Paramedic Program
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)
Answers
Q: What is a Paramedic?
A: The paramedic is a health care provider in the emergent out-of-hospital setting. The paramedic rapidly, continuously and systematically assesses patients, then renders treatment. Communication to a base hospital to receive treatment orders was once a common practice in the delivery of care to a patient in the out-of-hospital setting. Today, paramedics are licensed professionals who are more often than not, expected to work independently to assess and treat patients prior to arriving at an emergency department.
Q: Where is the Paramedic Program held?
A: The Paramedic Program is held at the Middlefield Campus: 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, California, 94303 (one block north of San Antonio Road) in room C-2.
Q: How long is the program?
A: The Paramedic Program runs 12 to 15 months in length. During the fall, winter, and spring quarters, students attend didactic instruction in the classroom. The summer is spent in a hospital - clinical emergency room for a minimum of 144 hours, and in the fall, students attend the 480 - 720 hour ambulance-field-internship experience. Students also attend specialty rotations during winter quarter. Students can shorten the overall time for course completion by taking the ER clinical portion during didactic (spring quarter). This will allow the student to take the internship during the summer, and the program can be completed in as little as 12 months. Students may also shorten the time spent in internship to the minimum 480 hours by preparing well before entering into the program. Students who have functioned as EMTs on a 911 ambulance with a paramedic for a least 6 months tend to spend the shortest time in internship because they are better prepared than EMTs who have not assisted a paramedic.
Q: When does the program begin and what do I have to do to be able to enroll?
A: The program begins every September. Fall 2009 applications are now available. Click here to download. The application deadline is May 31. 2009. For more information, call Charlie McKellar at (650) 949-6955.
Q: Are there prerequisites?
A: Yes. You must be a working EMT before applying to the Paramedic Program. Prerequisites include a high school diploma or GED certificate, a current BLS (CPR) certificate, a current EMT Basic Certificate, a minimum of six months full-time experience with an EMS provider agency, and meet technical standards.
MATH 220 or equivalent college level or placement into MATH 105 on the Foothill College placement test (Contact testing office 650/949-7230.) Eligible for ESL 25 or ENGL 110. (Contact testing office 650/949-7230.)
Q: What does the program syllabus look like?
A: Here is a sample syllabus. Next academic year will have updates and changes, but the overall format should be similar.
Q: What are the rules if I am accepted into the program?
A: Here are the Criteria For Successful Completion. Updates and changes will occur during the summer for the next academic year, but this should give you an idea of general and specific program rules.
Q: How do I get an application?
A: The application deadline for the fall 2008 program has passed. Applications for Fall 2009 will be available in September. For more information or to be put on our mailing list, contact Charlie McKellar at (650) 949-6955.
Q: What is required as supporting documentation?
A: When submitting your application, you should include a copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate, a copy of a valid (current) EMT card, and a copy of a valid (current) CPR certificate. Also, you will need to submit official transcripts from your high school and any colleges you have attended.
Q: How much does the program cost?
A: You can complete the Paramedic Program for approximately $3,000, including books (out-of-state tuition is higher). Financial Aid and scholarships are available. Additional costs outside of Foothill's own charges may apply (Internship placement fees, National Registry fees).
A complete descriptions of fees, broken down by quarter, is available in PDF format by clicking here. Please be advised that the fees indicated are this academic year's fees. Fees are subject to change.
Q: When are the classes held?
A: Currently, there is only one full-time class being offered, starting Fall quarter. Students attend class two days per week with each session lasting eight hours. For Fall 2008, lectures are from 8 am to 5 pm every Tuesday, and labs are from 8 am to 5 pm every Wednesday.
Q: What certificate or degree can I earn?
A: Students can receive a Certificate of Completion after successful completion of the didactic, clinical and internship courses. Students may choose to continue their education and earn an Associate of Science Paramedic.
Also, Foothill College paramedic units may be applied to the San Jose State University Health Science program so that students can earn a B.S. in Health Science. Call SJSU at (408) 924-2976 for more information.
Q: How can I better prepare myself for admission to Foothill's program?
A: The paramedic curriculum is intense and demanding. Many students find it difficult to keep up with the amount of information given to them on a weekly basis due to lack of previous experience with intense course work demands in a short period of time. Students are strongly encouraged to successfully complete college level courses that require a similar level of intensity and difficulty before applying to the program. Courses that are most similar and helpful are: mathematics (algebra, statistics, calculus), anatomy & physiology with a lab, chemistry with a lab, biology with a lab, physics with a lab. Courses in the Arts and Humanities departments are helpful but do not replicate the paramedic experience as well.
Q: Can I work in other states as a paramedic?
A: A Paramedic who earns National Registry may work in other states that accept national registration as their reciprocity. Call the National Registry at (614) 888-4484 for more information.
Q: What makes the Foothill College Paramedic Program different from other schools?
A: The Paramedic Program at Foothill College is quite unique with a long history dating back to 1974 through Stanford Hospital and then jointly through Foothill College in 1984. Because of the community college setting students at Foothill College enjoy access to computer labs, library, on site counseling, electronic classrooms, and inexpensive health care through Student Health Services. Additionally the community college setting allows the student to pursue an Associate of Science degree in Paramedic; most paramedic schools in California are private post secondary institutions without the ability to offer college credit.
Students attending the Paramedic Program at Foothill College visit the Stanford cadaver labs twice during the course to participate in a gross anatomy lesson and then again to perform procedures such as endotracheal intubation, intraosseous infusion, cricothyroidotomy, and pleural decompression.
The program is inexpensive with a philosophy of small class size and high quality education. The laboratory sessions are highly structured with procedures quantified and qualified. The program also has a high level of medical director involvement. Dr. Levis provides lectures and lab instruction frequently, so that the paramedic students have a great deal of interaction with a physician. The program has received four years of grant monies and has purchased lab equipment which is the exact equipment carried on an ambulance.
Each lab group of six students has a full compliment of ambulance equipment including but not limited to fully equipped respiratory bag, medication box, EKG and mannequin. The staff and faculty of the program are enthusiastic and committed to the program. Foothill College also has an agreement with San Jose State University to allow students in the paramedic course to earn upper division credit towards a bachelor's degree. The program continually strives to improve.
