The series of clinical courses leading to eligibility for certification as a Nationally Registered Paramedic is referred to as the Advanced Sequence. These courses are taken across three consecutive semesters of the student’s undergraduate enrollment for on-campus Associate and Bachelors degree students alike.

Any student may declare Emergency Medical Care as their major, but entrance into the Advanced Sequence is limited and competitive. In accordance with resource availability (e.g. classroom space, clinical placement sites, and faculty), we generally admit no more than 30 students into the Advanced Sequence each fall.

Each spring, EMC faculty review applications for the Advanced Sequence and rank applicants according to a scoring system comprised of prerequisites and weighted performance indicators as follows:

Prerequisites for Advanced Sequence admission:

• • Completion of EMC 300 (EMS Operations) with a C or higher.
  • Completion of EMC 303 (Intro to Cardiology) with a C or higher.
  • Completion of BIO 307 (A&P I) with a C or higher.
  • Completion of BIO 308 (A&P II) with a C or higher.
  • NREMT EMT certification (may be pending at the time of Advanced Sequence application).
  • At least 30 patient contacts as a certified EMT (either through completion of EMC 115, or credit awarded in-lieu-of through departmental approval of documented work experience).

Weighted criteria used to rank Advanced Sequence applications:

• • EKU GPA (25%)
  • Fisdap Paramedic Entrance Exam score (50%)
  • NREMT or KBEMS EMT certification (25%)

Fisdap Entrance Exam Information:

The Fisdap entrance exam is offered every April, and is used to evaluate readiness for the Advanced Sequence. It measures the following components of fundamental EMS knowledge and attributes:

• • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Reading comprehension
  • Math
  • EMT knowledge
  • M5-50 Personality Inventory that measures sympathy, conscientiousness, and resiliency to stress.

A study guide for the Fisdap entrance exam is available.

Admissions Interview:

Applicants for Advanced Sequence admission may also be required to participate in an interview with EMC faculty. This interview is intended to assess verbal communication skills, affect, and motivation.

Advanced Sequence Timeline:

March-April: Advanced Sequence application process opens and Fisdap entrance exam offered.
May: Interviews may be conducted. EMC faculty meets to consider and rank applications.
June: Advanced Sequence admission notations are made to students.
Summer: Online self-paced cardiology review for admitted Advanced Sequence students.
August: Mandatory Advanced Sequence orientation and BLS skills review day (usually held the Friday before Fall classes begin)

Students typically graduate in either Summer or Fall after the Advanced Sequence, once all university requirements are fulfilled.