Paramedic at Algonquin College

Bring your leadership to the dynamic field of emergency medicine.

Graduates from this top-rated Paramedic Ontario College Diploma program are ready for success in the workforce . Paramedics fill a critical role in our health care system with employment opportunities in rural and urban paramedic services. This program combines applied and theoretical experiences to provide you with the necessary skills.

In this program you learn all aspects of emergency medicine, how to deal with emergencies, and develop the means to communicate with patients, family members and healthcare professionals. In the final term of the program, you get the chance to put your knowledge and skills into practice through a paramedic practicum experience. It is in this setting that you experience a wide variety of calls and are able to display proficiency working as a necessary member of a team. This 420-hour practicum provides you with the opportunity work and learn alongside active paramedics.

The program is delivered through:

• in-class theory
• online learning
• practical/laboratory courses
• high-fidelity simulation
• hospital clinicals, and
• practicums

At the conclusion of the program, you are able to write the Advanced Emergency Medical Care Attendant exam.

After graduating, you may be employed in Paramedic Services throughout Ontario and Canada. Graduates may also choose to continue their studies to obtain advanced training to practice at higher levels of paramedicine.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Are high academic achievers with proven postsecondary success.
• Are mature individuals with excellent communication skills.
• Possess strong leadership and time management skills.
• Are looking for a professional career that is dynamic and challenging.
• Are able to work effectively in challenging environments and in stressful situations.

Careers

Graduates are eligible to write the Ministry of Health licencing exam Advanced Emergency Medical Care Attendant (A-EMCA). Experience and further training may lead to opportunities as advanced and critical care paramedics. In addition, the Paramedic diploma has proved valuable to those seeking employment as firefighters and police officers.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Communicate and interact effectively and appropriately with patients and others.
2. Assess patients using relevant theory and practices and in compliance with current legislation, regulations, standards, and best practice guidelines.
3. Establish patients` treatment and transport priorities based on assessment findings.
4. Implement preventive and therapeutic patient management strategies to maintain and promote patients` well-being in compliance with current legislation, regulations, standards, and best practice guidelines.
5. Integrate and perform delegated controlled medical acts in a simulated, clinical, and field setting.
6. Evaluate in an ongoing manner the effectiveness of patient management strategies used and adapt or change strategies to provide optimal care for patients.
7. Report and document patient information completely, accurately, and in a timely manner, in compliance with current legislation, regulations, standards, and applicable policies and procedures in a simulated, clinical, and/or field setting.
8. Ensure personal safety and contribute to the safety of partners, patients, and others.
9. Ensure the operational safety and preparedness of an ambulance and its equipment and operate an ambulance-type vehicle in a simulated setting.
10. Collaborate with a broad range of personnel such as first responders, paramedics, emergency services personnel, health care professionals and other allied health care workers.
11. Integrate and meet legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities while providing optimal care for patients.
12. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Program Eligibility

• English Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent) with a grade of 65% or higher.
• Mathematics Grade 12 (MAP4C or equivalent) with a grade of 65% or higher.
• Biology Grade 11 or 12 with a grade of 65% or higher.
• Chemistry Grade 11 or 12 with a grade of 65% or higher.
• All applicants must complete an assessment of their knowledge and skills through the Test Centre, and pay an exam fee. Results from the Algonquin College Health Program Admissions Test (AC-HPAT) will be utilized to establish minimum eligibility and applicant ranking. The AC-HPAT can only be written once per academic cycle. For further information on the HPAT and how to book your assessment, please visit Algonquin`s Test Centre.
• Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
• IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT) Overall 80, with the minimum of 20 in each component: Reading 20; Listening 20; Speaking 20; Writing 20.
• First Aid Certificate and Current Basic Cardiac Life Support Certificate (C.P.R. - Level C).
• Applicants must submit a Health Assessment Form and provide an Immunization certificate prior to entry into the program. In order to progress in the program, students will be required to pass a physical fitness test measuring aerobic capacity, strength, and flexibility.