EMS education

Minimum Requirements

• At least 1 year of full-time experience as an EMT. Multiple years of part-time or volunteer experience may be considered in-leu of full-time experience.
  • Full-time, Part-time, or PRN EMT with UCHealth EMS or other UCHealth service line with preferably at least six-months of equivalent full-time service at the time of application.Hold a National Registry and State of Colorado Certification in good standing with no action taken or pending against provider certification. Possess a valid Colorado IV Certificate. Minimum educational experience of a High School Diploma or GED 
  • Attends one of the scheduled Information Sessions

UCHealth recognizes and appreciates the rich array of talents and perspectives that equal employment and diversity can offer our institution. UCHealth is committed to making all admissions decisions based on valid requirements. No applicant shall be discriminated against in any terms, conditions or privileges of employment or otherwise be discriminated against because of the individual’s race, color, national origin, language, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender, veteran status, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state, or local law. UCHealth does not discriminate against any qualified applicant with a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable accommodations, when they do not impose an undue hardship on the organization. 

• Interested candidates must complete the following steps:
• Attend one virtual informational session
  • Multiple sessions offered approximately 4 weeks prior to the application deadline
  • Contact Josh Carvalho – [email protected] for a list of upcoming info sessions
• Solicit a recommendation from a current supervisor or manager
  • https://forms.office.com/r/s1EstQANQH
• Submit an application
  • https://forms.office.com/r/wJVFaf6CWh
  • January cohorts – due Oct / November
  • July cohorts – due April / May
• Applications will be reviewed with top candidates offered seats in the next cohort. Remaining students will be placed on a wait-list.
  • Late applications will be similarly evaluated and placed on a wait list or offered program seats as available.
  • Late applicants that are also full-time UCH EMS employees are required to maintain a shift-line conducive to class sessions and clinical shifts.

Students will earn a total of 46 credits throughout the paramedic program with a total of 1586 contact hours.

Poudre Valley Hospital Costs

The UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital Paramedic program is offered at minimal cost to the students. Poudre Valley Hospital EMS is responsible for the following:

• Tuition
• Clinical site fees
• Textbooks
• LMS fees
• Uniforms
• Ancillary curricular tools
• Certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, Difficult Airway)

The paramedic program includes several direct and indirect costs to the student. Direct costs include transportation costs to clinical sites and a personal computer capable of accessing course materials. Most clinical sites are within a 30-minute drive of Windsor Headquarters and course materials are accessible on a wide variety of operating systems and laptops.

Indirect costs are often associated with reduced availability for overtime shifts while enrolled in the paramedic program. Students should plan one day of class and 2-3 clinicals per week during the didactic portion of the course. This may reduce time and mental bandwidth for overtime shifts.

We acknowledge that overtime is often a fixture in EMS. Students that are concurrently UCH EMS employees remain eligible for overtime shifts per UCH and Poudre Valley Hospital EMS policies and mandatory rest periods.

Cohorts are divided into January and July start dates with didactic / clinical and field internships following the calendar below. Please not that some factors may influence the timelines for the didactic/clinical phase and/or field internship and the program reserves the right to adjust as needed to meet program requirements.

In-person classes meet every Wednesday from 0800 – 1700. The classes will not be held for major holidays (New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day). Students should still expect homework assignments during these weeks.

All clinical sites are located within 30min of UCH EMS Windsor Headquarters.

Students should expect 2-3 clinicals per week during the didactic phase. Clinicals are scheduled in collaboration with the host facilities, teams, and units and may fall on major holidays.

Students will complete a minimum of 500 field internship hours with an assigned preceptor at UCHealth EMS. The internship must be completed within 4 months of the start of the internship.