Summer and Fall 2012 EMT offerings will be posted soon! To register for the program, you must first be a student at Columbia State. At a time to be determined, the EMT coordinator will post the date and time when you can email him with your Columbia State A# (your registered student identification) and site preference (for the fall semester). Follow us on Twitter @csccems.
Welcome to the Columbia State Community College
EMT-IV Program
Your transition from civilian to EMT: IV begins here. This Academy-style course is an intense, one-semester learning experience designed to give you the knowledge and skills required to enter the exciting field of Emergency Medical Services. Our experienced instructor cadre is committed to your success as we strive to “shape the landscape of EMS one student at a time.”
As an EMT: IV, you will respond, evaluate, treat, and transport patients with sudden illness or injury. Your time in class will consist of learning these demands including:
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Communication & Leadership skills (both self and team) |
Legal aspects of quality healthcare |
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Self- discipline & time management |
Medical & trauma patient assessment |
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Critical thinking skills |
Treatments based on assessments |
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Basic human anatomy & physiology |
Intravenous therapy |
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AHA Basic Life Support/ CPR certification |
Cardiac/ respiratory management |
This program is time intensive both in and outside the classroom as you must complete 96 hours of clinical rotations at various EMS organizations and emergency departments. This requirement means that you will spend the following time outside of class:
- 5 12-hour shifts on the ambulance (EMS rotations)
- 3 12-hour shifts in the emergency room (Hospital rotations)
The demands of this program means that EMT: IV school isn’t for everyone. So, we ask, “Are you ready?”
Apply for admission to Columbia State Community College. You can apply online here or on any of the campuses. Ensure the college has received:
- Proof of MMR Vaccination
- High School Transcript
- All college transcripts
- ACT Scores (if applicable)
You must be eligible to enroll in 0800 level Learning Support or college-level Math, English, and Reading. Competency in these areas may be validated by sub-scores of at least 13 in Math, 13 in Reading, and 13 in English on the ACT OR through institutional placement testing using the Compass Exam given by
" I've been admitted to the college and have emailed Instructor McCullough. Now what do I do?"
With the exception of the BACKGROUND CHECK and DRUG SCREEN, you must complete the medical forms ("Incoming Students" tab, scroll down to incoming EMT: IV Students) and bring the completed forms to one of the MANDATORY orientation days
- Have a medical examination. The examiner should complete the Medical Statement and sign it (including their license number).
- Have blood drawn for titers to prove immunity to MMR, Chicken Pox, and Hepatitis B. If you haven't started the Hepatitis B series, you must start the injections. No waiver is available for this. Note that a copy of the lab results must be attached to the Immunity Verification Form.
- No sooner than 60 days before the class starts, you must do a Background Check and Drug Screen. You may choose from any of the four vendors. These results will be delivered directly to our staff. We can not accept hand-delivered results for either of these.
- Provide us with a copy of your health insurance card, front and back. If you do not have health insurance, it is available through Student Services
- Buy your uniforms. We require at least one complete uniform. It is recommended that you buy at least two complete uniforms in case your uniform gets soiled while at a clinical rotation. In that case, you will need to either change into your second uniform or leave the clinical site. Clinical time is extremely limited!
- Order a diagnostic kit. You can purchase it here.
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How much does the course cost?
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Based on in-station tuition rates, prepare to spend between $2,800 and $3,000. This estimate includes tuition, books, testing & professional fees
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Can I get financial aid for this course?
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No. Currently, there is no federal (Pell, student loans, etc.) or state (Hope scholarship, etc.) financial aid available.
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What is advanced EMT and is that longer?
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EMT: IVs will transition to Advanced EMT which will bring with it broader knowledge and a higher skill set. This course will be two semesters rather than one and will require much more clinical rotations that the current expectation of the EMT: IV student.
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If I miss a class can I make it up by attending a class in one of the other class sections?
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No. While all class sections are taught using the same curriculum and textbooks, the classes are on a slightly different schedule. You won't be able to attend any classes in any section other than the one you are registered for.
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How much do EMT: IVs make a year?
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The average starting salary in the Nashville area is between $28,000 and $31,000 a year. You salary will depend on a variety of factors and should be discussed with your employer.
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6. How can I advance after I earn an EMT-IV license?
There are several directions you can move in after you get your license. You can go on to nursing, physical therapy, athletic trainer, or other of the allied health professions. The most common path is to advance to the Paramedic level and the Associate of Applied Science degree offered by Columbia State. In order to earn this degree, after earning your EMT-IV license, you will need to take the following courses either before or after completing the Paramedic program:
• ENGL 1010 - Composition I (3 hours)
• MATH 1130 - College Algebra (3 hours)
• BIOL 2010 - Anatomy & Physiology I (4 hours)
• Humanities/Fine Art Elective (3 hours)
• COMM 1120 - Intro to Communications (3 hours)
• PSY 206 - Developmental Psychology (3 hours)
• BIOL 2020 - Anatomy & Physiology II (4 hours)
• BUS 242 - Principles of Supervision (3 hours)
• CIS Elective (1 - 3 hours)
• GENT 291 - General Technology Capstone (1 hour)
Completing this plan of study will earn you the Associate of Applied Science Degree from Columbia State Community College.
7. What if there might be something on my background check?
Our clinical affiliates require background checks as part of their process for screening potential interns. Once an applicant submits a background check online, the company e-mails the results of that check to a secured account at the College. There are three potential results (based on the criteria of the company doing the background check, not the program or our clinical affiliates) the College could receive: Green, Yellow, and Red.
If the results show Green, no further action is necessary. If the results show Yellow or Red, the applicant must request that a detailed summary of the background check be sent to the College. The College then submits the background check, without identifying the applicant, to each of our clinical sites for them to use in determining if they will allow an applicant access to their facilities. If even one site declines access, the applicant will be unable to complete the clinical portion of the class. This would make the applicant unable pass the course and apply for a Tennessee EMT-IV license.
If you think or know there are items that will show up on your background check, and want to know if any past record would keep you from registering for EMT or Paramedic class, you will have to submit a background check online in the same manner as someone who has already registered for the class. We will then follow our procedure with our clinical affiliates. There is a cost for each background check, and you may have to submit another background check after registering for the class because there is an expiration date on the background check (usually 30 days).
There is also a background check done by the State of Tennessee whenever a student submits a license application to the State. The State reviews this background check and makes their determination on a case-by-case basis. Neither the College nor the EMS Education Department has any input in, or control over, the State’s decision to grant or deny a license based on the results of this background check. The only way to know if you would pass this background check is to submit an application for a license. The only way to submit an application is to complete either an EMT-IV or Paramedic class.