Cohort 63 application is currently CLOSED. Cohort 64 application will be available in February 2024.

Please review all information on this webpage before applying, including the details at the bottom of the page.

The structure of this training program:

• Cohort 63 will start on January 2nd, 2024, and run through December 21, 2024. It will consist of three phases of training
• Didactic
  • Intro Block
  • Medical Block
  • Trauma Block
  • OB/Peds Block
  • Classroom lecture and labs are 8 hour sessions
  • Students will attend class 3-5 times a week.
• Clinicals
  • Clinical Rotation Block
  • Clinical rotations require a student to log 172 hours of training in four to five weeks
    • Equivalent of a forty hour work week.
• Field Internship
  • Field Internship
  • Two to three months riding on an ALS ambulance performing in the role of paramedic intern while being evaluated by experienced paramedics
  • The length of the internship can vary due to the shift schedules of our preceptors. 
  • The internship will require a student to perform in the intern role for no less than 528 hours.

Prerequisites:

• 2000 hours of  paid EMT work experience.
  • Experience should be in the realm of providing pre-hospital care.
  • Clinical work experience  in lieu of EMT Ambulance/Engine experience is considered on a case by case basis
• Proof of passing a college level Intro to Anatomy and Physiology Course (if you take it through Palomar College, the class is listed under Bio-145)
• Current EMT-B certification or National Registry EMT license
• Current CPR Provider Certification. Certification by AHA preferred, all others are considered on a case by case basis
• Current Valid Drivers License
• Completion of a Paramedic Prep Course.
  • Palomar College EME 175 preferred.  All others Prep courses are contingent on verification of curriculum content.

Vaccinations:

• Palomar College and the EME Department do not set vaccination requirements for students.  Vaccination requirements are required for training in hospital settings (which we do) and at this time, all hospital that we contract with, require Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters.
• Vaccination requirements are not negotiable.  Students are not allowed into patient care environments, at our contracted hospitals, if they do not meet the the vaccination standards of the the hospital hosting the training.   We will not prevent an applicant from being accepted into a paramedic training cohort based on vaccination status.  If a student cannot meet the vaccination requirements of the clinical sites, at the time of clinical rotations, that student will not be able to complete training and will be dismissed from the training program.

Application Period for Cohort 63

• Prospective paramedic students can submit an application, with supportive material, between August 21, 2023, and October 27, 2023 (at 1700 hours)
• In person submission of supportive material drop off options:
  • Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 4:30pm, no appointment required.
  • Drop off packet to Ally (Tues, Wednesday, Friday) or to Kaylee (Monday, Thursday, Friday). Please use the phone in the EME office to dial either Ally/Kaylee’s extension when you arrive to drop off your application packet. Phone Extension: Ally (8151); Kaylee (8186)
• Late submissions will not be accepted without prior authorization.

After submitting the online application all other required document must be compiled and submitted in person to Ally Do or Kaylee Donaghy, in the EME Department Office. The deadline for submitting the packet of documents is October 27, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Any late submissions must be pre-arranged with Ally Do.

The Application Packet:

Please review the information below.  It provides more details about some of the items discussed above and other important info.

After submitting the online application, the following items must be submitted to the EME Department:

•   High School Transcript (or equivalent). This is waived if the applicant has an A.A Degree or above. Please provide Official College Transcripts showing degrees earned. This includes from Palomar College. Applicants may order them and have them sent to our office, Attn: EME Department
•    A copy of the applicants valid California EMT-B certification or National Registry EMT license
•    A copy of an AHA Health Care Provider CPR Card or equivalent – must remain valid and current for duration of program
•    A copy of the applicants Driver’s License – must be valid and remain valid for the duration of the training program
•    Applicant must submit proof of no less than 2000 hours of paid work experience as an EMT in these areas: Private ambulance, Fire Department, Life-guarding, Navy Corpsman, Emergency Room, etc.
  •    Proof must be in the form of an original letter of work verification from the applicants employer(s) signed and dated, on letterhead
•    Applicants must submit three original professional letters of reference, signed and dated (One personal letter may be submitted, but not from a family member)
•    Applicants must provide two 2″x2″ passport photos
•    Applicants must be able to prove that they completed a college level Intro to Anatomy & Physiology course from an accredited college or University with a grade of “C” or better (BIO-145 at Palomar College, formerly ZOO-145). This is typically included in official transcripts.
•    Completion of Paramedic Preparation (EME-175, EME-175 Lab) with a grade of “B” or better. This is typically included in official transcripts.

The Screening Process:

After the application period closes, the submitted applicants documentation will be reviewed.  Applicants that submit incomplete packets may be eliminated from the application process.  Applicants who have met the pre-requisites, and have submitted complete application packets, will be asked to participate in our screening process.

The elements of the screening process are outlined below:

• Day One
  • Applicants will attend one session.
  • October 30th, 2023 (0900-1300) or November 2nd, 2023 (0900-1300)
  • Location of this Day One assessments will be the Computer Lab (Room 101) on the Palomar College Escondido Campus.
  • Assessments on Day One are:
    • Medical Math Assessment
    • EMT Assessment (National Curriculum)
    • Reading Level Assessment
    • To participate in Day One of the screening process applicants must have:
      • A Palomar College Student ID number and have confirmed that their account is active
      • An account with Platinum Education Group at https://www.platinumed.com/
        • Do not attempt to create an account and request to be a part of this screening process prior to getting instructions from the EME department.
        • More information will be posted here as the date approaches.
    • Some applicants have had trouble finishing all elements of the screening process in four hours.  Applicants should arrive knowing that there is a time limit on these screening elements.
    • At the conclusion of Day One events, applicants will then be asked to schedule their appointment for day two of the process.
• Day Two
  • Applicants will attend one session.
    • November 14th or November 16th
    • Times will be scheduled with the applicant on day one.
  • The location of the Day Two will Palomar College Escondido Campus.
    • Room to be announced later.
    • Day two appointments will be one hour increments between 0800-1700
      • Applicants should be prepared to stay on site more than an hour in case the faculty experiences delays.
  • Assessments this day will be:
    • Oral Interview
    • EMT-B level simulation.
      • Paramedic Prep level assessment and treatment is encouraged
      • Applicants will be simulating the assessment on a high fidelity mannequin.
• Announcement of Acceptance.
  • Following the screening process students will be ranked based on their performance and selected by the EME Program Director and faculty.
  • Applicants will be notified if they were accepted on not accepted in writing.  It is anticipated that letters will be mailed by November 20th, 2023.
• Orientation Date for Incoming Cohort
  • Students that are accepted into Cohort 63 will be required to attend a mandatory orientation session on December 8th, 2023 (0800-1400).

For Additional Information Contact:

Ally Do

Career Technical Program Specialist

760-744-1150 Ext. 8151

ado@palomar.edu