Surry Community College’s Emergency Medical Program is updating its admission criteria, format and timeline. This opportunity will improve the quality of the program and the overall student experience.
The Paramedic course is designed to develop knowledge and skills for the advanced emergency care of ill or injured persons. These future clinicians will be taught critical life-saving interventions and medical knowledge that are on the leading-edge of paramedicine. Paramedic candidates will be prepared to provide the highest-level emergency medical care and prepare for the NC State and/or National Registry Paramedic Exam. Once successfully credentialed, they will begin a career in the medical profession as an entry-level paramedic with EMS agencies or in medical facilities across the state or nation.
Beginning with the 2023 Paramedic class, SCC’s Emergency Medical Program will accept the top 20 scorers on the Paramedic Candidate Entrance Exam through a two-part process. Candidates will first be required to complete a TABE examination and score at a college level in reading. Candidates who score at a college level will then complete the Paramedic Candidate Entrance Exam. The entrance exam will consist of factual, scenario, and critical thinking questions to assess knowledge of EMT, anatomy and physiology, math and reading, information which candidates should know by taking the pre-requisites for an entry-level Paramedic student.
Additional pre-requisites for the course include the following: a high school diploma or equivalency, completion of an anatomy and physiology course (either EMS 3163, BIO 168 and BIO 169, or BIO 163) and a currently valid state or National Registry EMT credential.
The program is also moving to a blended format, which will shorten the program term to 11 months. Rescue Operations Awareness has been added back to the program of study where students will experience classes on vehicle extrication, rope rescue and confined space, among other topics. Students will also be expected to perform monthly minimum clinical rotations, which will occur outside of scheduled class dates.
The next Paramedic class will be offered May 24, 2022, through April 25, 2023. Those interested should apply to the program by March 29, 2022, by going to bit.ly/EMS2023. For more information, go to surry.edu/ems or facebook.com/surryems. For further questions, contact Dr. Douglas W. Underwood, Emergency Medical Program Director, at (336) 386-3584, underwoodd@surry.edu or Kenneth Vaught, Emergency Medical Program Coordinator, at (336) 386-3633 or vaughtk@surry.edu.