The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Services (B.S.) degree is intended to prepare graduates to meet the professional requirements for pre-hospital emergency care providers. Completion of all of the paramedic core courses with a minimum grade of C is required for eligibility to apply for National Registry of EMTs examination and New Mexico Licensure.
The program accepts academic credit from accredited institutions of higher education for course work deemed equivalent to program requirements. Of the 131 credit hours required for the degree, a minimum of 30 credit hours in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) major must be taken at the University of New Mexico to satisfy University residency requirements.
All students seeking acceptance to the School of Medicine Paramedic program must meet requirements for admission to the University. See the section in this catalog on Admissions for information on University admission requirements.
Screening for admission to the College is conducted at periodic intervals. All applications, fees and official transcripts must be received by the deadline. Students should submit applications early to allow for adequate advisement and processing of applications.
The School of Medicine, EMS Academy reserves the right to request the student supply any additional information as necessary. Students are expected to be fluent in the English language.
The B.S. in Emergency Medical Services is granted to students upon fulfillment of the following:
All students seeking a B.S. in EMS take the following courses:
Students with a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 and a minimum 3.6 GPA in EMS course work are eligible for honors under the following circumstances:
Courses
EMS 106. Emergency Medical Responder. (4)
Emergency Medical Responder is a 60-hours course designed specifically for personnel who are first at the scene of an accident or emergency. This course offers a foundation for advanced EMS courses.
EMS 113. EMT-Basic. (8)
Meets the 1998 EMT-Basic National Standard Curriculum requirements and incorporates New Mexico EMT-B scope of practice. Provides lecture instruction to prepare the student to sit for New Mexico and National Registry testing.
Corequisite: 142.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 120. Introduction to EMS System. (3)
Covers the history of emergency medical services and the development of EMS systems and current trends and issues in EMS. Ideal for students considering a career in EMS.
EMS 142. EMT-Basic Lab. (2)
Meets the 1998 EMT-Basic National Standard Curriculum requirements and incorporates New Mexico EMT-B scope of practice. Provides lab instruction to prepare the student to sit for New Mexico and National Registry testing.
Corequisite: 113.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 143. EMT-Intermediate Lab. (1)
Meets New Mexico requirements for EMT-Intermediate skills training, including intravenous fluid administration and pharmacology.
Prerequisite: 113 and 142.
Corequisite: 180.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 151. EMT-I Clinical and Field Experience. (2)
Meets New Mexico requirements for EMT-Intermediate field and clinical training, including emergency department and prehospital experience.
Prerequisite: 113 and 142.
Corequisite: 143 and 180.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 180. EMT-Intermediate. (5)
Meets New Mexico requirements for EMT-Intermediate lecture content, including intravenous fluid administration and pharmacology.
Prerequisite: 113 and 142.
Corequisite: 143.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 193. Emergency Medicine Topics. (1-3, no limit Δ)
Titles will vary.
EMS 200. Medical Mathematics. (1)
Medical calculations for paramedics. Students will be able to perform all common medical calculations at the paramedic level, including converting units, properly manipulating decimals and fractions, and finding volumes, dosages and rates.
Prerequisite: MATH 121.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 230. Medical Assessment and Management II. (3)
This course is designed to introduce the paramedic student to advanced medical management and patient assessment in the prehospital environment. The student will assess and manage the Neurological, Musculoskeletal, Integumentary, GI/GU, Reproductive, Psychological/Social, human systems.
Corequisite: 243 and 331.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 243. Paramedic Capstone. (2)
Provides instruction in and practice application of advanced life support skills in the assessment and management of pediatric, geriatric, and pregnant patients, as well as in trauma management.
Corequisite: 454.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 309. Prehospital Emergency Medicine and Operations. (3)
This course will introduce the paramedic student to EMS systems, requirements and methods of communications with patients, various rules and regulations unique to the paramedic, and investigate the components of maintaining wellness as a paramedic.
Corequisite: 310 and 311 and 312 and 341 and 351.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 310. Prehospital Pharmacology. (3)
Provides the paramedic student with an overview of drug classes, actions, and metabolism, as well as an understanding of considerations in medication administration.
Corequisite: 309 and 311 and 312 and 341 and 351.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 311. Medical Assessment and Management. (3)
This course is designed to introduce the paramedic student to advanced medical management and patient assessment in the prehospital environment. The student will assess and manage the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary human systems.
Corequisite: 309 and 310 and 312 and 341 and 351.
EMS 312. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Emergencies. (3)
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Emergencies course provides students with an overview of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, as well as cardiac rhythm interpretation and introduction to 12-lead ECGs.
Corequisite: 309 and 310 and 311 and 341 and 351.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 320. Medical Emergencies. (3)
Medical Emergencies course provides students with an overview of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, of the medical patient.
Corequisite: 321 and 342 and 352.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 321. Special Patient Populations. (2 to a maximum of 4 Δ)
Provides an introduction to the prehospital assessment and management of patients with special considerations, as well as, EMS operations in the prehospital environment.
Corequisite: 320 and 342 and 352.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 331. Trauma Emergencies. (2)
Introduces the paramedic student to prehospital advanced life support assessment and management of patients with traumatic injury.
Corequisite: 230 and 243.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 341. Paramedic Lab I. (2)
Provides instruction in and practice application of advanced life support skills in patient assessment, airway management, medication administration, and advanced cardiac life support.
Corequisite: 309 and 310 and 311 and 312 and 351.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 342. Paramedic Lab II. (2)
Provides instruction in and practice application of advanced life support skills in the assessment and management of patients with medical emergencies. Practice in vehicle extrication skills.
Corequisite: 320 and 321 and 352.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 351. Paramedic Clinical Rotation I. (3)
Facilitates paramedic students’ progress toward entry-level clinical competence by providing the opportunity to integrate classroom knowledge and skills with professional practice under the supervision of clinical instructors.
Corequisite: 309 and 310 and 311 and 312 and 341.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 352. Paramedic Clinical Rotation II. (4)
Observation and supervised care of emergency patients in the emergency department, inpatient units, and prehospital setting.
Corequisite: 320 and 321 and 342.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 398. EMS Topics. (1-3 to a maximum of 15 Δ)
EMS 399. EMS Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
EMS 400. Advanced Assessment. (3)
Provides paramedics with an in-depth understanding of patient history and physical examination techniques.
Prerequisite: 312 and 341 and 351.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 402. Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Paramedic. (3)
Instructs students to perform as a member of highly specialized pediatric and neonatal critical care transport teams providing inter-facility transport of critically ill pediatric patients. Topics include ventilator management, congenital heart defects, and pharmacology.
Prerequisite: 230 and 243.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 403. Mountain Medicine. (3 )
The Mountain Medicine course is intended for medical professionals who participate in mountain recreation or are mountain professionals such as guides or Mountain Rescue personnel with a current EMT-Intermediate, Paramedic or Nurse license.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 404. Technical Rescue Course. (3)
To understand theory and application of rope rescue. Gain a working knowledge of rope rescue and access problems in mountainous terrain and how to safely navigate it.
Prerequisite: 454.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 405. Austere Medicine. (3)
Students will learn management of medical and trauma cases under austere conditions: Low resources, little or no back-up, prolonged contact/responsibility for the patient. We will consider present recommendations and student will evaluate those recommendations.
Prerequisite: 454.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 406. Mountain Medicine Lab I. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
This course will be arranged curriculum to satisfy the field practice Summer requirement for DiMM/CiMM. Including skill/scenario stations in a mountain setting, practical evaluation in medicine and technical rescue.
Prerequisite: 403.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 408. Mountain Medicine Lab II. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
This course will be arranged curriculum to satisfy the field practice Winter requirement for DiMM/CiMM. Including skill/scenario stations in a mountain setting, practical evaluation in medicine and technical rescue.
Prerequisite: 404.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 421. EMS Education Internship. (3)
The student is assigned to an instructor mentor and will participate, under supervision, in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of EMS training programs.
Prerequisite: 441.
EMS 441. Principles of EMS Education. (3)
This course covers the development, design, implementation, and evaluation of EMS training programs.
Prerequisite: 143 and 151 and 180.
EMS 454. Paramedic Field Internship. (4)
Paramedic students develop EMS team-leadership skills and learn to operate independently, under supervision, at entry-level competence.
Prerequisite: 230 and 243 and 331.
Restriction: program permission.
EMS 455. Disaster and Emergency Management. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
Introduces students to the dynamic world of disaster, and emergency management. Through the review of the history, social, political, and economic implications of disasters, students explore the world of emergency management.
Prerequisite: (ENGL 110 or ENGL 112 or ENGL 113) and ENGL 120.
EMS 456. Social Dimension of Disaster. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
Introduces students to the dynamic world of disasters and the effects disasters have on human behavior. An overview of how individuals, groups, families, communities, and organizations handle disasters before, during, and after they occur.
Prerequisite: (ENGL 110 or ENGL 112 or ENGL 113) and ENGL 120.
EMS 461. Advanced Pathophysiology. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
System-focused content addresses the normal physiologic and pathologic mechanisms of disease that serve as the foundation for advanced clinical assessment, decision-making, and management.
Prerequisite: 312 and 320.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 465. Advanced Paramedic Clerkship. (4 to a maximum of 8 Δ)
Students will assess undifferentiated patients, coming up with your own diagnostic and therapeutic management plan, integrating and applying risk stratification, triage and differential diagnosis.
Offered on a CR/NC basis only.
Prerequisite: 400 and 461.
EMS 469. Epidemiology and Statistics. (3)
To introduce and review basic tools of biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design; to teach students to critically evaluate relationships that seem to be cause-effect.
Prerequisite: STAT 145.
EMS 470. EMS Research Analysis. (3)
This course provides the student with an overview of the research process and teaches skills in critical analysis of medical literature.
Prerequisite: 469 and STAT 145.
EMS 481. Community Paramedic: Public Health and Wellness. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
This course will introduce the student to public health and will learn to apply principles of public health in your work and recognize opportunities to positively impact community health.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
EMS 498. EMS Topics. (1-3 to a maximum of 15 Δ)
EMS 499. EMS Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
