This number varies from year to year, based on the needs of the agencies we serve. Typical class sizes are 16 to 18 with a maximum of 24 students. This means lots of experience and individual attention for each student.
The answer to this varies by department, but once a student has graduated from our program, they return home newly-minted Paramedics. Many departments require a period of agency- or county-specific training or re-entry procedures before the new Paramedic can fully begin their new job. You should expect a period of additional study of drugs, protocols and policies that are specific to your home agency, and which may be different than what you learned in Seattle. Many students will be assigned a more senior partner to work with initially, and may have a probationary period while the department continues to observe and develop the new Paramedic.
As a graduate of this program, many paramedics return to the Paramedic Training classroom as guest instructors, mentors and evaluators. It's a great way to further develop your skills, and to keep in touch with the program that helped form your practice.
Evaluations come in many forms during training. You can expect regular written tests (fill in the blank, multiple choice, essay, calculation, etc) along with a variety of practical assessments. Practical assessment may be informal, such as discussion after a call with your senior paramedics, or it may be the more formalized written Paramedic and Physician Evaluations that occur towards the end of the program. We'll use video recall, peer feedback, and checklists during classroom labs to help evaluate areas of strength and weakness. You'll be expected to be self-critical in discussions of your performance in regular meetings with the Program Director and Paramedic training staff. Near the end of the program, students will complete the National Registry Paramedic Test, a multiphase scenario, practical and oral board process.
While not mandatory during training, many students find living in or near Seattle to be very important to their success during training. Hours are long, and the schedule sometimes chaotic, and every bit of time commuting is time that might be better spent studying or sleeping! A number of departments do offer assistance with or provide accommodation near Harborview for their students. Check with your agency for details. Even if yours doesn't, consider exploring options with fellow students. While time away from your home and family is an understandably challenging part of Paramedic Training, the benefits of not having to worry about the notoriously bad Seattle traffic and have the opportunity to sneak "home" for a few hours between classes are well worth it for many students.
Yes. Some benefits may help service members and eligible veterans cover costs associated with this education and training program. The GI Bill has several programs and each is administrated differently -- depending on a person's eligibility and duty status.
Please see https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/ for more details.
Washington State Paramedic, National Registry EMT Paramedic
Classes are taught by a variety of subject matter experts. Regular lecturers include the Program Director, Seattle Fire Department's Medical Director, and Paramedic Training staff (all former Harborview-trained paramedics). Guest lectures include currently practicing paramedics from various departments in the region, physicians, nurses, and other experts in their specialty fields. You'll learn from neurologists, pediatricians, cardiologists, internal medicine and critical care physicians, trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, OB/GYNs, and anesthesiologists, as you study each of their areas of expertise. You'll be taught ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and other standardized courses by certified trainers. You'll have individual education in clinical rotations with anesthesia professionals in the OR, nurses and physicians in the various ICUs, nurses and physicians at Seattle Children's Hospital ED & OR, social workers at DESC (Downtown Emergency Services Center) and more. On the rigs, you'll be partnered with an experienced pair of Seattle Fire Department paramedics to work alongside as you care for patients.
Busy! This is an immersive experience, so prepare to jump in to a full and complex schedule as a student. Our educational model incorporates both didactic classroom experience and field internship in parallel rather than in serially. This means weeks can be as long as 60 hours in the week, typically less. Students will be assigned to one of four groups for Medic Unit/field rotations; two day shifts (0730-1730) and two night shifts (1730-0730) per eight day rotation. For example, a student might work A shift days and C shift nights. Early on, when classroom sessions are plentiful, you may be released from the rig early to get a good night's sleep at home before a full day of classroom learning, but eventually, you'll transition to riding on the rigs all night-- and filling the down hours with caring for patients in the Harborview ED. Being able to think clearly and practice medicine efficiently at all hours of the day and night is one of the trademarks of an exceptional Paramedic.