Program Overview

Program Overview

The Paramedicine AAS program prepares students to provide emergency medical care to victims of illness, accident or injury, assessing patients and performing critical medical interventions. As members of the allied healthcare team, Paramedics work as part of a comprehensive EMS response, applying their advanced knowledge of human anatomy and physiology to provide advanced life support care to patients.

Paramedics are employed by ambulance services, fire departments, within hospitals and as members of emergency flight crews. They employ life-saving strategies such as managing airways, establishing vascular access, performing CPR and administering pharmaceuticals, often while transporting patients to critical care facilities.

Pathway

UM Bitterroot offers a Paramedicine, AAS degree through a partnership with Missoula College. Students complete prerequisite coursework at Bitterroot College and then apply for the paramedicine program admission at Missoula College. Missoula College provides all paramedicine classroom instruction remotely, and condenses lab time to a 3-day bootcamp per semester. This limits the travel required to complete the program. The paramedicine program is a four semester program (fall, spring, summer, fall), resulting in an Associate's of Applied Science (AAS) Degree.

Academic Programs

• Associates of Arts Degree (A.A.)
• Associates of Science Degree (A.S.)
• Accounting Fundamentals (C.A.S.)
• Addiction Counseling (C.A.S.)
• Clinical Medical Assistant (C.T.S.)
• Cybersecurity (C.T.S.)
• Associate of Arts and Science Degree Programs
• Paramedicine (A.A.S.)
• Associate of Applied Science Degree Programs
• Medical Laboratory Technician (A.A.S.)
• Legal Studies (C.A.S.)
• Medical Information Technology (A.A.S.)
• Medical Claims Specialist (C.T.S.)
• Medical Reception (C.A.S.)
• Business & Technology
• Certificate Programs
• General Studies Certificate
• Surgery Technology (A.A.S.)

Employment Outcomes

Paramedics have a median salary of nearly $47,000 annually according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Paramedics are employed by ambulance services, fire departments, within hospitals, and as members of emergency flight crews. They employ life-saving strategies such as managing airways, establishing vascular access, performing CPR, and administering pharmaceuticals, often while transporting patients to critical care facilities.

Upon graduating, the student qualifies for an examination administered by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), successful completion of which earns a national certification and allows the individual to practice in all states.

Application Process

Admission to the program is competitive and requires prior completion of 16 credits of pre-requisite coursework as well as a current NREMT Certification. The program's core classes begin every autumn semester and include 57 credits of classroom and laboratory instruction as well as hundreds of hours of experiential, hands-on clinical training within hospitals and aboard ambulances.

Accreditation

The program is a candidate for Accreditation by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Degrees are awarded by Missoula College UM under the authority granted to UM by its Accrediting body, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

The University of Montana Missoula College Paramedic program holds a Letter of Review, which is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, but a status granted by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation standards through the Letter of Review Self Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. However, it is not a guarantee of eventual accreditation.