The Paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients accessing the emergency medical system. Paramedics possess complex knowledge and psychomotor skills necessary for patient care and transportation. Paramedics are part of a comprehensive EMS response under medical oversight. Paramedics perform interventions with basic and advanced equipment found on an ambulance. The paramedic is a link from the scene into the health care system.

The UMKC Paramedic Program is approved by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of EMS (09529T6). The program curriculum exceeds that of both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Missouri Bureau of EMS.

The UMKC School of Medicine Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

• The most current CoAEMSP Annual Report was for the calendar year 2021.
• The most recent success rate for the National Registry of EMT Paramedic/State Cognitive exam was 87%.
• The most recent positive placement rate for graduates was 100%. Positive placement is defined by the CoAEMSP as ‘Employed full or part-time in a related field and/or continuing his/her education and/or serving in the military’. Positive placement is measured at completion of the program.
• The most recent retention rate was 83%.

The Paramedic course is a certificate course that begins annually in January and is completed within 13-16 months.  Upon successful completion of the course, a certificate will be awarded that permits the student to participate in the national certification examinations that lead to state licensure. The goal of the Paramedic course is to prepare competent entry-level Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

Paramedic course admission is competitive and requires successful completion of the application process.  Applications are accepted beginning 6 months before the first session of the course. Interviews are typically scheduled within the last 90 days prior to the first session. Acceptance letters are typically sent within the last 30 days prior to the first session.

Paramedic Course Prerequisites, Application Process and course details can be found on the Paramedic Application page.

Note:  Applications for the next Paramedic Course open annually on June 1^st. Interviews and the selection process begin in September.

If you have any questions, please contact us.