New Program Proposal Associate In Health Sciences In Emergency Medical Technology printable pdf download

CAAL

9/14/04

Agenda Item 3.a

New Program Proposal

Associate in Health Sciences in Emergency Medical Technology

Trident Technical College, Charleston Campus

Summary

Trident Technical College requests approval to offer a program leading to the

Associate in Health Sciences in Emergency Medical Technology, to be implemented in

Fall 2005.

The proposal was approved by the Trident Technical College Area Commission

on March 16, 2004, and by the Technical College System Board on May 25, 2004. It was

submitted for Commission review on April 23, 2004. The proposal was reviewed without

substantive comment and voted upon favorably by the Advisory Committee on Academic

Programs at its meeting on July 15, 2004.

The purpose of the program is to prepare graduates who help to fill the Charleston

area’s need for Emergency Medical Technicians. According to the proposal, the presence

of a large and growing elderly (over 65) population in the area and a related demand for

emergency services has a strong impact on the market for EMTs in the area. According to

the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for EMT-Paramedics will increase 21 to 35%

through 2010. An employer needs survey of the college’s three-county service area in

November of 2003 predicted that 367 EMT-Paramedic positions (149 part-time, 218 full-

time) will be available for the years 2005-2007 due to new positions and turnover. The

potential 20 graduates per year from the program will help to meet this need.

The admission criteria for the program will parallel criteria for current allied

health associate degree programs at the college. A clean criminal background check and

proof of 15 hours of observation of an EMT-Paramedic employed by an emergency

services agency are also required. The curriculum will consist of 69 credit hours in 20

courses. Thirteen of the courses, all EMS courses, will be new to Trident Technical

College’s catalog. The additional seven courses will be in the areas of biology, math,

computers, psychology, and a single elective in public speaking/fine arts/humanities. The

new courses to be added are approved courses under the Technical College System

Statewide Catalog of Approved Courses.

Three technical colleges in the state currently offer EMT programs. Greenville

Technical College has an established program and new programs have been approved at

Horry-Georgetown and Florence Darlington Technical Colleges. The closest of these is

New Program Proposal Associate In Health Sciences In Emergency Medical Technology