2008 - 2009 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROGRAM BROCHURE

The Emergency Medical Services Program at Trinity Valley Community College consists of two options. One is a 65 credit hour curriculum leading to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Services. This curriculum consists of 33 credit hours of emergency medical services courses and 32 credit hours of general education courses. The second option is a 33 credit hour certificate program including only the emergency medical services courses, leading to a Certificate of Completion in Emergency Medical Services. There are two exit points in both curricula at which times students will be recommended to the Texas Department of State Health Services to take the appropriate certification examinations, the EMT-B (Basic level) and the EMT-P (Paramedic level). EMS graduates who have completed the EMS AAS curriculum and meet TDSHS requirements can become licensed Paramedics for an additional fee. Upon entry into the field, graduates of both options should be able to provide safe, competent care for patients in both field and hospital settings.

ADMISSION PROCEDURE

Trinity Valley Community College maintains an open door admissions policy and constantly strives to provide programs beneficial to all students. The admission requirements to the College are found in the College catalog. The following information is important for the EMS program:

Students who are enrolled in the Associate of Applied Science EMS degree need to test before enrolling and meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) guidelines before graduation. Students should see www.tvcc.edu/testing/thea.aspx for details about TSI exemptions and requirements. EMS AAS students will be required to meet TSI requirements for reading in order to be able to enroll in any of the EMT Paramedic level courses.

Students who are enrolled in the Certificate of Completion EMS program are waived from the TSI requirements for the EMT Basic level only. EMS Certificate students will be required to meet TSI requirements for reading in order to be able to enroll in any of the EMT Paramedic level courses. EMT Basic students are advised to take the THEA during their basic semester. EMS Certificate students will not be required to meet TSI requirements for math and writing. They will not be allowed to enroll in any other college level courses besides the EMS courses listed in the certificate curriculum.

ALL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES STUDENTS

• The student must be at least 18 years of age within a year of completion of the first EMS course, Basic Emergency Technology.
  

• The student must have a high school diploma or a GED.
  

• The student must submit an official transcript of all previous college credits to the Registrar’s Office, Trinity Valley Community College, 100 Cardinal Drive, Athens, Texas 75751.
  

• The student must have a current health care provider CPR card before starting clinical experiences. The student must also submit documentation of required immunizations or immunity before patient contact. Students must submit a physical examination form and a negative TB test (or chest x-ray if TB test is positive) before clinical experiences.
  

• All students enrolled in a health occupations program are required to have a negative criminal background and registry checks and drug screen prior to beginning clinical rotations. Details about the requirements for background checks and drug screens will be provided on the first day of class.     
  

• A student with a felony or class A or B misdemeanor conviction may not be allowed to take the state certification examinations. The student should contact the program or course coordinator if they have questions about this.
  

• For graduation, the AAS student must have an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 or better on all courses attempted at the post-secondary level, and the Certificate student must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.0 in the courses required for the certificate.

PROCESS FOR SELECTION OF STUDENTS

There is currently not a selections process for students to enter the EMS program. EMS classes are open to anyone who has met the admissions criteria set forth by the college and the Texas Department of State Health Services (see college catalog, above and below) and the course pre-requisites.

IMPORTANT: Students must have one of the required Hepatitis B vaccines or a blood test verifying immunity to Hepatitis B, before registering for the EMT basic courses. Students must bring documentation of the Hepatitis vaccine or immunity to be able to register. Students must have all of the Hepatitis B vaccines completed or a blood test verifying immunity before registering for the EMT paramedic courses.

Registration for the EMS courses is on a first-come, first-served basis during the regular college pre-registration and registration periods according to the published registration schedule. There are no reserved spaces. The first day of registration is reserved for those who attended TVCC the previous semester. The second day is for new students.

Students must register for both the lecture, lab and clinical sections to be properly registered for the EMS courses. Students may register at the Athens, Palestine, or Terrell campuses for any course the college offers. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT FOR EMS COURSES

Advanced placement is available to students who took EMT-Basic and/or EMT-Intermediate courses through continuing education or a non-college based program.  A student must be accepted for admission by TVCC before credit will be approved. Credit will be awarded and placed on the student’s academic record only after the student has met the advanced placement requirements and earned the equivalent number of hours at TVCC.

Students interested in receiving advanced placement credit for EMT Basic Courses and/or EMT Intermediate Courses should contact the EMS Program Coordinator on the Palestine campus for more information. Advanced placement testing must be completed at least a month before graduation. The cost for administering EMS advanced placement evaluations is $50 for each level of courses. This fee is payable to the business office and is non-refundable.

Requirements for Advanced Placement for EMT-Basic

Requirements for Advanced Placement for EMT-Intermediate

Requirements for Advanced Placement for EMT-Paramedic

SCHEDULES

Consult the schedule to confirm that a certain course is offered during any given semester. The tentative schedule is as follows: EMT-Basic course on the Athens, Palestine and Kaufman campuses in the fall and spring semesters; EMT-Paramedic I courses on the Palestine and Kaufman campuses in the spring semester; and EMT-Paramedic II courses in the fall ending with EMT - Paramedic III courses in the spring.  

Clinical experiences may be provided in Palestine, Athens, Crockett, Jacksonville, Kaufman, Terrell, Wills Point, Canton and Mesquite. Clinicals are rotated to give the students a variety of clinical experiences. Students must provide their own transportation to the clinical sites. Students must be prepared for both day and evening rotations. The student must complete the clinical requirements during the semester.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES (2 Years)

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROGRAM CURRICULUM

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE CURRICULUM

CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM

For More Information

TVCC Health Science Center - (972) 932-4309
TVCC Athens Campus - (903) 675-6385
TVCC Palestine Campus - (903) 729-0256
TVCC Terrell Campus - (972) 563-9573

E-mail: emt@tvcc.edu

TVCC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution which provides educational and employment opportunities on the basis of merit and without discrimination or harassment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.

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