The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Paramedicine is designed for individuals interested in providing care to patients in the pre-hospital setting. The purpose of this program is 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, emergency medical technician, and/or emergency responder levels.
This program will provide the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for an entry-level paramedic and allow eligibility to sit for national and state testing for emergency medical technician and paramedic. The program meets or exceeds the required skills and knowledge as set forth by the National EMS Education Standards and the Oregon Health Authority DHS-EMS division.
The program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) and the Oregon Health Authority DHS-EMS.
There are three Career Pathway certificates that lead to an AAS Paramedicine. To see how this program links to others in the Pathway click here.
Entry Requirements
The EMT and paramedic sequence portions of the program are the only restricted-entry components. Students are required to submit an application to the College and a separate application to the EMS program. The application to the EMS program is for the EMT and paramedic licensure courses only. Students must complete all prerequisites listed in the EMT and paramedic application prior to submission of the application.
For more information contact the program director at 541-888-1554 or 541-888-7432. Due to continually changing laws and regulations, students may be required to add, modify or delete courses and/or hours for the curriculum to meet current standards. See advisor for current requirements.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 98 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the AAS Paramedicine is awarded. The completion of the following certificates will be required in order to qualify for graduation: ACLS, PHTLS, PALS or equivalent. Contact the director for more information on these certificates.
Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).
Pre-Program Courses
Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses, depending on students' college placement information. See advisor for details:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CIS90 | Computer Basics (or demonstrate proficiency) | 2 |
| MTH60 | Algebra I (or placement in higher math course) | 4 |
| CHEM110 | Foundations of General, Organic, and Biochemistry (One of the prerequisite courses for BI231, Anatomy & Physiology) | 4 |
| or BI101 | General Biology | |
| or BI201 | Introductory Biology | |
| or CHEM223 | General Chemistry III | |
| WR90R | Academic Literacy (or higher placement in course) | 4 |
Program Guide
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| AH111 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| BI231 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| EMT175 | Intro Emergency Medical Services | 3 |
| PSY201 or PSY201H |
General Psychology 1 or General Psychology w/Honors |
3 |
| WR121 or WR121H |
English Composition or English Composition w/Honors |
3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BI232 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| EMT151 | Emergency Medical Technician Part A | 5 |
| EMT170 | Emergency Response & Communication Documentation | 2 |
| EMT171 | Emergency Response Transport | 2 |
| MTH65 | Algebra II 2 | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BI233 | Human Anatomy and Physiology III | 4 |
| CJ203 | Crisis Intervention | 3 |
| EMT152 | Emergency Medical Technician Part B | 5 |
| EMT169 | Emergency Medical Technology Rescue | 3 |
| SP218 | Interpersonal Communication 3 | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EMT296 | EMT Paramedic Part I | 12 |
| HE250 or PE231 |
Personal Health 4 or Wellness for Life |
3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| EMT297 | EMT Paramedic Part II | 12 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| CIS120 | Concepts of Computing | 4 |
| EMT298 | EMT Paramedic Part III | 9 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Summer | ||
| EMT291 | Paramedic Field Practicum | 7 |
| Credits | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 98 | |
| 1 | PSY202 General Psychology, PSY202H General Psychology w/Honors, PSY203 General Psychology, PSY203H General Psychology w/Honors, or PSY237 Life Span Development may be substituted for PSY201 General Psychology. |
| 2 | MTH95 Intermediate Algebra or higher may be substituted for MTH65 Algebra II excluding MTH211. |
| 3 | SP111 Fundamentals of Public Speaking or higher may be substituted for SP218 Interpersonal Communication. |
| 4 | PE185 sport/activity courses WILL NOT meet this requirement. |
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate personal behaviors consistent with professional and employer expectations of an entry-level paramedic.
- Demonstrate technical proficiency in all of the skills necessary to fulfill the role of an entry-level paramedic.
- Comprehend, apply and evaluate information relative to the role of an entry-level paramedic in the cognitive domain.