Paramedic Program
Requirements Before You Start
- Copy of current Iowa EMT or (AEMT) certification
- Copy of Copy of American Heart Association (AHA) BLS Provider Card
- We Offer CPR Classes! More Information
- 18 Years of Age Upon Enrollment
- Proficient in the English Language
- We Offer ESL Classes! More Information
- Physically Able to Perform Paramedic Functions (Lifting, Carrying, etc.)
- Proof of High School Diploma or GED
- You Can Achieve Your GED with us! More Information
- Documentation of Current Vaccinations and Immunizations including (2) Two-Step Tuberculin Skin Tests*
- Students will be required to complete a physical with the provider of their choice
- Criminal Background Check
- Receive Formal Acceptance into Program
*(2) Two-Step Tuberculin Skin Tests must be completed within 12 months prior to the class start date (One week’s time is required between first and second skin tests. Tests are performed by the healthcare provider of your choice
Registration
$50 | Non-Refundable Processing Fee
$7,495 | Tuition, Psychomotor Exam (if taken at IWCC), Malpractice Insurance, Criminal and Adult & Child Abuse Background Check, Internship Scheduling Fee, Testing Fee, Course Textbook, and ACLS / PALS / PHTLS Textbook
NREMT Cognitive Exam, State Background and Provider Fee, and ACLS / PALS Provider Cards will all be purchased by the student
*Classes are currently being updated, if you don’t see a specific course call the Continuing Ed office at 712-325-3256
EMS Paramedic Application
Required Documentation
Please scan and email OR hand deliver copies of your Iowa EMT or AEMT certification, BLS Provider Card, High School Diploma or GED, Completed Criminal Background Check (must be signed; no digital signature will be accepted), Current Vaccinations and Immunizations, 2-step Tuberculin Skin Tests, and Physical exam. If scanning and emailing these documents, please email them to zrasmussen@iwcc.edu. If hand delivering, please deliver to the Continuing Education Offices in Looft Hall.
About the Program
Paramedics provide the highest level of pre-hospital emergency care. This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation.
Paramedics provide advanced care in a variety of settings. Utilizing critical thinking skills, paramedics rapidly assess, treat and stabilize injured or ill patients and provide transport to or between hospitals. Settings may include ground and air ambulances, emergency departments, critical care units, or cardiac cath labs. Along with advanced assessment techniques, paramedics utilize medications, cardiac monitoring and interpreting, defibrillation, and advanced invasive skills as guided by state and local protocols, as well as the medical direction of each service. They perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment typically found in an ambulance and emergency rooms.
The Paramedic program follows the current National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The standards prepare the EMT and AEMT for the more advanced scope of practice of the paramedic.
It is essential that every student have a working knowledge of computers. These skills should minimally include keyboard functions, access to and the use of email, the use of Word and PowerPoint, creating/saving/sharing files, copy/paste function, and the use of a flash drive. Students will be required to have daily access to a computer with Internet access fast enough to stream videos without interruption (dial-up connection will not be sufficient).
Students will have 100-200 clock hours of internship to be completed outside of class each semester. Students should plan on attending 12 hours of internship each week throughout the program to be complete and ready to test for certification at the end of the program.
Students will also obtain certifications in:
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)
This Paramedic Program is intense and attendance in both the online and face-to-face labs will be essential to a successful outcome. The entire course (didactic, laboratory, clinical, field, and capstone field internship) will be completed in 40 weeks.
Supplies Needed
- Blue IWCC EMS Paramedic Student Polo
- Polo is REQUIRED for clinical and field internship; t-shirts are also available for student purchase, but can ONLY be worn to class
- Stethoscope
- Black or Navy Pants with Belt Loops
- Black Shoes or Boots
- Watch with Second-Hand Capability
- Computer
Students MUST purchase the blue IWCC EMS Paramedic Student polo from Great Plains Uniforms in Omaha, Nebraska. Students can purchase their stethoscope, pants, boots, and belt from Great Plains, but can also be purchased from another location as long as they meet the requirements listed. Price List for Great Plains Uniform
Education 2 Employment Tuition AssistanceRefunds: You may cancel your registration 5 business days prior to the start of the class date and receive a 100% refund excluding the $50 non-refundable processing fee. If contacting outside Iowa Western Community College’s Continuing Education Department business hours, leave a voicemail and or send the department an email. Iowa Western’s Continuing Education is not responsible for refunds if contact is not pursued via voicemail and or email. In compliance with the IWCC policy, refunds will only be produced in the form of a check. A check will be issued within 14 business days after the refund is admitted to the customer. Refund will be sent to the customer’s address that is on file. Certain program restrictions may apply. Contact Continuing Education for more details at ce@iwcc.edu. Cancellations: Iowa Western reserves the right to cancel any class where difficulties arise in staffing or scheduling or where a minimum enrollment is not achieved. A full refund will be issued for all canceled classes. Transfers/Withdrawals: Transfers may be subject to $25.00 transfer fee. Non-attendance for a class does not constitute a withdrawal and refunds are not issued for non-attendance. Transfers may be made up to two full business days (unless otherwise noted in the class information) prior to the start date of the class. After that time, transfers will not be permitted and no refund will be issued.
| 2020 Outcomes | |
|---|---|
| National Registry Pass Rates | 77.8% |
| Retention Rate | 100% |
| Positive Placement | 77.8% |
| 2021 Outcomes | |
|---|---|
| National Registry Pass Rates | 66.7% |
| Retention Rate | 81.8% |
| Positive Placement | 0%* |
*Changes have been made to the paramedic program that have seen a drastic increase in pass rates for the 2021-2022 paramedic cohort. Further details to come in 2024.
Accreditation
The Iowa Western Community College 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
Program Staff Information
Dr. Samantha Lord
Medical Director
slord@iwcc.edu
Zach Rasmussen
Program Director
712-325-3446
zrasmussen@iwcc.edu