EMT Initial – Spring 2023
Current Course
We are gearing up for the Spring 2023 semester and look forward to meeting you in our class! This will be a hybrid course with remote asynchronous learning and in-class sessions,
Spring 2023,
When: January 10, 2023 – April 30, 2023 Tue and Thur Nights (6 PM – 10 PM) and six or seven weekend days (Sat and/or Sun) (Clinical extension through Aug 27, 2023)
Where: UNC Campus (Phillips Hall Room 265)
Cost: $680.00 registration + approximately $120.00 for Criminal Background Check, Drug Screening, & Document Verification (if accepted to the course); CEVO through DTCC $80.00;
READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!
Click on the Register button (at the bottom of the page) to start the registration process. No scholarships will be offered for the Spring 2023 course.
Preliminary Schedule when available—Click to download: ACERIP EMT Course Schedule Spring 2023
Please acquire the required materials prior to class.
Required Materials: Primary Textbook: Brady, Prehospital Emergency Care, 11th Edition, Joseph Mistovich, Pearson/Prentice Hall Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-0134704456 or ISBN-10: 0134704452; AHA BLS for Healthcare Provider, 2020 ed., Hard copy ISBN13: 978-1-61669-768-6; eBook ISBN: 978-1-6166 9-799-0 (You MUST have the 2020 edition) CEVO 4 Ambulance Driver Response Book (ACERIP will provide this book as part of tuition fees).
Prerequisites/Requirements
- High School Diploma OR GED
- Acceptable Documents
- Copy/Picture of High School Diploma
- Copy/Picture of Bachelor’s Degree or higher diploma
- Copy of High School Transcript Showing Graduation
- Letter from High School Confirming Graduation Date
- Acceptable Documents
- ACERIP Photo Release
- ACERIP Liability Waiver
- Valid driver’s license
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination(s) AND booster
- Criminal Background Check & Drug Test through CastleBranch (Must be completed prior to start of class UNLESS waitlisted. These may take up to 3 weeks to process so plan accordingly once a seat is confirmed.)
- Laptop Computer/Tablet w/ access to the UNC Network
Attention: Course Considerations
- Max capacity for the course is 24. Those registering after this capacity has been reached will be waitlisted (see below).
- Once you have secured a preliminary seat you will receive information on how to register with Castlebranch to complete the drug screen and background check.
- Students MUST be in the Chapel Hill area or able to commute to Durham/Chapel Hill after the didactic portion of the class ends in order to participate in the clinical component.
- Students will be given appropriate PPE for clinical experiences.
Waitlist
For those on the waitlist:
- Students will be placed on the waitlist in order of registration and payment received.
- All prerequisite requirements must also be completed before a seat will be offered with the exception of the next bullet.
- DO NOT complete the drug screening or background check until you know you have a confirmed seat since these two items cannot be refunded or used for a future EMT class registration.
- You will receive an email from the Registration Coordinator letting you know you are on the waitlist.
- You will be moved up on the waitlist as an open seat becomes available. You will receive an automatic confirmation email from the ACERIP site if you are approved for a seat.
- Waitlist students should plan to attend the first 3 classes and complete the online assignments for the first 3 classes as noted on the course schedule. Waitlisted students will be notified at the start of the 3rd scheduled class(in-class or remote) or sooner if they have secured a seat.
- Waitlisted students will receive a tuition refund minus a $50 administration fee
General Information
An EMT-B certification opens the door to many opportunities. Many students who take our class want real clinical experience before pursuing higher education in the medical field. Often, they work as EMS volunteers or as paid EMS providers. Other students take our class for their own professional research purposes, or to increase their preparedness in case of an emergency. Some challenge the state Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam to pursue another certification and employment opportunities. The EMT-B certification is the first step for many.
We have been teaching at UNC for 17 years and enjoy teaching to the unique and driven population that the campus offers. We teach at a higher level than the US Department of Transportation requires, and the graduates of our program have a near 100% first-time pass rate on the North Carolina EMT-B Certification Exam and the National Registry EMT Exam.
Our EMS program provides clinical opportunities for our students. As a required part of the course, you will ride on a local emergency or transport ambulance, fire truck, or precept in one of the UNC Hospitals emergency rooms (Main or Hillsborough) to apply the skills you learn in class. This allows our students to take their skills outside the classroom as well as network with local emergency response agencies. To be eligible to participate in the required clinical, you must pass a drug screen and criminal background check. These are conducted confidentially through a third party. WARNING: students will be participating in real emergency situations and may be subjected to graphic, disturbing events. Students should consider whether they are emotionally capable of handling these types of situations.
FAQs
Q: Are there any prerequisites for your program?
A: You do not have to have any prior medical experience or coursework in order to take our class. However, a course in Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 252, PHYI 202, EXSS 175 and 276, or equivalent) would be very beneficial to have. The only requirement, per NC OEMS Standards, is having a High School or GED diploma. See the above list of Prerequisites/Requirements for the acceptable forms of this documentation.
Q: Do I have to be an actively enrolled UNC student to take this course?
A: No
Q: How much does the course cost?
A: Tuition and fees for the course costs $680.00. This also covers supplies, liability insurance for clinical, uniform loan, ACERIP membership fee, and the American Heart Association CPR for Healthcare Providers course and certification card, and the CEVO 4 Ambulance Driver Response Book. Other costs are itemized above. You will need to purchase the required textbooks on your own. As a non-affiliated teaching institution we are solely dependent on student tuition to maintain the program. After completion of our program, you will be able to take the North Carolina State Board exam for your EMT-B license.
Q: Is financial aid available?
A: ACERIP, during some semesters, competitively offers full financial scholarships to students who meet the designated criteria. See the Scholarship Application for details. University financial aid is not applicable. One scholarship is awarded per semester. Those who apply to the scholarship program and do not receive it are not guaranteed a place in the class.
Q: Do I have to pay for the entire course at one time?
A: You can register for the course and hold off on payment, however, depending on interest, the course may quickly fill up. Students who have paid the full tuition and met all the other registration requirements are given first priority for seating. Once the course is filled, students with later or pending registrations are placed on a wait list for admission.
Q: Can I get a refund if I decide to drop the course after registering?
A: Students dropping the course at any time prior to the third scheduled class (weekends included) will receive a refund of tuition and fees minus a $50 registration fee. After that, no refunds are issued for any reason. Other costs are non-refundable. Students who are academically dismissed from class will not be eligible for a refund. They will be required to pay the full tuition and fees again if they choose to take the class at a later date.
Q: Why do I have to complete a background check and a drug test?
A: Many formal courses in healthcare involve a clinical education component. Sites where you complete this clinical education often require a criminal background check and drug screening before being able to interact with and assess live patients.
Q: If I am a full-time student, how do I balance this class with my other classes?
A: Treat this class as a minimum 4 credit hour UNC course (class + lab). Add that to your normal semester workload in order to see if you go above the overload threshold (18 credit hours). This course is Pass/Fail, but you need to maintain an 80% cumulative average throughout the class in order to stay enrolled. This course does not count towards University graduation requirements and is not printed on your transcript.
Q: I got waitlisted. What are the chances I’ll get in?
A: It varies but on average approximately 5-10% of students (2-4 students) who were initially approved, opt not to take the course by the third scheduled class. Waitlisted students will be offered spots in the order in which they initially registered. To be eligible for a slot, waitlisted students must attend the first 3 classes and will be notified of acceptance as spots become available.
Q: Are my tuition and other associated costs (e.g. background check/drug screen) refundable if I am waitlisted and do not get into the course?
A: Tuition is fully refundable less a $50 administrative fee. Other costs are not refundable. Waitlisted students will not be required to complete the background check and drug screen until they have been notified that they have a seat in the class.
Q: What is the course schedule?
A: This course follows the UNC schedule; meaning, the course will be in session for the duration of the UNC semester. We will not hold class on University holidays or breaks. The course meets Tuesday and Thursday evening (6 PM – 10 PM) and occasionally on weekends (6-7 per semester); for summer courses, we reduce the number of weekends by meeting Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. We will not hold class if the university closes for inclement weather or other circumstances, but due to the State Office of EMS requirements, any missed hours will have to be rescheduled and made up.
Q: Do I have to be present for the clinical extension period?
A: The course includes a clinical extension period that extends after the didactic/classroom portion of the class has ended. During the clinical extension period, students will continue to attend clinical shifts to meet their clinical requirements. Residency in the Chapel Hill area for the clinical extension period is mandatory. Given the state requirements for when clinicals can commence, students will not be able to complete the clinical component by the conclusion of the didactic portion of the course.
Q: How do I become a certified provider in NC or elsewhere?
A: After successful completion of the course, you will be eligible to take the North Carolina EMS State Certification exam and/or the National Registry exam for additional costs. All state exams are computer-based and scheduled at a third party testing site through Castle Worldwide. You will receive an email from Castle Worldwide once you have been graded in the state Continuum system. Current cost for the NC state certification exam is $68.00.
Currently, students who do not pass the state exam in their first 3 attempts within 6 months, may take a refresher course and scope of practice test giving them 3 additional attempts at the state exam. All attempts must be completed within 18 months from their course-graded date in Continuum.
Instructions and fees for scheduling a National Registry exam can be accessed at the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians website, nremt.org Students wishing to take the National Registry exam may take the exam within two years from their course graded date in the state certification site, Continuum. Be aware, however, that the Technical Scope of Practice conducted during your EMT course is only good for one year. Students who take the National Registry exam after the 1-year window will need to retake a registry approved scope of practice test in order to obtain registry certification. This may be arranged through ACERIP for a $100 testing fee
Students wishing to take the National Registry exam must first create a profile on the NREMT website and then wait for approval by the EMS program director. Please send an email to the ACERIP Program Director to request approval to test once your profile has been completed. Once your successful course completion has been verified, you will be able to schedule an exam date.
It is recommended that all students take the NC OEMS state exam. Students who wish to practice outside of NC are encouraged to review the reciprocity requirements of the particular state in which they wish to practice. Every state has their own requirements. Many states accept successful completion of the National Registry Exam for reciprocal certification in that state. Additionally, National Registry certification may enhance your application for an EMS position. Note that NC certification is good for 4 years while NREMT is limited to 2 years.
Q: How do I Maintain my Certification?
A: North Carolina requires that certified EMTs complete a specific number of continuing education hours covering specific topics in order to renew their credential. For students who are not affiliated with an EMS agency, this can be difficult although most requirements can be completed online through a 3rd party COAMPS certified continuing education program. Program rates vary. ACERIP is not currently offering con ed.