Emergency Medical Technology – Paramedic

• Two-year diploma
• Fall start
• Includes Field (ambulance) and Clinical (hospital) practica
• Graduates in high demand
• *Please note the Educational Steps for this profession:
  1. Emergency Medical Responder
      (176-hour certificate course)
  2. Emergency Medical Technician
      (10-month certificate program)
  3. Emergency Medical Technology – Paramedic
      (2-year diploma program)

NOTE: Students may have to travel to outside Calgary to other major centers or rural Alberta to complete their practica based on practicum spot availability.

Program Description

The SAIT Emergency Medical Technology – Paramedic (EMT-P) program is a two-year full-time program offered to students currently registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics (ACP) as Emergency Medical Technicians who wish to extend their professional training and credentials to be able to work as paramedics. In this program, the student will become extensively familiar with human anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, as well as wide variety of pharmacological and other therapies.

The program commences each year in the fall and consists of five semesters which include classroom and simulation learning, two field (ambulance) practica and two clinical (hospital) practica placements.

In the first semester students are in class for eight weeks covering theory courses including Pharmacology Basics, Gastro/Urinary Emergencies, Physiology and Physical Assessment and Neurological Emergencies. They also participate in skills labs which include patient simulation. In November they begin their first ALS field practicum.

The field practicum continues through January and February. Students return to SAIT in February for Semester 2 where they will spend nine weeks in class continuing their studies expanding on pharmacological therapies and treatments for various medical and traumatic emergencies. This semester they will receive ACLS and ITLS assessment skills, critical thinking and integration of advanced therapies into patient care is emphasized.

Students will return in the fall for Semester 3 where they will complete an eight-week clinical practicum rotation which includes emergency room and operating room experiences. Students return to class in November and complete seven weeks of class at SAIT which includes pediatric and neonatal emergencies, adult advanced life support, Air Ambulance, rapid sequence induction and other advanced knowledge and skills. Development of critical thinking and complete patient care at an ALS level is emphasized.

Semester 4 begins in January of the second year. In this semester, students complete clinical practicum rotations in the operating room, pediatric emergency room and the labour and delivery department. They will finish with their final ALS field practicum at the end of April.

Students return to SAIT for the spring semester (Semester 5) where they complete the classroom portion and prepare for registration with the Alberta College of Paramedics (ACP) as an EMT-P.

Your Career

Graduates find work as paramedics in Canada and abroad in the emergency medical services field and in the industrial sector.

Admission Requirements

Alberta High School Diploma or equivalent with at least 50% in each of the following courses or their equivalents:

• Pure Math 20 or Applied Math 20 or Math 20-1 or Math 20-2, AND,
• English Language Arts 30-1 or English Language Arts 30-2, AND,
• Biology 30, or Science 30, or SAIT’s ANPH 209 or ANPH 210
  (ANPH 209 and 210 can be found in SAIT’s Continuing Education and Distance Education Calendars).
• All applicants must be registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics (ACP) as an EMT by August 1 prior to the program commencing.
• All applicants to SAIT Polytechnic must demonstrate English Language Proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada. For more information, please see English Proficiency.
• View High School Course Equivalencies Admission Equivalencies by Province.

Selection

To be included in selection, applications along with all supporting documents must be submitted. 

Selection Criteria

Applicants that meet the Admission Requirements may proceed to the interview phase of the selection process. Applicants will be expected to present an updated resume with supporting documentation at the interview. They will then be ranked using the following criteria:

• Career Investigations and/or Interview 50%
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Experience 25%
• References 25%

Selection

Selection will be done on an ongoing basis starting in November. Applicants will receive a selection package with complete instructions on how to complete the Career Investigation.  Your selection will be determined based on following those instructions and the quality of the investigation.

If you are not selected for admission to the program this year, please re-apply with the above taken into consideration.

Successful candidates must sign a practicum agreement contract prior to final acceptance.

Applicants who are successful in gaining admission may be requested to provide proof of the following prior to the start of classes/practicum: (A requirements package will be sent to student following an offer letter.)

1. Updated Immunization Records. Details are included in the orientation package for successful candidates.
   Please note: Most practicum sites require students to demonstrate updated immunization status prior to attending practicum. Failure to do so could jeopardize your ability to complete the practicum portion of your program.
2. Security Clearance: According to the Protection for Persons in Care Act, our practicum sites require that students obtain a criminal records check prior to going on practicum. Any criminal code offence for which a pardon has not been received, may be a deterrent to a student’s entry into practicum, and therefore will result in an uncompleted program, or non-graduating status.
3. In compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, G8.40 Respiratory protection – Fit test, students are fit-tested for respiratory masks prior to their practica. Fit-testing is available on campus. Failure to adequately fit an N-95 mask may result in a restricted practicum and\or limited employment. Facial abnormality/hair may result in unsuccessful fit testing.

Applicants must sign a practicum agreement contract prior to final acceptance. Alberta Health Services (AHS) and non-AHS sites will be responsible for practicum assignments, not SAIT. All practicum locations are based on availability. There are opportunities for practicum locations throughout the Province of Alberta and intra provincial. SAIT cannot make any special arrangements for practica based on personal situations. AHS has stated that they will endeavor to find locations in the Calgary region to the best of their ability.

Due to the numerous applications received for the EMTP program, we will be unable to identify to each candidate the reasons they were not selected for admission. The primary reason for most applicants is the lack of EMS exposure/experience, or they were not fully registered as an EMT with the Alberta College of Paramedics.

Student Success

• Students with higher secondary or post-secondary marks usually experience greater success in SAIT programs.
• Students who experience success in this program have effective communications skills in English.
• Health care practitioners are detail oriented in the care they provide and enjoy working in a team environment.
• Due to the physical nature of the work required in emergency medical services, the EMT-P program has a strong focus on physical fitness and wellness.
• EMT-Paramedics have a true desire to help people, can handle seeing things that may not always be pleasant, do not mind shift work, and have good physical stamina.

Progression

Students must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better in each semester and pass the necessary prerequisite courses to progress through the program. To qualify for graduation, students must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.

Credentials

After successfully completing this program, graduates will receive a SAIT diploma in Emergency Medical Technology – Paramedic. Other certificates received are Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) Advanced and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). All graduates are eligible to register with Alberta College of Paramedics and work in Alberta as an EMT-Paramedic.

Accreditation

The EMT-Paramedic program is accredited by the Canadian Medical Association at the Advanced Care Paramedic Level. This program exceeds the Alberta College of Paramedics EMT-Paramedic Core Competency requirements.

Tuition And Fees (Subject To Change)

• Please refer to the Tuition and Fee Table.
• International Students, please refer to International Student Fees.
• For student funding, please refer to Financial Assistance.
• CPRS 212 Health Care Provider course in CPR. Annual update required – CPRS 222 Health Care Provider Renewal. All CPR courses must be from the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Call SAIT Life Support Training at 403.210.4009 for further information.
• Students are responsible for any additional expenses related to their practicum including relocation costs to practicum sites outside of Calgary. Students may be sent on a practicum outside the region based on practicum spot availability.
• The cost for a criminal record check, which is a requirement for practicum, is up to $40 or more.

Books And Supplies (Subject To Change)

Books, uniforms, and professional supplies cost approximately $1,500 – $2,000 for the two years.

Program Outline

To find the course description for a course shown below, please go to our Course Finder and enter the course acronym and numbers (i.e., DMST-202) into the Quick Search by Course Code field.

Information: 403.284.8500 or 403.284.8481
Email: hps.info@sait.ca
Website: School of Health and Public Safety
Academic Chair: Dwayne Clayden

Transfer with Diploma to...

Through SAIT Polytechnic transfer agreements and institution partnerships, graduates of this SAIT program may be eligible for credit at the following universities and colleges:

• Athabasca University
• Lakeland College
• Medicine Hat College
• NAIT
• SAIT Polytechnic
• Thompson Rivers University
• University of New Brunswick, Saint John
• University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Transfer options may also be available at other post-secondary institutions where credits from SAIT programs are evaluated on an individual basis. Interested students should contact the post-secondary institute of their choice for more information.

To learn more, visit Transfer Options.

Related Links (Internal):

• School of Health and Public Safety
• Student-For-A-Day
• Academic Calendar
• Academic Upgrading
• International Students
• Mature Students
• Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition