Paramedic

Paramedic Program – Overview

Central PA (Harrisburg) Program: Application deadline is January 6, 2025. We will be holding interviews rolling interviews as applications are received.

Applicants that are accepted to the program will be contacted by Friday, January 10th.

Central PA Class of 2025 begins with a mandatory orientation on March 4 – 6, 2025.

Pittsburgh (Oakland) Program: Application deadline is June 2, 2025 now. We will be holding interviews on all completed applications between May 5^th and June 6^th.

Applicants that are accepted to the program will be contacted by Friday, June 13, 2025.

Pittsburgh Class of 2026 begins with a mandatory orientation on August 19 – 21, 2025

The Center for Emergency Medicine has been offering Paramedic education for nearly 40years. During that time our program has undergone numerous changes from curriculum to faculty. One constant has remained the ability to educate competent entry level paramedics who are able to meet the needs of the ever changing field of prehospital care.

The faculty of the Center for Emergency Medicine consists of experienced educators, prehospital providers, registered nurses, and emergency physicians. We have developed the Center’s Paramedic education program to equip students with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to develop as medical professionals. Throughout the program, students receive instruction in the art and science of emergency medicine through lecture, lab, and clinical education in the hospital and field. The curriculum involves students in these components of education concurrently. This enables paramedic students to master theory and practical application quickly.

All of the Center’s Paramedic Education programs are designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to provide high quality emergency medical care. Paramedic Education at the Center has received national recognition for its innovative, comprehensive, and well-rounded approach to the education of professionals in out-of-hospital medicine.

The Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania, Inc 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 Program for Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

To contact CoAEMSP:
214-703-8845
www.coaemsp.org

DIPLOMA IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE

The Center for Emergency Medicine offers a paramedic diploma program designed to prepare paramedics for entry-level positions in urban, suburban, and rural Emergency Medical Services throughout the country. The Diploma Program is offered in a part-time format. The program requires that the student complete clinical and field rotations on non-class days.

The Center for Emergency Medicine was the first facility in the country to use the 1998 Paramedic: National Standard Curriculum. This is the most comprehensive curricula in the history of EMS and was developed to prepare advanced level providers for the new millennium. The Center’s course of study meets or exceeds all of the minimum national and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania training requirements. Upon graduation from the program, the students will be eligible take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Paramedic Examination.

DIDACTIC AND PRACTICAL EDUCATION

The course of instruction consists of four phases of education: didactic, laboratory, clinical/field and summative field internship. The Center’s program consists of 520 hours of didactic education and laboratory education, and 544 hours of clinical education. The didactic material provides the foundation for understanding the purpose and objectives of clinical treatments. We believe that this is the distinction between the professional and the technician. This philosophy provides the rationale for the development of a comprehensive classroom curriculum.

Laboratory training provides a safe and effective opportunity for students to develop psychomotor skills and apply concepts to clinical decision-making. The Center maintains an extensive array of training manikins, models and equipment specifically for practice of the psychomotor skills of patient care. The Center also takes advantage of the latest technology for educational purposes. We maintain a state-of-the-art computer laboratory with the latest educational software and Internet access.

PARAMEDIC PROGRAM – 44 WEEKS

Although this program allows the student to complete the program over 44 weeks, it still requires a significant commitment from the student. The program meets at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital for the didactic classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Students report to the Oakland campus for practical skills development on Wednesday evenings. This program includes several web-based activities along with all day Friday sessions from September through December.  Students are expected to complete clinical and field rotations on non- class days.

PLAN OF STUDIES