Mercy College of Health Sciences will be hosting an information session on Saturday, August 24 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. The session will cover information on academic programs, online classes, accelerated programs, tuition assistance, and clinical labs available in Mason City. Participants will also receive Mercy College gear for attending.
The session will go into detail about online courses for the paramedic certificate and Associate of Science in emergency medical services (ASEMS) degree that is new to Mercy College starting this fall. In addition to the new online class options, the expansion of these programs will include more flexible face-to-face options for students during the day, evening, and weekend. The new program formats will also include local and remote face-to-face skills labs throughout Iowa including Mercy College’s campus in Des Moines and in Mason City.
Upon completion of the paramedic certificate, students may already have taken additional credits or transfer previously earned credits to complete the ASEMES degree.
“It’s going to be a game-changer for folks in Mason City and the metro who just don’t have the time to attend courses face-to-face. We want to educate everyone who is interested in becoming a paramedic. By adding online and more flexible options, Mercy College will help make that possible for more people,” David Filipp, EMS Program Chair, stated.
Last year, Mercy College announced a program to shorten the path to the Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN) degree for certified paramedics by recognizing common content areas between the two professions and providing course credit for these commonalities. In addition to the Paramedic to BSN program, Mercy College offers two other paramedic transition programs: the Military Medic to Civilian Paramedic and the Paramedic to Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences which will also be covered in the August 24 session.
"The addition of an online option for students seeking paramedic certification adds additional flexibility for students. Virtually all of the classroom-based courses for the Associate of Science in EMS degree can also be completed online. This demonstrates our commitment to the success of our students by providing the format of classes they need to fit their busy lives," Filipp said.
Mercy College was the first nationally accredited paramedic program in Iowa. The EMS program prepares paramedics in a variety of hospital, clinic, and ambulance service-based care settings. Mercy College has provided EMS education in central Iowa for over 30 years and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
The info session is Saturday, August 24, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in the Jan Walters Conference Room – 2nd floor Cancer Center, East Campus, 1000 4th St. SW, Mason City, IA. The session is from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm and is free to attend and open to the public. To apply and learn more about Mercy College programs, visit www.mchs.edu.
