Mesa Community College paramedicine program ranked among best in the nation

The Mesa Community College paramedicine program is ranked fourth among the top five best programs in the nation, according to the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions.

MCC’s nationally-accredited paramedicine program maintains one of the highest pass/success rates in the state of Arizona. Instructors have real-world experience in diversified paramedicine that includes emergency medical services, the military, law enforcement and fire services, according to a release.

The program prepares students with in-depth training as part of their curricula, using augmented reality technology.

“This type of training is quickly becoming the platinum standard,” Sean Newton, MCC Allied Health department chair, said in the release. “We expose our students to very complex, critical thinking scenarios that hone their ability to navigate the very difficult medical or trauma conditions that they’re going to see in the field.”

MCC paramedic student Thomas Denning says, “It definitely makes it feel like a real situation and a real patient. The patient actually gives you verbal cues and says like their chest hurts or I’m in pain…it’s a much more realistic experience.”

The Immersive Total Patient Management Experience is another progressive method of preparing students for careers in paramedicine. ITPME is a cross-disciplinary educational two-day event, held annually since 2015, which exposes paramedicine students, entry-level EMT, nursing, psychology and theatre/film arts students to potential real-life emergency scenarios. Theatre/film arts students use their acting skills to bring the scenarios to life while EMS students demonstrate their acquired medical and clinical knowledge to care for the simulated patients.

Recently students joined Banner Baywood Medical Center for its first mock mass casualty incident. Working alongside hospital employees and first responders from American Medical Response, students responded to simulated emergency scenarios involving multiple victims who required care until they could be transported to the hospital.

“We’re always looking for the next innovative step to try to enhance the education of our students,” Newton said in the release.

Students completing the program earn a certificate of completion in paramedicine or may choose to earn an associate’s degree in applied sciences in paramedicine. The AAS degree is transferable to most in-state universities. For information about the MCC Paramedicine program, go to mesacc.edu/programs/paramedicine.