• Paramedic Schools in Los Angeles, CA with Degree Program Overviews
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Paramedic Schools in Los Angeles, CA with Degree Program Overviews

There are three schools currently offering approved paramedic programs in the Los Angeles area. Learn about the degree and certificate programs, admission info and program requirements for these schools to make an informed education decision.

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Comparison of Los Angeles Paramedic Schools

To work as a licensed paramedic in California, candidates must complete an approved paramedic program and pass the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (NREMT-P) exam. In the Los Angeles area, there three state-approved paramedic programs, all of which require applicants to have Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) experience. El Camino College partners with the County of Los Angeles in offering paramedic training through the Paramedic Training Institute (PTI). Mt. San Antonio College offers EMT and paramedic programs along with several other public service-related certificate and degree options. The University of California-Los Angeles, home to the first nationally accredited paramedic program, offers courses through UCLA's Center for Prehospital Care.

El Camino College Mt. San Antonio College University of California-Los Angeles
Paramedic Programs Offered Certificate of Achievement Paramedical Technician,
Associate in Science Paramedical Technician 		Certificate of Completion, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic,
Associate in Science Emergency Medical Services 		Paramedic Program,
Nurse to Paramedic Bridge Program
Related Programs Offered Associate in Science Fire and Emergency Technology,
Certificate of Achievement Fire and Emergency Technology 		EMT 1 Basic Course,
Certificate, Licensed Vocational Nurse 		Emergency Medical Technician Program
School Type 2-year; public 2-year; public 4-year, public
Total Enrollment (2011) 24,463* 28,780* 39,271*
Campus Setting Large suburb Large suburb Large city
Tuition & Fees (2012-2013) $1,142 in-state; $6,204 out-of-state* $1,164 in-state; $6,060 out-of-state* $12,692 in-state; $35,570 out-of-state*
% of First-Year Students Receiving Any Form of Aid (2010-2011) 48%* 62%* 71%*
Acceptance Rate (2011) Open admission Open admission 27%*
Retention Rate (2010-2011) 75% for full-time students; 52% for part-time students* 79% for full-time students; 58% for part-time students* 97% for full-time students; 50% for part-time students*
Graduation Rate (for students who began in Fall 2008) 24%* 25%* 90% (for students who began in Fall 2005)*
Distance from Downtown 16.4 mi. (25 min.) 28.2 mi. (32 min.) 15.6 mi. (23 min)

Source: *NCES College Navigator

Programs Offered at El Camino College

The paramedic program at El Camino is offered four times per year. Students apply directly to PTI and can receive credit through ECC.

Certificate of Achievement Paramedic Technician (CA)

Applicants for the CA program must complete a prerequisite fire technology course prior to beginning the 13-week classroom phase, which takes place at PTI in Santa Fe Springs. Courses at PTI cover prehospital care, field assessment and reporting, basic and advanced life support and traumatic emergency care. After completing coursework, students rotate through a 4-week clinical internship at both public and private hospitals, followed by an 8-week field internship with a paramedic unit. The estimated cost of the CA program is $2,000.00.

Associate in Science Paramedic Technician (AS)

The 60-unit AS degree program at ECC includes the 33 units of paramedic classes and internships of the CA program. Additionally, students take required general education courses in English composition, humanities and math, as well as recommended electives, such as anatomy and physiology and a chemistry course.

Programs Offered at Mt. San Antonio College

Students in the paramedic programs at MtSAC must pass each course in order to remain enrolled in the major. Students are admitted to the program based upon test and quiz scores of two preliminary Emergency Medical Services (EMS) classes.

Certificate of Completion, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (CC)

Upon successful completion of the EMS courses, students take 19 weeks of classes covering anatomy and physiology, cardiac care, pharmacology and paramedic skills. After this, students spend six weeks in a hospital setting doing clinical internship and 10-12 weeks in field internship practicing as a paramedic under direct supervision. As of Summer 2012, the total cost of this program was $2,900.00.

Associate in Science in Emergency Medical Services

The AS program at Mt.SAC combines the CC coursework and internships with 24 units of general education classes, such as reading, math, science and social studies. Recommended electives include fire protection organization, psychology, sociology and an administration of the justice system course. Students must earn a total of 60 units of credit with a GPA of 2.0 or better in order to be awarded this degree.

Programs Offered at the University of California-Los Angeles

The 7-month program at the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care is offered in January, May and September each year. Students should take college-level general education coursework prior to beginning the program and may receive 36 units of credit for paramedic coursework from West Lost Angeles College with concurrent enrollment.

Paramedic Program

The paramedic program at UCLA has three phases and students are required to pass each phase prior to beginning the next. The classroom/lab phase includes 560 hours of classes covering pharmacology, trauma, pathophysiology and treatment modalities. A 6-week clinical internship at a hospital follows the classroom phase, after which students move on to a 480-hour field internship with an active paramedic or rescue ambulance team. Tuition for this program is $9,500.00.

Nurse to Paramedic Bridge Program

The bridge program is designed to allow licensed registered nurses with experience and an EMT license to become paramedics by taking selected courses from the program. With the exception of the patient assessment and airway management modules, nurses may test out of most of the classroom phase. In the clinical phase, nurses may be exempted from all modules except the anesthesiology rounds. The field internship phase is the same as for paramedic non-nurse candidates. Tuition is $6,000-$9,000 dependent upon required courses.

Other School Options

Within 10 miles of downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles College offers an emergency medical assistant program. About 20 miles from downtown, East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program offers a basic EMT course.

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