Looking for good paramedic program in the Washington D. C area

[RomeoWhiskey]

I am currently finishing up with an AEMT program in Atlanta, GA. My wife and I are moving to the Washington D.C. area next summer and I wanted to continue on to Paramedic Program. Two programs I found near D.C were at North Virginia and Prince Edward's Community Colleges. I was wondering if anyone could provide any info on the quality of their paramedic programs or if there were any other good programs in the area?

I also wanted to know if it would be an easy transition from AEMT to paramedic in that area with all the NREMT levels in the process of changing. (Georgia just switched from EMT-I 85 to AEMT, as far as I know the NOVA area is still working with EMT-I 99 and EMT-P)

Any information about programs in the area would be greatly appreciated!!

[Kiwiology]

NVCC appears on the CAAHEP/CoAEMSP list of accredited programs

www.coaemsp.org

[rock_shoes]

I'd suggest working through your options in a systematic fashion. Start by listing all of the accredited programs, then weed down that list by eliminating any programs with a lesser degree of accreditation (in Canada that would mean eliminating any program with only CMA accreditation as opposed to 6 year CMA accreditation). Finally ensure you choose a minimum 2 year program that will give you a minimum of 50-60 credits (roughly half of the number for a bachelors degree) that you can use toward the completion of a bachelors degree. If you can't find such a program in the Washington D.C. area, go get your education somewhere where you can.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

I am currently finishing up with an AEMT program in Atlanta, GA. My wife and I are moving to the Washington D.C. area next summer and I wanted to continue on to Paramedic Program. Two programs I found near D.C were at North Virginia and Prince Edward's Community Colleges. I was wondering if anyone could provide any info on the quality of their paramedic programs or if there were any other good programs in the area?

I also wanted to know if it would be an easy transition from AEMT to paramedic in that area with all the NREMT levels in the process of changing. (Georgia just switched from EMT-I 85 to AEMT, as far as I know the NOVA area is still working with EMT-I 99 and EMT-P)

Any information about programs in the area would be greatly appreciated!!

NVCC's Paramedic program is mediocre at best, but there just arent a whole lot of options in the Northern Virginia area. There is the AEC program but i wouldnt suggest going there at all. Very high failure rate and its not a degree program.

You may want to contact some of the schools directly. Currently, you must have completed your EMT-I/99 in order to move on to the Paramedic level classes at NVCC. Im not sure if they will consider your AEMT cert to be equivalent, but since its a school and they like to make money, im guessing it wont. Who knows though? Id shoot an email to Holly Frost (Dean of the EMS department) and see if they will accept that or make you go through their Intermediate program first. HFrost@nvcc.edu.

Edited November 6, 2011 by 2Rude4MyOwnGood

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

To add to my earlier post.

Now that i think about it, i think its most likely that you would have to go through their Intermediate program first since the AEMT scope of practice doesnt include ECG interpretation and a few other interventions.

Edited November 6, 2011 by 2Rude4MyOwnGood