Paramedic
A paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. They possess the complex knowledge and skills necessary for patient care and transportation, functioning as part of a comprehensive EMS response under medical oversight. Paramedics perform interventions using both basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance, serving as a crucial link between the scene and the healthcare system.
Paramedics are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that meet the expectations of the public and the profession. They recognize their essential role in the continuum of care, acting as connectors among various health resources. By delivering patients directly to appropriate facilities, paramedics strive to maintain high-quality, cost-effective healthcare. As patient advocates, they proactively work with other provider agencies, networks, and organizations to influence long-term healthcare outcomes.
The evolving roles and responsibilities of paramedics now include public education, health promotion, and participation in injury and illness prevention programs. As their scope of service expands, paramedics will facilitate access to care and provide initial treatment. They are accountable to medical direction, the public, and their peers, recognizing the importance of research and actively participating in its design, development, evaluation, and publication. Paramedics are committed to lifelong professional development, peer evaluation, and active involvement in professional and community organizations.
The paramedic training program is a postsecondary program for individuals who already hold a valid EMT national certification. The comprehensive classroom instruction covers anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiological processes, along with competency-based training in assessment and management skills for treating life-threatening conditions in adults, children, and the elderly. Clinical internships involve patient care in hospital emergency departments that provide medical control to ALS providers, as well as rotations in CCU, ICU, labor and delivery, operating rooms, psychiatric wards, pediatric wards, and geriatric wards, depending on availability. Field internships are conducted with ambulance and/or rescue services providing advanced life support to the community.
This training program is sanctioned by the Mississippi State Board of Health and meets or exceeds the standards established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Admission Requirements
- Applicants to Health Science Programs must meet the requirements for admission to the college.
- Applicants must complete an application to the Paramedic Program
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide the required data to: Northeast Mississippi Community College Office of Admissions
- ACT - 16
- Nationally registered EMT
- 18 or older
The Northeast Mississippi Paramedic program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). This letter is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, it is a status signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation standards through the Letter of Review Self-Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the National Registry's Paramedic credentialing examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation. To contact CoAEMSP: 214-703-8445 www.coaemsp.org
Executive Analysis of Letter of Review
Advanced Placement Policy
In accordance with the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Standards and Guidelines, NEMCC’s Paramedic Program does not offer advanced placement.
All applicants who are accepted into the Paramedic Program must complete the full prescribed curriculum, including all didactic, laboratory, clinical, and field internship components, regardless of prior education, certification, or experience.
This policy ensures that every graduate meets or exceeds the required competencies, terminal learning objectives, and minimum clock hours established by the National EMS Education Standards and CoAEMSP/CAAHEP accreditation requirements.
Experiential Learning Policy
The NEMCC Paramedic Program values the knowledge and skills students may have gained through prior professional experience, employment, or informal training.
However, in compliance with the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Standards and Guidelines, the program does not award course credit or advanced standing based on experiential learning alone.
All students, regardless of previous EMS, healthcare, military, or related experience, are required to:
- Complete all prescribed didactic, laboratory, clinical, and field internship requirements in full.
- Demonstrate competency in every terminal objective and psychomotor skill as outlined in the National EMS Education Standards.
- Participate in all evaluation and assessment activities to ensure consistent competency validation and program quality.
This policy ensures that every graduate meets the national education standards and competencies required for eligibility to sit for the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) Paramedic examination and to practice safely and effectively as a paramedic.