EMS

The 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. This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation. Paramedics function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight. Paramedics perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance. The Paramedic is a link from the scene into the health care system.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) poses inherent occupational risks for EMS responders. Risks include, but are not limited to: violence/assaults, verbal threats/aggression, motor vehicle crashes, infectious disease, lifting injuries, sprains and strains, psychological trauma, hazardous chemical exposure and hypo/hyperthermia.

To learn more about paramedic qualifications, characteristics, knowledge, skills, physical demands and expectations, please read this Functional Job Analysis from the NHTSA EMS Office.

The Edward Paramedic Education Program trains students to be professionals who provide care with compassion and respect. We accept up to 16 students per year, who earn excellent passing rates on the National Registry Exam.

Edward's Emergency Medical Services system runs only one paramedic education program a year. The one-year program starts in January and meets from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays. The didactic and clinical rotation portion of our program starts in January and ends in July, while the field internship cohort starts at the end of July.

Our paramedic program is successful because we offer:

• Smaller class size
• Evidence-based course content based on the Paramedic National Education Standards
• Faculty with extensive knowledge and experience, both in the field and the classroom
• Multiple clinical rotations throughout Edward Hospital
• Affiliation with a hospital with a reputation for excellence, a Level II trauma center, and a culture that puts a priority on making things easier and less stressful for patients
• Field internship experience with our outstanding EMS providers: Bolingbrook Fire Department, Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District, Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District, Naperville Fire Department, Romeoville Fire Department, and the Warrenville Fire Protection District
• Training in practical interpersonal skills
• Authorized by the Illinois Department of Public Health
• Certification for students in: Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC)

The goal of the Edward Hospital Emergency Medical Services System Paramedic Education Program is to prepare competent, professional, entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.

Applications for the 2024 Paramedic Education Program are now closed. Applications for the 2025 Paramedic Education Program will be available in May, 2024.

To be eligible to apply for the program, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must be certified through the National Registry or State of Illinois as an Emergency Medical Technician (If accepted into the program, students must have a State of Illinois EMT license)
• Must have a high school diploma, State of Illinois High School diploma or GED awarded prior to 1-1-23.
• Must have a valid healthcare provider CPR card
• Completion of a Basic Anatomy/Physiology Course (or higher) and a Medical Terminology Course is preferred but not mandatory
• Must possess a valid driver’s license
• Must submit three (3) reference letters with the application (included in application)
• Must complete the paramedic reading and writing competency requirements at College of DuPage during the application process (only if EMT training was not completed at COD)
• Successfully pass the entrance exam
• Complete an oral interview process
• If selected into Edward Hospital’s Paramedic Education Program, the student will be responsible for completing mandatory health requirements, applying for a background check, paying a lab fee and purchasing textbooks and uniforms.

In order to ensure the required learning objectives set forth by the various authorities having jurisdiction over the Edward Hospital Paramedic Program, no credit will be granted by advanced placement or for experiential learning.

All students are considered full-time students with the College of DuPage and will be given in-district tuition rates. The cost breakdown below are estimated program costs for 2024.

The Edward Hospital Paramedic Education Program has an affiliation with the College of DuPage (COD). Students who successfully complete our program will earn the Paramedic Certificate from the College of DuPage and also receive 36 college credits towards the Associates of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree in Emergency Medical Services. To access the College of DuPage website, please click here.

How long is the paramedic program?
The program is a year in length and runs from early January through early December.

What does your program’s classroom schedule look like?
Classroom sessions take place on Monday’s and Friday’s from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with one additional Wednesday a month).

How many hours is your program?
The average amount of hours for our program is 1,375. This includes didactic (classroom/lab), clinical time and field experience/internship time.

Where do you perform clinical rotations?
All clinical rotations take place at Edward Hospital.

What clinicals would I perform during your program?
Students will complete several rotations in the following clinical settings: Lab/Phlebotomy, Same Day Surgery, Respiratory, Anesthesia/OR, Surgical Care Unit, ICU, CNICU, PICU, NICU, Labor and Delivery, Telemetry, Interventional Suites, Emergency Department and the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Do I need to find my own provider to perform Field Internship time?
No. All students will be assigned field experience with one of our outstanding EMS System providers.

Do I automatically become a paramedic upon completion of your program?
No. All graduates will need to challenge and pass the National Registry Paramedic Cognitive Exam prior to being awarded a license from the State of Illinois.

I am currently enrolled in another paramedic program. Am I allowed to transfer into your program and pick up where I left off?
No. If you choose to switch programs before finishing or if you're dismissed from one, students are required to attend and complete the entire program.