic Completion Program - Earn your Associates Degree
Current nationally certified paramedics can participate in our online degree completion program earning college credits for their paramedic training to earn an Associate in Applied Science Degree.
All transitional courses must be completed.
Unrestricted KY Paramedic or NRP certification required.
Licensed paramedics will be awarded thirty-eight (38) semester credit hours upon completion of:
- Applying to the college of choice
- Submitting a letter of intent and a copy of required licensure/certification to program coordinator with validation by the Registrar
- Completing at least nine (9) credit hours from the degree-granting institution
- Meeting the 25% residency requirement for the degree granting institution and completion of the following courses:
| Courses | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| BIO 135 - Basic Anatomy & Physiology with Laboratory OR | 4 |
| BIO 137 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I and BIO 139 - Human Anatomy & Physiology II | (8) |
| AHS 115 - Medical Terminology | 3 |
| ENG 101 - Writing I | 3 |
| Heritage OR Humanities | 3 |
| MAT 110 - Applied Mathematics or higher level math course | 3 |
| Oral Communications (COM 181 or COM 252) | 3 |
| PSY 110 - General Psychology | 3 |
| CIT 105 - Intro to Computers | 3 |
| Total credit hours | 25-29 |
Location
EMS - Paramedic
- Paramedic classes are held on the Somerset South campus.
- Somerset classes are hybrid and meet on Wednesdays. A new cohort begins in January. Deadline to apply is first Friday in November.
- Students must be an EMT in order to enter the EMS - Paramedic program.
EMT
- EMT classes are held at the Somerset Campus and Clinton Center.
- The Advanced EMT program is offered at the Somerset Campus and Clinton Center.
Paramedic Program with Outcomes
CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
The most current CoAEMSP Annual Report was for the calendar year 2021.
The most recent success rate for the National Registry of EMT Paramedic/State Cognitive exam was 80%.
The most recent positive placement rate for graduates was 100%. Positive placement is defined by the CoAEMSP as "Employed full or part-time in a related field and/or continuing his/her education and/or serving in the military". Positive placement is measured at the completion of the program.
The most recent retention rate was 71.4%.
Technical Standards
- Sufficient visual acuity
- Sufficient auditory perception
- Sufficient gross and fine motor skills
- Sufficient communication skills
- Sufficient intellectual and emotional functioning
Scholarship Opportunities
For information on EMS and Paramedic scholarships, please visit the College Scholarships page for EMS and Paramedics.
Accreditation
The Somerset Community College EMS-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
Length of Program
You can earn an associate in applied science degree in 17 months if you maintain full-time status. This is a year round program.
This information should not be considered a substitute for the KCTCS Catalog. You should always choose classes in cooperation with your faculty advisor to ensure that you meet all degree requirements.
