# Cost of paramedic school?



## Chimpie (Mar 20, 2013)

How much does paramedic school in your area cost? Tuition? Books? Fees? Uniforms? Other supplies?

Also, if you don't mind sharing, please share your location and school name.


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## Veneficus (Mar 20, 2013)

Both of the institutions I taught at in Ohio cost ~4.5K for tuition. (give or take $100) 

One provides books in the cost, the other doesn't. 

That does not include the "hidden" costs like parking, meals, transportation to and from clinicals, doughnuts for the crews you are riding with, cloths or personal equipment like stethoscopes.


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 20, 2013)

4,800. Includes books, uniforms, NREMT fees. SoCal


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## Milla3P (Mar 20, 2013)

My particular program was $4k but the majority of P schools in my little corner of the Northeast run for about $6-7k. Absurd.


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 20, 2013)

~$10,000 all inclusive.

The CC has a program too, not sure how much it costs, it's cheaper but you have to jump through hoops to get an internship and potentially pay for it as well.


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## Medic Tim (Mar 20, 2013)

I went to a CC for EMT/EMT-I and then back for my AAS in EMS. The tuition for everything was around 9k (international student) would have been around 6 k (in state tuition)

Books, uniform, hidden fees, etc were around 2k. www.nmcc.edu 

The closest Canadian school to me charges 15k for the year long PCP course,15- 20k for the ACP course (another 1-2 years) and 15-20k for the CCP course (another 1-2 years).


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## KingCountyMedic (Mar 20, 2013)

I think ours is around $22,000 per student but that does not include the students salary. Our PPM's start at around $50,000 a year ($15.19 an hour plus OT) while in school but the guys and gals from the fire departments are usually making quite a bit more.


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## DrankTheKoolaid (Mar 20, 2013)

Around 7500 where I teach and 2k for the program I went through


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## Aprz (Mar 20, 2013)

I went to Westmed College in San Jose, CA.

Registration Fee: $100
Books: $400
Student Tuition Recovery Fund Fee: $32.50
Tuition: $12,100
Total due for the entire program: $12,632.50

Uniform(s) was not included. I cannot find a copy of my receipt for how much I paid for my uniform, and I am too lazy to look it up online, if I even can look that far back into my credit history. It was probably around a hundred dollars, but I am not sure.

The books we used:
Nancy Caroline AAOS Paramedic textbook
Dale Dubin Rapid Interpretation of EKGs.
The Streetmedic's Handbook

ACLS, PALS, and ITLS was included in the program, but you still had to pay $100 for each card.

Only requirement other than EMT with AHA CPR for Healthcare Provider was Anatomy & Physiology. Westmed has an Anatomy & Physiology class, it's 4 hours/week, and it's for about 3-4 months. It's exactly $1,000, and not covered by financial aid. I love the teacher, and do not doubt her knowledge, but the class was a joke. :[

I think the program unfairly has a poor reputation. I didn't think it was great, but a lot of the problems it has are similar problems I hear about other paramedic programs. Some of them even share the same books and same skill instructors.

One of my favorite things about the program I can recall is one paramedic from Rural/Metro Santa Clara put a ton of effort into teaching medication calculation. The packet she used is the same packet they go over at Foothill College, and we practiced doing medication calculations for weeks. Although I would argue, get mad, or disagree with an instructor, sometimes they tried to show off,

_"I can do a patient assessment in 30 seconds.
Watch me.
(walks into room, move head side to side as if they are dancing)
OK, the patient is tracking me with their eyes.
Hey, my name is Bob, I'm a paramedic. What's going on?
(at the same time as talking with the patient, they'd palpate a pulse)
Boom! Boom! There, I'm done.
See how easy that was? One day you'll be as good as me."
--
"I've never done an IO because I've never missed an IV."
--
"I'm really good at getting my tube."_​
I liked that they were mostly nice, and they wanted to be helpful. If you asked them to come in early or stay late, they'd do it. They'd give you their phone numbers or e-mail, and you can call or e-mail them questions. If you wanted to, you could setup ride alongs with them. On this forum, I push for more education, I want paramedics to have a degree, but honestly, I :censored:ing hate school... and if my classmates and the instructors weren't as cool as they were at Westmed, I probably would've quit.

My biggest dislikes about the program was they completely failed teaching 12-lead interpretation and rapid sequence induction (RSI). I personally don't believe they know how to interpret 12-lead well because the very first day we went over cardiac, the skill instructor asked us "what do you think an atrial infarct looks like?", and I could tell he was trying to look for the answer in Rapid Interpretation of EKGs, which the answer isn't in there. When we were suppose to go over RSI in the powerpoints from the AAOS book, the instructor said "RSI? *laughed* You'll never do that", and clicked through the powerpoint *click click click* really fast to get through the powerpoint quicker. Also the online quizzes and in class test questions were the _exact_ same.


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## Akulahawk (Mar 21, 2013)

I remember when Westmed started their paramedic program. They were literally just getting started when I went through paramedic school myself. The school that I went to was known as "Emergency Training Services" in Santa Cruz. My understanding is that they had recently affiliated themselves with another school and has changed names, but they had been in business for a very, very long time.

The cost of my program was approximately 10,000 dollars, all-inclusive. About the only thing that I had to pay for myself was essentially transportation, paper/pens and food. We did go over 12 lead EKG's, RSI, CPAP/BiPAP, blood/blood products administration and monitoring (focused more on monitoring), and so on. Our instructors did not use the same questions on quizzes and exams, but the structure of the questions did come close to what was on the NREMT-P exam so that when we took the exam, it was relatively easy. If I recall correctly we had a very high first attempt pass rate, and our second attempt pass rate was 100% from my class.

At the time, they were amongst the more expensive of the programs, but, like I said, their program was all-inclusive. That included your hospital internship, and your field internship including any extensions necessary.

I'm not sure how Westmed's program is done now, but I do know that back then, their program was having severe teething problems. One can only hope that in the ten years that they have been up and running, that they now have a smooth running program.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Mar 21, 2013)

Mine was around $10,000, only for the medic program. Not including the pre rec's I had to take; 1 year of community college.


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## Clare (Mar 21, 2013)

Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedic (ILS)) is about $20,000 not including books and other costs for the 3 years.

The PGCert for Intensive Care Paramedic (ALS) is, as I understand, a number of places are funded by the Ambulance Service and other students can self-pay but this is a bit cheaper as its only a year, somewhere around $3,000.


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## Anjel (Mar 21, 2013)

My program which is through McLaren hospital in Flint, MI was 4000. 

We use the Brady book principles and practice. There is 5 of them and they are around 150 each brand new. 

I got them free through work. Uniform shirt was 20 pants 40. 

Includes PALS, PHTLS, ACLS, clinicals, and internship.


There is a program through McLaren in Pontiac and there's is 4500ish. Includes everything, stethoscope engraved, scrubs with your name, and an iPad. They just had their first class finish and no one has been able to pass the registry yet. So there's that. Lol


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## Veneficus (Mar 21, 2013)

schulz said:


> Mine was around $10,000, only for the medic program. Not including the pre rec's I had to take; 1 year of community college.



The one I graduated from and also taught at was a community college, I listed the in county tuition rate. Which includes the prereq. (A&P or biology for science majors)


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## Christopher (Mar 21, 2013)

Chimpie said:


> How much does paramedic school in your area cost? Tuition? Books? Fees? Uniforms? Other supplies?
> 
> Also, if you don't mind sharing, please share your location and school name.



$1,348 @ Cape Fear Community College (Wilmington, NC)

Format: Classroom (11 months, needs A&P)
Tuition: $875 (waived if working for State recognized Fire/EMS)
Insurance: $123
Clinical costs: ~$100 (uniform, physical exam, drug screen, background check)
Books: ~$250

$1,078 @ Brunswick Community College (Supply, NC)

Format: Hybrid classroom / online (18 months total, needs A&P)
Tuition: $700 (waived if working for State recognized Fire/EMS)
Supplies: $85
Insurance: $42.50
Books: ~$250

I went to CFCC and spent <$800 on the class, including A&P.

Fire and EMS education in NC is heavily subsidized in the community college system and is ridiculously affordable. Almost no economic barrier to entry.


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## RESQGUY (Mar 21, 2013)

Down here in SD , I went to EMSTA. I attended everything there from basic / prep/ A&P/ medic school. Medic there is 11,000. I used the Gi-Bill.


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## TomP (Mar 21, 2013)

Potential students beware I have heard alot of bad things about EMSTA. Things such as waiting months to get completion certs, being told they have not paid tuition when they had and some even being told that after going to class for months that they would have to start over because the program had lost there medical director and the current program was no longer accredited. I also know some great medics who went there, but like anything your going to pay thousands of dollars for do your research before jumping in.


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## RESQGUY (Mar 21, 2013)

> TomP
> Re: Cost of paramedic school?
> Potential students beware I have heard alot of bad things about EMSTA. Things such as waiting months to get completion certs, being told they have not paid tuition when they had and some even being told that after going to class for months that they would have to start over because the program had lost there medical director and the current program was no longer accredited. I also know some great medics who went there, but like anything your going to pay thousands of dollars for do your research before jumping in.
> Today 08:50 AM



Well, I can say for sure it is not like that now. Nor as it been for the past 5-6 classes. I know prople in each of those. I got my completion cert the week I finished my internship so I could do the state paperwork. There are also zero accreditation problems.


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## Veneficus (Mar 21, 2013)

Christopher said:


> $1,348 @ Cape Fear Community College (Wilmington, NC)
> 
> Format: Classroom (11 months, needs A&P)
> Tuition: $875 (waived if working for State recognized Fire/EMS)
> ...



So what is the barrier to entry?

Or are they hoping everyone with a pulse gets a paramedic card?


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## Christopher (Mar 21, 2013)

Veneficus said:


> So what is the barrier to entry?
> 
> Or are they hoping everyone with a pulse gets a paramedic card?



A&P, EMT-B or EMT-I, HOBET test (basic English/Maths), plus an interview at CFCC.

I don't see much of a practical purpose in placing barriers to entry beyond prerequisites. Let the curriculum weed out those that are low performers (CFCC uses this approach).


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## Veneficus (Mar 21, 2013)

Christopher said:


> A&P, EMT-B or EMT-I, HOBET test (basic English/Maths), plus an interview at CFCC.
> 
> I don't see much of a practical purpose in placing barriers to entry beyond prerequisites. Let the curriculum weed out those that are low performers (CFCC uses this approach).



That is not reassuring.


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## Christopher (Mar 21, 2013)

Veneficus said:


> That is not reassuring.



What other practical means do you have to limit entry to a class besides prerequisites? I see no upside to expensive education when it is simply for the sake of being expensive.


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## Veneficus (Mar 21, 2013)

Christopher said:


> What other practical means do you have to limit entry to a class besides prerequisites? I see no upside to expensive education when it is simply for the sake of being expensive.



I think prereqs are the best.

Particularly sophmore college level. 

The current medic curriculum is written at the 10th grade level. EMT-B at 8.

I would suggest general chemistry for science majors and a bio for science majors, both with labs providing that the medic class has an A&P component. 

Otherwise I would add that to chem and bio.

Pharm would be a bonus, but I wouldn't make it a prereq. 

I think the hobet would then become obsolete, because the additional education would more than prove fitness.

Not merely for the sake of making the education more expensive, but for having initial coursewrok in health related classes that would make medic class less of a struggle while also lengthening the commitment. 

In the last 6 years one of the things I have noticed is a shift in medic school students from people who wanted to be medics for whatever reason, to adults in other careers looking for the quickest and cheapest way into the health field, which is EMS. 

I am not opposed to people changing careers, but flooding the market with minimumly qualified people just looking for a job hurts EMS as an aspiring profession.


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## Christopher (Mar 21, 2013)

Veneficus said:


> I think prereqs are the best.
> 
> Particularly sophmore college level.
> 
> ...



Well sure, but these are not associates programs. If they were and they lacked those sorts of pre-reqs it would be a problem. As it stands these are certificate courses and the system itself is hamstrung in what it can enforce as pre-reqs. Both schools are transitioning to AAS offerings in the next 2-3 years.



Veneficus said:


> In the last 6 years one of the things I have noticed is a shift in medic school students from people who wanted to be medics for whatever reason, to adults in other careers looking for the quickest and cheapest way into the health field, which is EMS.
> 
> I am not opposed to people changing careers, but flooding the market with minimumly qualified people just looking for a job hurts EMS as an aspiring profession.



If the system is setup correctly, it does not matter why they are moving into EMS. If it is a medic-mill, then certainly it would matter (but only as a consequence of artificially high pass rates). Neither of those two CC programs are medic-mills and both are quite willing to wave goodbye as you leave due to low performance.


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## Veneficus (Mar 21, 2013)

Christopher said:


> both are quite willing to wave goodbye as you leave due to low performance.



Just so we are using the same definition, a medic mill does not pass people who shouldn't pass. 

They often have very "demanding" programs in terms of grades. The often used is 80% to pass.

But what they do is basically teach to the test by forcing students to memorize hundreds of disconnected facts. 

Medic mills post unusually high pass rates and drop anyone who is not likely to pass a certification exam first time. It is such a problem some states have actually added attrition rates as a measure of accrediting programs. 

I am not suggesting the organizations you cited are medic mills, I am just pointing out how medic mills actually work. They do not simply pass everyone.


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## NomadicMedic (Mar 21, 2013)

I went to Tacoma Community College for paramedic. They have a page that breaks down the costs. http://www.tacomacc.edu/areasofstud...encymedicalandhealthservices/paramedic_costs/


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## Thricenotrice (Mar 21, 2013)

UCLA Daniel Freeman 
$9500 tuition, roughly 11,000 after books, uniforms, cert fees, etc


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## Airw4ves (Mar 21, 2013)

From zero to hero north of the border, it's probably going to run you $20,000 minimum.  Then there is the cost of living while on practicum, which will run you anywhere from free (if you have people you can stay with) to upwards of $5000-$6000.  Other costs such as licensing exams, registration fees, and uniforms will add on a to the total cost.  I would say that most will have spent $35,000 by the time their all said and done.  
And thats all for a nice shiny diploma...:blink:


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## hogwiley (Mar 23, 2013)

If you add up the costs including the pre reqs, and then the Paramedic classes themselves, you're looking at about 10,000 at the nearest CC. 

If you just count the Paramedic classes themselves, about 7,000.


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## joshrunkle35 (Mar 23, 2013)

When I add in all of the miles traveled for classes and clinicals (my school is over an hour away) it's probably above $10,000.


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 24, 2013)

Jeeze. It's crazy to see how much some of the medic schools cost. I thought $4,800 all included was steep enough.


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## jameson (Mar 28, 2013)

3,800 for the medic program, includes books ACLS, PALS, ITLS, NREMT Exam fee. A/P was 275.00.


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 28, 2013)

Robb said:


> ~$10,000 all inclusive.
> 
> The CC has a program too, not sure how much it costs, it's cheaper but you have to jump through hoops to get an internship and potentially pay for it as well.



I guess I'll add too this since everyone is throwing more than I did out there. 

REMSA Paramedic Program in Northern NV.

All inclusive includes clinicals in a Level II Trauma Center, internship in a high volume, high performance 911 system. Extensions are included if necessary. Average 75-100 ALS pt contacts in 40 shifts. 

Class includes ACLS, ITLS, ITLS Access, PALS, NRP and CBRNE Operations level.


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## AzValley (Mar 29, 2013)

Mine was about 8k with everything


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## Azriel (Apr 3, 2013)

Where I'm going for EMT-B, in Santee, California, the cost for Paramedic School is 11 K. All books and stuff included.


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## AzValley (Apr 3, 2013)

Azriel said:


> Where I'm going for EMT-B, in Santee, California, the cost for Paramedic School is 11 K. All books and stuff included.



Ouch...I thought I was paying a lot here.


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## Wheel (Apr 3, 2013)

Azriel said:


> Where I'm going for EMT-B, in Santee, California, the cost for Paramedic School is 11 K. All books and stuff included.



That is brutal. I wonder how many of their paramedics they place into jobs, since the market is so bad there. I can't imagine it's worth the $11,000.


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## wanderingmedic (Apr 4, 2013)

PERCOM is $5,400 for their EMT to Medic. Very reasonable if you are in state. Reasonable too even if you are out of state if you figure clinical rotations take ~45 days and short term rent at an extended stay America is about $190 a week and groceries/food are around $70 a week (even cheaper if you make your own food).


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