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Which Schools Have Paramedic Training Programs in San Diego, CA?

Find schools in San Diego, CA, offering paramedic training programs and courses. Learn about career requirements and get job growth and salary info for paramedics living in the San Diego, CA area. Schools offering Fire & Emergency Services degrees can also be found in these popular choices.

Education & Certification Requirements for Becoming a Paramedic in San Diego, CA

To become a paramedic in California, you need to complete a state-approved paramedic training program. Entrance into a paramedic program requires you to have current certification with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) as an EMT-Basic or EMT-Intermediate.

An approved paramedic program consists of at least 1,090 hours, which includes 450 didactic hours, 160 clinical and hospital hours and 480 hours of field internships. Also included in the training is 40 hours of Advanced Life Support (ALS) with patient contact. Once you complete the training, you must pass the NREMT-Paramedic examination, a computer-based test offered at Pearson VUE testing sites. You also have to submit to a criminal background check and fingerprints prior to obtaining licensure.

Salary and Job Outlook for Paramedics in San Diego, CA

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted that EMTs and paramedics would see an employment growth of 33%, which is much faster than average, between 2010 and 2020. California has more paramedics and EMTs employed than any other state - more than 16,000 as of May 2011. During this period, EMTs and paramedics in the San Diego, Carlsbad and San Marcos regions earned a mean annual wage of more than $35,000, which is slightly higher than the national average of about $34,000.

Schools With Paramedic Certificate Programs in San Diego, CA

EMSTA College

  • Program Name: Paramedic Training
  • Program Length: 11 months
  • Tuition: $11,000 total cost for paramedic program (effective 2012)
  • Prerequisites: High school diploma or GED certificate; current EMT-B certification; current CPR card (American Heart Association Healthcare Provider or American Red Cross Professional Rescuer); at least 1 year EMT field experience; must complete paramedic prep class and anatomy & physiology (with lab)
  • Admission Requirements: Must be 18 or older; current resume; criminal background check; drug screening; medical insurance; 2 letters of recommendation; valid driver's license; DMV ambulance driver's license; medical examiner certificate; must complete entrance exam and admission board review
  • School Type: Private, postsecondary school
  • Address: 11489 Woodside Ave., Santee, California 92071
  • Phone: 619-593-6782

EMSTA specializes in offering education and training for careers for allied health care professionals, such as EMTs, paramedics and phlebotomists. The paramedic curriculum utilizes interactive teaching techniques and simulations. You complete 340 didactic (classroom) hours, 220 lab hours, 160 clinical/hospital hours and 529 hours of a field internship with a local ambulance service or fire department. You also do community service volunteer work while enrolled in the program. Upon completion of all requirements, you qualify to take the NREMT-Paramedic examination.

Palomar College

  • Program Name: Paramedic Certificate of Achievement
  • Program Length: 2 semesters
  • Tuition: $46 per unit enrollment fee for CA residents; additional $176 per unit non-resident tuition (effective Summer 2012)
  • Prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent; EMT-Basic certification with at least 1 year full-time pre-hospital experience; anatomy and physiology with lab; paramedic preparation course
  • Admission Requirements: College assessment test; must complete testing and interview process
  • School Type: 2-year, public; around 25,000 students (all undergraduate)
  • Address: 1140 W. Mission, San Marcos, California 92069
  • Phone: 760-744-1150

Located around 30 miles north of San Diego, Palomar College is a public school that offers more than 200 certificate and associate's degree programs. The school offers several options for candidates interested in working in emergency medical services, including a paramedic certificate of achievement. While the first semester of this program has you in the classroom, the second semester consists of 4 weeks of clinical work in a hospital followed by a 3-month field internship.

Southwestern College

  • Program Name: Emergency Medical Technology and Paramedic Certificate of Achievement
  • Program Length: 1 year (plus summer session)
  • Tuition: $46 per unit enrollment fee for CA resident & non-resident; additional $190 per unit non-resident tuition (effective summer 2012)
  • Prerequisites: EMT-Basic (theory and lab); 1 year of full-time EMT work experience; human anatomy and physiology course
  • Admission Requirements: Criminal background check; drug screening
  • School Type: 2-year, public; around 20,000 students (all undergraduate)
  • Address: 900 Otay Lakes Rd., Chula Vista, California 91910
  • Phone: 619-482-6550

Located south of San Diego, Southwestern College (SWC) is a major education source to the more than 400,000 residents of South San Diego County and nearby communities. SWC's Higher Education Center at Otay Mesa offers several programs for those interested in careers with emergency medical services. The 44-credit hour paramedic program teaches you to assess sick and injured patients and provide pre-hospital emergency treatment. You learn how to start IV lines, defibrillate cardiac patients and safely transport patients to a hospital. Curriculum comprises classroom lectures, lab studies, clinical rotations and a field internship where you work 22 24-hour shifts on a field mobile intensive care unit. Upon successful completion of the program, you receive a certificate of achievement and can sit for the NREMT-Paramedic certification exam.

Schools With Paramedic Associate's Degree Programs in San Diego, CA

Palomar College

  • Program Name: Associate in Arts - Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic
  • Program Length: 2 years
  • Tuition: $46 per unit enrollment fee for CA residents; additional $176 per unit non-resident tuition (effective Summer 2012)
  • Prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent; EMT-Basic certification with at least 1 year full-time pre-hospital experience; anatomy and physiology with lab; paramedic preparation course
  • Admission Requirements: College assessment test; must complete testing and interview process
  • School Type: 2-year, public; around 25,000 students (all undergraduate)
  • Address: 1140 W. Mission, San Marcos, California 92069
  • Phone: 760-744-1150

The paramedic associate's degree program at Palomar is similar to the certificate program; however, the degree program requires completion of general education courses. Your curriculum combines lectures, lab studies, clinical experiences and field internships working with local ambulance services and fire departments.

Southwestern College

  • Program Name: Associate in Science - Emergency Medical Technology and Paramedic
  • Program Length: 2 years (plus summer session)
  • Tuition: $46 per unit enrollment fee for CA resident & non-resident; additional $190 per unit non-resident tuition (effective summer 2012)
  • Prerequisites: EMT-Basic (theory and lab); 1 year of full-time EMT work experience; human anatomy and physiology course
  • Admission Requirements: Criminal background check; drug screening
  • School Type: 2-year, public; around 20,000 students (all undergraduate)
  • Address: 900 Otay Lakes Rd., Chula Vista, California 91910
  • Phone: 619-482-6550

SWC's paramedic associate's degree program has the same requirements as the certificate program, with the addition of general education classes. This increases the total number of units to a minimum of 60. Completion of all requirements earns you the associate's degree and eligibility to take the NREMT-Paramedic exam to obtain licensure as paramedic in California.

To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:

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