Become a Paramedic at HCI
Becoming a paramedic is a great way to make a career out of your high-energy personality, community-focused mind, and desire to help people along the way.
Paramedics serve their community and get to experience a working environment that keeps them on their toes, responding to calls at a moments notice and making the most of each day on the job. At HCI, the paramedic program is designed to help you do your best in this field and go in feeling ready and being practically prepared.
An emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P) is subject to more rigorous training and education requirements and is responsible for more on the job than other types of emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
Before enrolling in any EMT-P diploma program in Florida, hopeful paramedics must:
Be 18 years old
Have a high school diploma or GED
Have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record
Successfully pass a background check and physical exam
Demonstrate standard level of English comprehension
Obtain CPR certification and BLS certification from the American Red Cross of American Heart Association
The Paramedic Diploma Program at HCI
At HCI, the paramedic diploma program grants those who complete it with a professional certificate needed to work as an EMT-P as well as the training and education necessary to test successfully for a Paramedic license. The test to obtain such a license is the NREMT Paramedic Exam and is issued by the State of Florida Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.
The diploma program at HCI is covered in 45 credits of coursework over three semesters of study. The combined lab/lectures of the first two semesters cover such topics as:
Roles and responsibilities
Medical legal issues
Ethics
Therapeutic communications
Patient assessment
Cardiology
Neurology
Toxicology
Communicable diseases
… and more. These semesters must be passed with a B (80%) average. In the final classroom semester, topics studied include emergency patient care in pediatrics, geriatrics, abuse and assault, ambulance operation, and others.
To round out the EMT-P diploma program, students must complete practical hours gaining the valuable, hands-on experience HCI does best. Students must spend 240 hours in an ambulance and 160 hours in a hospital.
