Paramedic

Classes

Upcoming Classes

The 2024 application process is now closed.
Applications for the 2025-2026 program will open in November 2024.



Locations

Good Fellowship Ambulance Training Institute, 3rd Floor
600 Montgomery Ave (Station 55)
West Chester, PA 19380

Payment Information

TUITION/FEES

 

Tuition & Fees for the program include everything a student needs to complete the program.

    • Tuition: $7,400.00
    • Program Deposit $500 Deposit Includes
      • Drug Screening
      • Background Check
    • Student Lab Fee: $2,200.00 and includes:
      • Skills Tracking Software
      • Disposable EMS Equipment (IV catheters, saline flushes, etc)
      • Simulation Equipment (simulated medications, simulation skins, other simulation & task training supplies for each student)
      • Off-site interactive activities
    • Student Resource Fee: $2,900 and includes:
      • All Course Textbooks
      • Course Testing Software
      • Course Management Software Account
      • Uniforms and Gear for Clinical Rotations & Ride-Time
      • Additional EMS Certifications (ACLS, PALS, etc)
      • NREMT Cognitive Exam Voucher
      • Student Liability Insurance
  • Total: $13,000

 

 

Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Click Here to Request an Application

Payments are to be made on the following schedule:

  • A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 (USD) is due upon acceptance into the program.
  • Various forms of payment are available upon request of administration.

Students may not proceed to the next session without having paid for that session due by the first day of that session.

*Tuition is subject to change. Please contact us for the most up-to-date tuition breakdowns.

Financial Aid

The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education is eligible for Veterans Administration Educational Benefits. No other financial aid is available through the program.

Scholarships are also available through BoundTree Medical for qualified students. Please see their website, and other agencies.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes

Click Here To Request An Application For The Paramedic Training Program

The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education  is a one year certificate program, and provides training for the student in necessary cognitive and practical advanced life support skills necessary for an entry level paramedic to successfully operate in a pre-hospital or clinical setting. This on-line catalog is true and correct in content and policy.

Our program utilizes current and modern equipment based on the national standard curriculum for EMS, and prepares the student to pass the practical and written National Registry tests.

Program Minimum Expectation

To prepare Paramedics who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

Learning Objectives

  • Demonstrate cognitive and critical thinking skills necessary to provide proper care to patients suffering from medical or trauma incidents.
  • Perform advanced life support skills based on local, state and national guidelines and protocols.
  • Provide a safe environment for patients, team members, other agencies and the public.
  • Communicate pertinent patient information to other healthcare professionals, and accomplish required documentation as required by state and national requirements.

Clinical Learning

Clinical and field training provide an opportunity to develop and apply clinical knowledge and skills to the actual treatment of emergency patients. Students are required to average between 16 – 24 clinical hours per week.

As students are instructed in the theoretical practice of emergency medicine, they participate in various supervised clinical experiences. These experiences are designed to refine the skills involved in patient care.

During clinical and field training, students have an opportunity to rotate through some of the area’s most respected emergency medical services and health care facilities. While in training, each student completes in-hospital clinical experience in the following areas:

  • Emergency Department
  • Intensive Care Unit
  • Cardiac Cath Lab
  • Neurosurgical ICU / Intervention
  • Burn Center
  • Operating Room
  • Pediatric ED
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology
  • Trauma

Field Rotations

As part of the program, students complete field clinical course work with a number of excellent emergency medical services agencies in the Chester, Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks and Montgomery County areas.

The field and clinical training enables students to apply their knowledge and clinical skills in the out-of-hospital environment. Each student is assigned an experienced paramedic who will serve as a preceptor and mentor during each term.

At the successful completion of the didactic and clinical courses, students are required to complete a 144 hour Capstone Field Externship. This  provides students the opportunity to serve as a team leader and to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the role of an entry level paramedic.

Specialty Certifications

As part of the curriculum design, the didactic and practical experiences allow the students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain certification/successful course completion in the following specialty courses:

  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
  • Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)
  • Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC)

Accreditation

The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education 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).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, FL 33763
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

To contact CoAEMSP:
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
Phone: 214.703.8445
Fax: 214.703.8992
www.coaemsp.org

Chester County Hospital’s accreditation is through The Joint Commission (TJC) formerly, The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

 

To contact The Joint Commission:
1 Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Phone: 630.792.5800

www.jointcommission.org 

 

Admission Policies

The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, national origin, religion, age, political beliefs, disability, or any other factor, in its employment practices or in its policies relating to recruitment of students. We do reserve the right to revise tuition and fees without prior notice if it becomes necessary.

Requirements for Admission

  • Be a current Pennsylvania or Nationally Registered EMT with a valid certification or eligible for Pennsylvania certification by endorsement (out of state certifications).
  • Have either a High School diploma or a recognized GED.
  • The student must pass a qualifying written exam to be accepted to the Paramedic Program.
  • The student will be evaluated using a Selective Assessment tool.
    • based on your High School or College Assessment
    • employment assessment component as well where points are awarded for military service, current certifications, professional organization memberships, etc.
    • The final component is the oral interview and the entrance exam.
  • The student must pass an oral interview with select panel members from Consortium faculty and other EMS professionals.
  • Pass a criminal background check (dated within 6 months of the start of class).
  • Pass a drug screen.
  • National Incident Management Courses (NIMS) – 100,200,and 700

Click Here To Request An Application For The Paramedic Training Program

Additional Requirements

The following aptitudes are required by the PA DOH and are a minimum foundation that each program builds upon. Please see specific course handbook for further information on requirements.

Aptitudes:

  • Vision:
    Students must have visual acuity sufficient to distinguish visual color discrimination in examining patients and determining by appearance diagnostic signs that require immediate detection and proper action
  • Hearing:
    Students must have hearing acuity sufficient to receive verbal directions and instructions and to distinguish diagnostic signs
  • Reading/Writing:
    Students must have the ability to read and write English sufficiently to read items such as prescription bottles, and to write English sufficiently to complete patient record forms and examination
  • Physical:
    Students must have the ability to perform the skill objectives as outlined in the EMT National Educational Standards as well as the functional job description of an EMT provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of EMS

Note: A waiver request may be submitted in writing to the Program Director if accommodation is needed for any of these. A request for accommodation does not guarantee reprieve or special considerations. All accommodation requests must be submitted prior to the start of the second class and the Training Institute will only offer the same accommodations as that is allowable from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of EMS. All students must have the aptitudes as listed above when taking the practical skills examination for certification. Medical problems must be resolved prior to taking the practical examinations.

Please click here to review the Technical Standards / Paramedic Functional Job Analysis 

Advanced Placement

No advanced placement policy is used for The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education as it is a certificate program. Advanced placement may be recognized by institutions that The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education has an agreement with, or other institutions that agree to accept credit hours for our program.

Transfer of Credits

The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education is a certificate program. At the successful completion of the program, the student is eligible to sit for the National Registry cognitive and psychomotor exams.
The student has the option to obtain credits through enrollment in West Chester University. Credits will be applied to a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences upon successful completion of the Paramedic Training Program and successful NRP Certification.

Dr. James Brenner
CONTACT (610) 436-3357

The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education does not accept transfer of hours/courses from other programs.

Experiential Learning

No credit is offered for experiential learning.

Plan of Study for Completion

Required Courses:

    • Medical Terminology
    • Foundations of ALS
    • Neurology / Internal Medicine
    • Cardiology
    • Pulmonology
    • Obstetrics and Pediatrics
    • Traumatology
    • Paramedic Clinical I
    • Paramedic Clinical II
    • Capstone Field Externship I
    • Capstone Field Externship II
    • Paramedic Lab I
    • Paramedic Lab II

Criteria for Graduation

Satisfactory Academic Progress

It is the intent of The Good Fellowship and Chester County Hospital Consortium for Paramedic Education to provide for the individual needs of the student and ensure you are afforded the best opportunity to successfully complete the cognitive and psychomotor requirements of the program. If you feel that you are in need of individual attention, it is available; however, it is your responsibility to ask for it.

You are expected to:

  • You must maintain a 70% grade average at all times.
  • Complete all competencies in lab, clinical, and capstone.
  • Complete all required hours in lab, didactic and clinical.
  • Successfully be “signed off” by two capstone preceptors.
  • Meet all financial responsibilities to the Training Institute.

You are expected to take all of the quizzes and exams as scheduled. In the isolated instance when an emergency prevents you from taking an exam with a class, you must contact your Program Coordinator immediately.

The school reserves the right to drop a student at any time for reasons deemed adequate by the Program Director and faculty.

Click Here To Request An Application For The Paramedic Training Program

Paramedic Program Minimum Expectation:

To prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.

 

 

 Outcomes Assessment

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
NREMT Cognitive Exam Pass Rate: 90.5% 89.5% 93.9% 93.3% 100%
Retention Rate 91.3% 95.0% 86.8% 88.2% 81.8%
Positive Placement of Graduates: 100% 94.7% 93.9% 86.7% 72.2%

Cognitive Exam Pass Rate is calculated by the students who pass their cognitive exam by the 3rd attempt. Students who passed post 3rd attempt are not included in these totals.

Retention Rate is defined as the students who are retained in the program after 10% completion point.

Positive Placement is defined as those graduates who are employed as a paramedic, continuing their education, or serving in the military.

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
Certification Rate 100% 95% 97% 100% 100%

Certification Rate: Students who completed the paramedic program and certified.

Faculty

Heather Atkinson, BS, NRP

Ms. Atkinson is the Director of Education and also serves as the Paramedic Program Director at Good Fellowship Ambulance and EMS Training Institute. She started her career as a volunteer firefighter/EMT at Manoa Fire Company in 2000. In 2008, Ms. Atkinson obtained her paramedic certifications then worked at Delaware County Memorial Hospital Paramedics for 12 years, serving various roles through Lieutenant. Finding her passion for EMS education, she obtained her Pennsylvania EMS instructor certification in 2010 and has taught at various EMS Educational Institutes as well as spear-headed countless continuing education programs for her department and public safety counterparts. Ms. Atkinson also served as the EMS Education Coordinator for the County of Delaware before joining the GFAC team. Ms. Atkinson received her BS in Public Safety Administration from Neumann University.

Stephen Carroll, DO

Dr. Stephen Carroll is the Medical Director for Good Fellowship Ambulance & EMS Training Institute. Dr. Carroll began his EMS experience with Good Fellowship in 1999, serving for 10 years as an EMT while he completed his undergraduate degree from Notre Dame followed by medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He graduated from the Emergency Medicine Residency at San Antonio Military Medical Center in 2012. After 2 years at Fort Hood, Texas, he returned to his residency program as core faculty. After finishing his military commitment in the summer of 2016, Dr. Carroll moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he served as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine with Emory University working at Grady Hospital. Recently, he and his wife accepted positions in the area and Dr. Carroll was able to return "home". He is currently an attending ER Physician at Crozer Health and serves as the Medical Director for Crozer Health EMS. His academic interests are in medical education and airway management.

Andrew Tucker, AA, NRP

Mr. Tucker is the ALS Coordinator at Good Fellowship Ambulance & EMS Training Institute. Andy has been a practicing Paramedic for 29 years and has been in EMS/Fire service at Marple Township Ambulance Corps as well as Broomall Fire Company for 33 years. He graduated from the very first CCMC-EMSTI in 1992. Andy has worked for Crozer Health system, Haverford Township Paramedic Department, PennSTAR Flight Program, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Emergency Room and Temple Dental School Sedation Center. Andy holds the position of Deputy Chief at Marple Township Ambulance Corps and was a Lieutenant at Delaware County Paramedics.

Ryan Arnold, AA, NRP

Mr. Arnold is the ALS Coordinator at Good Fellowship Ambulance & EMS Training Institute. Mr. Arnold has been involved in EMS since 2001 and began his career as an EMT while serving in the United States Army. After being honorably discharged, Mr. Arnold continued his EMS career working throughout the southeastern United States. In 2013, Mr. Arnold wished to further his role as a Paramedic and graduated from Delaware County Community College’s Paramedic Program obtaining an Associates Degree in Advanced Life Support Paramedic with Honors. Mr. Arnold has worked as a Paramedic for multiple employers including Lafayette Ambulance and Rescue Squad, Marple Township Ambulance Squad, Crozer EMS, and Delaware County Paramedics serving in various roles including Assistant Chief.