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Emergency Medical Science
Our program prepares students who are passionate about patient health and seek the understanding, knowledge, and skills needed to make an immediate impact in emergency medical science. Make a difference by employing evidence-based practice under medical oversight and serve as a link from the scene into the healthcare system.
Begin Your Journey
- Train in our new state-of-the-art facilities and simulation labs.
- Receive hands-on instruction from industry professionals in a small class setting.
- Participate in clinical and field internships to gain experience and valuable connections for guaranteed job placement.
Graduates may be eligible to take state and/or national certification examinations. Employment opportunities include providers of emergency medical services, fire departments, rescue agencies, hospital specialty areas, industry, educational and government agencies. Local employment opportunities inlude FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Moore County EMS, FirstHealth Regional EMS services, Cape Fear Valley Health System, Scotland County EMS and Wake County EMS. Explore a career in emergency medical sciences.
Expenses estimated over the two-year program timeline.
ITEM | IN-STATE COST | OUT-OF-STATE COST |
Tuition* | $5,472.00 | $19,296.00 |
Student Activity Fee | $175.00 | $175.00 |
Technology Fee | $240.00 | $240.00 |
General Education Course fees | $0-100.00 | $0-100.00 |
Additional Program fees | $500.00 | $500.00 |
Textbooks | $350.00 | $350.00 |
Malpractice Insurance** | $36.00 | $36.00 |
Criminal Background Checks & Drug Screens | $180.00 | $180.00 |
Clinical Uniforms/Shoes | $250.00 | $250.00 |
Medical Record Tracking | $40.00 | $40.00 |
AHA/PHTLS Cards | $46.00 | $46.00 |
*Program credit hours: 74 – $76.00 per credit hour in-state tuition, $268.00 per credit hour out-of-state tuition.
Tuition estimate does not include English and math prerequisites, which vary by student.
**Malpractice insurance: $18.00 per academic year.
Sandhills is committed to the belief that every student should have an opportunity to pursue an education, regardless of financial resources. We are here to guide you through the financial aid system to make costs more manageable and higher education more accessible.
Admission Requirements
Admission to Â鶹ÊÓƵ does not guarantee admission to this program. Testing and placement criteria must be met. The EMS program is divided into three primary sections, EMT, Advanced EMT, Paramedic. Successful completion of EMT is required to move to Advanced EMT or Paramedic.
Test Score/Class Requirements
Students must place into: ENG 111 Expository Writing without a corequisite.
Students must successfully place out of: DMA 010, 020, 030 or MAT 003 Tier 1.
Prerequisite Classes: The student must pass the NC EMT Basic Certification prior to the field internship, however they may perform clinical rotations.
Special Program Requirements
- Upon request, students must provide character references.
- During the students patient care experience they will be in various public venues. Therefore, there is a required dress code for clinical rotations that addresses grooming, hygiene, earrings and tattoos. This document is provided prior to beginning clinical rotations.
- Students progressing through the program must apply to take state credentialing exams. There are some criminal convictions that may prevent the applicant from obtaining state credentials. This will be addressed on a case by case basis through the State Office of EMS upon request for application of credentials.
- Students are responsible for the extra cost of uniforms, medical exam, immunizations, insurance and travel to clinical sites. The medical exam and immunizations must be completed prior to beginning any patient care rotation.
Students who are offered seats in a Health Science program must complete additional requirements such as CPR certification and other requirements detailed below prior to beginning clinical training. The clinical training onset varies by program. Specific dates and details will be communicated in your acceptance letter.
Essential Functions
Before official enrollment in program courses, students must present a personal statement to verify that they can fulfill certain essential functions. These include, but are not limited to: Physical Ability, Visual Acuity, Hearing Acuity, Speech/Communication, Critical Thinking, Emotional Stability, Personal Attributes, and Ability to Travel. A complete list of essential functions can be obtained from the Program Coordinator.
Students must be physically capable of driving an ambulance, lifting and moving patients, and using rescue equipment.
Program Orientation
Attend the mandatory program orientation where all conditional acceptance requirements will be detailed. Failure to attend may result in your acceptance being revoked.
Drug Screen & Criminal Background Check
Drug screens and criminal background checks are required by our clinical affiliates in order to attend clinical rotations. Students with positive drug screen, criminal charges, or criminal convictions may not be able to attend clinicals, and therefore will be unable to progress within the program. Complete information regarding the procedure will be provided at the program orientation.
Immunization Requirements
Proof of all childhood immunizations and other specific vaccines, including:
Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, & Pertussis)
Varicella (Chicken Pox)
MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella)
Hepatitis B* (six month series)
Tuberculosis Skin Test
Influenza: required annually
COVID-19: see below
Â鶹ÊÓƵ does not require specific immunizations in order to enroll or attend classes on campus. However, Health Sciences and Nursing programs require clinical hours. Students admitted to an Â鶹ÊÓƵ Health Sciences or Nursing program must comply with the requirements set by outside clinical agencies, which may include a criminal background check, drug screen, physical, and/or specific vaccines. Decisions about an individual student’s presence in the clinical environment are made by the clinical agencies.
We are guests in our clinical facilities and in order to have clinical privileges, must abide by their requirements for students and faculty. Notice of changes of agency requirements may or may not provide us with much notice.
If requirements are made by a Â鶹ÊÓƵ clinical agency and a student chooses not to comply, they may not be eligible to complete the clinical requirements of the program and thus become unable to enter or complete a course and the program.
Management of these requirements is reserved to Â鶹ÊÓƵ employees only. Students may not contact clinical agencies directly to discuss requirements. Doing say may result in denial of admission or dismissal from a program.
All immunizations must be completed before program entrance.
The Emergency Medical Services- Paramedic program at Â鶹ÊÓƵ 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).
YEAR | NC EXAM PASS RATE* | RETENTION ** | JOB PLACEMENT RATE** |
2016 | 100% | 69% | |
2017 | 93% | 71% | |
2018 | 100% | 89% | 88% |
2019 | 100% | 77% | 80% |
2020^ | 61.5% | 72% | 85% |
2021^ | 40% | 46% | 80% |
2022 | 80% | 42% | 80% |
* NCOEMS Annual Report
** CoAEMSP Annual Report
^ Outcomes for 2020 and 2021 are exempt from CoAEMSP standards due to COVID-19 impacts.
Program Objectives
“To prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.â€
* This program is financial aid eligible.
Course Hours Per Week | Semester Hours | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Semester (Fall) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
ACA-115 | Success & Study Skills | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
BIO-168 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
EMS-110 | EMT | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
MED-120 | Survey of Med Terminology | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
Credit Hours | 11 | 11 | 3 | 16 | |
Second Semester (Spring) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
BIO-169 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
EMS-122 | EMS Clinical Practicum I | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
EMS-130 | Pharmacology | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
EMS-131 | Advanced Airway Management | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
EMS-160 | Cardiology I | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
EMS-210 | Adv. Patient Assessment | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
ENG-111 | Writing and Inquiry | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 13 | 14 | 3 | 19 | |
Third Semester (Summer) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-220 | Cardiology II | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
EMS-221 | EMS Clinical Practicum II | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
EMS-260 | Trauma Emergencies | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
Credit Hours | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | |
Fourth Semester (Fall) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-231 | EMS Clinical Pract III | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
EMS-240 | Patients W/ Special Challenges | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
EMS-250 | Medical Emergencies | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
EMS-270 | Life Span Emergencies | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
ENG-112 or | Writing/Research in the Disc or | ||||
Prof Research & Reporting
|
3 | 0 | 3 | ||
Credit Hours | 10 | 8 | 9 | 16 | |
Fifth Semester (Spring) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-241 | EMS Clinical Practicum IV | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
EMS-285 | EMS Capstone | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS*** | EMS Elective | 1-2 | 2-3 | 2-3 | |
*** | Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
*** | Social/Behavioral Science Elective** | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 8-9 | 8-9 | 12 | 14-15 | |
Total Required Minimum Semester Hours Credit | 72 | ||||
Select one of the following for Social/Behavioral Science Elective: | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
PSY-118 | Interpersonal Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
PSY-150 | General Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
SOC-210 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
SOC-220 | Social Problems | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
SOC-225 | Social Diversity | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Select one of the following for EMS Elective: | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-115 | Defense Tactics for EMS | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-125 | EMS Instructor Methodology | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
EMS-140 | Rescue Scene Management | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-150 | Emergency Vehicles & EMS Comm | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-235 | EMS Management | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
EMS-243 | Wilderness EMT | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Select one of the following for EMS Elective: | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-115 | Defense Tactics for EMS | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-125 | EMS Instructor Methodology | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
EMS-140 | Rescue Scene Management | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-150 | Emergency Vehicles & EMS Comm | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-235 | EMS Management | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
EMS-243 | Wilderness EMT | 1 | 2 | 2 |
* This program is not financial aid eligible.
Course Hours Per Week | Semester Hours | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Semester (Fall) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
ACA-115 | Success & Study Skills | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
BIO-163 | Basic Anat & Physiology | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
EMS-110 | EMT | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
MED-120 | Survey of Med Terminology | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
Credit Hours | 12 | 10 | 3 | 17 | |
Second Semester (Spring) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-122 | EMS Clinical Practicum I | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
EMS-130 | Pharmacology | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
EMS-131 | Advanced Airway Management | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
EMS-160 | Cardiology I | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
ENG-111 | Writing and Inquiry | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 9 | 8 | 3 | 13 | |
Third Semester (Summer) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-210 | Adv. Patient Assessment | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-220 | Cardiology II | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
EMS-221 | EMS Clinical Practicum II | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
EMS-260 | Trauma Emergencies | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
Credit Hours | 4 | 9 | 6 | 9 | |
Fourth Semester (Fall) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-231 | EMS Clinical Pract III | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
EMS-240 | Patients W/ Special Challenges | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
EMS-250 | Medical Emergencies | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
EMS-270 | Life Span Emergencies | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
Credit Hours | 7 | 8 | 9 | 13 | |
Fifth Semester (Spring) | Class | Lab | Clinic | Credit | |
EMS-140 | Rescue Scene Management | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
EMS-241 | EMS Clinical Practicum IV | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
EMS-285 | EMS Capstone | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
Credit Hours | 2 | 6 | 12 | 8 | |
Total Required Minimum Semester Hours Credit | 60 |
Contact
General Health Sciences Admissions Questions
donadiot@sandhills.edu
Ryan Teal, Instructor, EMS Program Director
115 Kennedy Hall
(910) 695-3768
tealr@sandhills.edu
Emily Gunter, EMS Director of Clinical Education
117 Kennedy Hall
(910) 246-4132
guntere@sandhills.edu