PARAMEDIC COURSE

Registration for the Winter 2025 course opens on November 20!

Paramedic Course

14-month, tuition-based program

1,200 coursework, lab, and field hours

Asynchronous program: Virtual live and recorded lecture options. Independent online coursework. In-person weekly labs.

Prerequisites:

  • Michigan EMT license or NREMT certification

  • Successful completion of Anatomy & Physiology

Our results speak for themselves. See our paramedic program student outcomes here.

The HVA Center for EMS Education paramedic training program is a 14-month course totaling 1,200 classwork, lab, clinical, and internship hours. This course prepares students to take the National Registry paramedic exam, obtain paramedic licensure, and work as competent paramedics in the field.

Our program is approved by the MDHHS Division of EMS and Trauma and is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

The goal of the Center for EMS Education is to prepare Paramedics who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

Upcoming Paramedic Classes

Course Dates

  • Paramedic classes are held each January and September
  • Registration typically opens six weeks before the start of class.

Course model: This asynchronous program has virtual lecture options, independent online coursework, and in-person labs.

The first day of class is a mandatory in-person day. All students must report to Ann Arbor for the first day of class.

Winter 2025 Paramedic Class

January 6, 2025 – February 11, 2026

Virtual lectures, independent online coursework, and in-person labs.

Registration: November 20 – December 20, 2024, or until the course reaches capacity.

Lab Information

All lab sessions are mandatory and in-person. The lab schedules are as follows:

  • Programs beginning in January: Wednesdays, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
  • Programs beginning in September: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 

Occasionally, Saturday lab dates may be required and will be announced after the start of class.

Students may choose to complete their labs at our Ann Arbor or Jackson locations.

Lab Locations

Jackson Location

Jackson College

2111 Emmons Rd. Jackson, MI 49201

Ann Arbor Location

Huron Valley Ambulance

1200 State Cir. Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Tuition and Fees

Tuition: $8,499

+ an additional cost for uniforms, textbooks, supplies, drug screen, and background check. (around $1,100)

Note

  • Please review our Tuition Refund Policy before registering.
  • A 10% tuition discount is available for first responders (police/fire/EMS). 
  • Emergent Health Partners employees take the paramedic training program at no charge. 
  • Please contact us for information on the first responder or employee discount: emseducation@emergenthealth.org
Tuition Payment Schedule

Tuition Payment Schedule

Tuition is broken into three payments of $2,833.

  • The first payment is due at registration.
  • An additonal payment is due at the beginning of each semester.
  • Tuition can be paid via credit or debit card online.
  • We are not able to accept financial aid or GI Bill funds.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for acceptance into the HVA EMS Education paramedic program, prospective students must:

  • Possess a valid Michigan EMT license or NREMT certification
  • Have passed an Anatomy & Physiology for Paramedics course with a 78% or higher OR
  • Provide transcripts from a college-level A&P course with a minimum of 4 credit hours and a lab component taken within the last five years and completed with a 78% or higher.
  • Provide proof of a negative TB test.
  • Be up to date on required immunizations.
  • Pass a drug screen and background check.

Course Information

Course Curriculum

During this 14-month course, students will learn the required skills to successfully obtain a paramedic license and serve as a paramedic.

Students will obtain the following required certifications:

  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)
  • Pediatric Education for Prehospital professionals (PEPP)

 

Our course curriculum covers:

  • An in-depth understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of disease
  • Intravenous fluid and medication administration
  • Definitive and comprehensive patient assessment techniques
  • Emergent pharmacological administration
  • Advanced cardiovascular assessment and treatment, including 12-lead ECG interpretation
  • Advanced airway control, including surgical cricothyrotomy
  • In-depth focus on pulmonology, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, urology, gastroenterology, neonatology, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, and gerontology
  • A comprehensive look at disease, including acid-base balance and blood chemistry
  • Dealing with complex medical and traumatic life-threatening illnesses and injuries
  • Pediatric assessment and field treatment, including intra-osseous cannulation and fluid therapy
Coursework and Labs

+ Coursework: Students will complete weekly online coursework. Students are required to stay up-to-date on assigned work and the course schedule.

+ Labs: The labs are hands-on learning experiences completed with modern equipment used on ALS and BLS ambulances.

Labs are held at our Ann Arbor or Jackson locations. 

Students in both lab locations are trained with modern prehospital equipment. HVA Paramedic Instructor Coordinators run the labs at both locations.

Ann Arbor: 

Jackson:

Clinicals and Internship

+ Clincials:
 Clinicals will be scheduled after the start of class. Students are required to complete:

  • Adult Emergency Department: 120 hours
  • Pediatric Emergency Department: 40 hours
  • Critical Care Unit: 8 hours
  • Labor & Delivery: 8 hours
  • Trauma Burn: 8 hours
  • Operating Room: 16 hours
  • Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance third rides: 108 hours

 

+Internship:

The final six weeks of the program are your Capstone Internship. During this time, students gain the skills and confidence needed to serve as an entry-level paramedic.

The capstone entails:

  • Prep for the National Registry Exam.
  • Progressing through running basic 911 calls, and working toward leading patient care.
  • An Additional 300 hours of ALS ambulance third rides, where the student is taking the lead on patient calls.
Teaching Tools
  • Classwork is completed online and class and labwork are documented on online learning platforms.
  • Testing and exams are computer-based and completed during in-person lab sessions.
  • Students are trained on modern EMS equipment, including fully functioning patient care manikins, IVs, a cricothyrotomy kit, the EZ-IO System, and the LifePak15 cardiac monitor.
  • Students use the Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital Simulation Center throughout the program.
Passing the Course
  • Students must achieve a passing grade in the class and on the final exam to pass the course. 
  • Course grades are based on classwork, labs, assessments, and performance in clinicals and the internship.
  • Students who pass the course and final exam receive a certificate of completion and will be eligible to take the National Registry exam for state licensure.

What does a Paramedic do?

A paramedic is a licensed, highly trained first responder and medical provider.

Paramedics respond to 911 calls in an ambulance and provide advanced out-of-hospital emergency care and life-saving interventions to sick and hurt individuals. Paramedics also transport patients by ambulance from the scene of an emergency to a healthcare facility.

Paramedics work under protocols approved by a physician, make patient-care decisions, and supervise team members with lower levels of licensure during calls.

A paramedic license allows the provider a greater scope of practice than an EMT.

Paramedic Skills and Job Duties

Some examples of skills paramedics perform are:

  • Take vital signs
  • Monitor blood pressure
  • Interpret patient data
  • Stabilize the spine and extremity injuries
  • Eye irrigation
  • Bleeding control
  • Administer life-saving medication
  • Set up and administer IVs
  • Advanced airway management
  • Treat allergic reactions
  • Perform emergency respiratory procedures, like a tracheotomy
  • Deliver babies
  • Respond to cardiac emergencies with CPR and an AED
  • Communicate with supervising physicians
  • Assist patients who have fallen or have limited mobility
  • Drive an ambulance to and from healthcare facilities and emergencies
  • Transport patients from their homes to healthcare facilities via ambulance
  • Transport patients from one healthcare facility to another via ambulance
Traits of a Paramedic

If you answer yes to most of these questions, advancing your career in EMS to paramedic could be the perfect fit:

  • Are you good at working with diverse groups of people?
  • Do you have a caring and compasisonate nature?
  • Do you want to advance your scope of medical care?
  • Do you want a challenge of learning new skills and knowledge?
  • Are you cool and calm under stress?
  • Can you think quickly on your feet and be flexible to change?
  • Do you have strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills?
  • Are you solution-oriented?
  • Do you want to support and train newer or less experienced EMS providers?
What is the Difference Between an EMT and a Paramedic?

An EMT license is needed to begin a career in EMS. EMTs are licensed to perform Basic Life Support and non-invasive stabilizing treatments and procedures. An EMT is also known as an EMT Basic or an EMT-B.

A paramedic license is more advanced than an EMT license. Paramedics are trained to perform Advanced Life Support measures, which include medication administration and invasive procedures. To become a paramedic, you must first earn an EMT license. A paramedic is also known as an EMT-Paramedic or EMT-P.

Additional Paramedic Certifications

Paramedics can continue to advance their skills and obtain additional certifications. Paramedics can train for:

  • A Community Paramedic, providing non-acute patients with care in their homes instead of transporting them to the hospital.
  • A Critical Care Paramedic, providing intensive monitoring and care for ICU patients during transport.
  • Tactical response, responding alongside law enforcement in high-stakes incidents, providing immediate medical care if needed.
  • Technical response, responding to patients trapped at great heights, in confined spaces, collapsed buildings, or other precarious locations.
  • HAZMAT response, providing medical care to individuals or first responders exposed to hazardous materials.
  • Special pathogens response, treating and transporting patients with highly infectious diseases.
Where do Paramedics Work?

Paramedics can work for private or government ambulance services, fire departments, or as techs in Emergency Departments.

Positions for paramedics are also available at national parks, with some resorts or cruise ships, and other remote or outdoor areas where immediate medical care may be needed.

How do I Become a Paramedic?
  • Pass an EMT training program and obtain an EMT license.
  • Successfully complete an Anatomy & Physiology for Paramedics course.
  • Apply for a high-quality, accredited, state-approved paramedic training program.
  • After successfully completing the paramedic program, register with the National Registry of Emergency Technicians (NREMT) and schedule your NREMT exam.
  • Upon passing the NREMT exam, apply for a paramedic license with the State of Michigan.
  • After completing these steps, you can now apply for a position as a paramedic with a Michigan EMS agency.
  • More detailed information about the process of becoming a paramedic can be found on the MDHHS website.

Program Registration

Registration for the Winter 2025 course opens on November 20! 

GET IN TOUCH

Phone: 734-477-6331

Administrative office hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday

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