OUR BODY OF WORK
ABOUT OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES MAJOR
Our EMS major includes classroom instruction, practice in skills labs, and clinical experiences in a variety of hospital, clinic, and ambulance service-based care settings. You'll receive the academic and clinical experiences necessary to become a caring, ethical, and competent healthcare worker effective in high stress situations. Our EMS major will prepare you for patient care, leadership, and administrative roles. The goal of our EMS major is to prepare competent entry-level paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or Emergency Medical Responder levels.
We have one of the highest retention rates of any EMS education program in Iowa, and our certification exam success rate is also one of the highest among EMS education programs.
Background Preparation
You will need to complete an approved Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic training program before applying for our certificate or Associate of Science in EMS majors. Following your EMT-B course, you will be required to complete a Mercy College EMT-Basic comprehensive written and skills exam. If you're interested in our Associate of Science in EMS degree, you will also need to have completed the Mercy College Paramedic Certification Program, or provide proof of working toward certification/licensure as a national registered paramedic or Iowa paramedic specialist.
Apply for EMT-Basic!
Clinical Experience
In addition to classroom instruction, our students participate in clinical rotations in emergency departments, surgery, intensive care units, obstetrical units, and pediatric intensive care units. Field internships are provided for you through local EMS departments and paramedic-level EMS crews.
Locations
Skills labs are available in Clinton, Creston, Des Moines, and Mason City, Iowa and contain hybrid learning formats consisting of online lectures and in-person skills labs.
Are you a Military Medic 68W? If so, you may be eligible to receive five academic credits toward your paramedic license!
OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICES CAREER PATHS