Associate Degree in Paramedic Institution: The School of Paramedic Sciences, Camden County College, USA Website: www.camdencc.edu Mode of education: Distance Learning Thank you for your inquiry about our associate's degree completion program. This program was designed to meet the needs of the certified or licensed paramedic in search of a college degree. EMS is a demanding field with schedules and job requirements that often make returning to traditional school difficult if not impossible. By enrolling in our School, you will get these very unique benefits: " This course of study is done completely on-line so your classroom is wherever your PC or laptop is! " We offer a cost effective philosophy of "distance education at community college prices." " Camden County College is an institution fully accredited by The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle Eastern Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. " At the completion of your studies Camden County College will award you up to 33 "life experience" credits based on your current and valid state certification or license. " The thought provoking curriculum will be useful in your every day practice. Our mission at The School of Paramedic Sciences is to provide to you a quality distance learning opportunity at competitive prices. To keep costs at their minimum, we will perform a portfolio assessment of college credits earned at other accredited institutions free of charge. Please keep in mind, however, that Camden County College mandates a "residency" that requires a minimum of 50% of credits to be applied to your degree must be issued by their institution. Please take the time to read the literature enclosed with this letter. I am certain that as you examine the information you will agree that this is a program unlike any other you have encountered. Should you have any questions, please call me or send an email, both of which are provided above. THE SCHOOL OF PARAMEDIC SCIENCES   College Placement Testing Admissions Application Before taking the college placement test, students should complete an application for admission and submit it to the Office of Records and Registration, Wilson Center, Blackwood Campus; the Administrative Area, Second Floor, Camden City Campus; or the Student Services Desk, William G. Rohrer Campus in Cherry Hill. Purpose of the Test Most students must take the college placement test before enrolling in classes. Test results are used to place students at levels where they can do their best work. Anyone planning to earn a college degree; enrolling full-time; enrolling in any English or math course; or enrolling beyond 11 attempted credits must take this test. Performance on this test determines which English and mathematics courses may be taken at this college, so anyone taking this test should take it seriously and do his or her best.   College Procedure Students may enroll in an English or mathematics course only upon completion of this placement test and any remediation indicated by test results. To safeguard academic standards, all full- and part-time degree-seeking students must be tested and immediately begin any required remediation. Students needing remediation also may enroll in certain courses identified by the college as suitable for students who have not demonstrated proficiency in basic skills. To provide casual and undecided students with an opportunity to sample college courses, a part-time non-matriculated student may take courses (except English, math or those with pre-requisites) and go untested until the semester in which the ninth credit is attempted. During that semester, the student must take the placement test and in the following semester begin any required remediation. Otherwise, he or she must take courses for "audit" only. No student may enroll for more than 11 attempted credits without first being tested and starting any required remediation. Exemptions (Effective March 1, 2001) Exemptions from one or more sections of the College Placement Test may apply to: " Students who have taken the same placement test at another college within the last three years and have their scores sent to Camden County College. " Students who have successfully completed a college-credit English Composition and/or mathematics course at an accredited college. " Students entering the English as a Second Language (ESL) program who have taken the ESL placement exam for English proficiency and the College Placement Test for mathematics. " Students enrolled in any of the automotive certificates, the dental assisting certificate, or computer integrated manufacturing certificate program. " Students who score 530 or higher on the SAT Mathematics or 550 or higher on the SAT English. " Students who have met the College's requirement for (AP) Advanced Placement or CLEP in English or mathematics. PLEASE NOTE: If you have met one of the above exemptions, please complete the College Placement Testing Exemptions Form (attached) and return to the address indicated. Special Arrangements for Students with Disabilities " Anyone with a learning or physical disability that would prevent him or her from taking the test under standard conditions may have special accommodations made by calling the PACs Office at (856) 227-7200, ext.4430. " Camden County College will make arrangements for additional testing time for students who are hearing impaired. Call Josephine Durkow at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4506 (voice) or (856) 228-1897 (TTY) to discuss options. Sample Questions Visit the Aims Community College web site: http://www.aims.edu/AssessmentGuides/index.htm   Description of the Test ACCUPLACER Online is administered via the computer and consists of an essay and five multiple-choice sections: Reading, writing, arithmetic, elementary algebra and an optional college-level math section. Only those students who receive a high score on the elementary algebra section will be prompted to take the college-level math section. The multiple-choice tests are adaptive, which means that the computer automatically determines which questions are presented based on responses to prior questions. This technique selects just the right questions to ask without making the test too easy or difficult. Each multiple-choice test is untimed, so each question can be given as much thought as is desired. Once the answer has been selected and confirmed, however, there is no returning to that question. Test Format ACCUPLACER Online presents one question at a time. Each page presents the question and several possible answer choices. The page also may include additional information that is needed to answer the questions, such as a reading passage, a picture or a table of information. Either the mouse or the keyboard may be used to select an answer. Once an answer has been chosen and the "NEXT" button has been clicked, a box will come up on the screen asking for confirmation of the selected answer. This provides the opportunity to cancel, go back and choose a different answer. To confirm, simply click on the "OK" button. To cancel and go back to choose another answer, click on the "CANCEL" button. Guessing Because ACCUPLACER is an adaptive test, the questions are chosen on the basis of answers given to previous questions. Because the test works this way, every question must be answered in order when it is first given. Answers to a particular question may be changed before moving on to the next question, but questions cannot be left out or returned to later for the purposes of changing an answer. Once the next question has been asked, the previous answer cannot be changed. If the answer to a question is completely unknown, try to eliminate one or more of the choices. Then pick from the remaining choices.   At The End At the end of the test, one of two pages will appear: A page indicating that testing has been completed or a page indicating the test just taken and the next test to be taken. The Essay The essay portion of the test provides the opportunity to show how good at writing the test-taker is. Essays on a topic are planned, written/typed and submitted on the computer. Care should be taken to express thoughts on the topic clearly and effectively. The quality of the writing is much more important than the amount written. But to cover the topic adequately, more than one paragraph may need to be written.   Reading Comprehension This test is designed to measure the level of understanding on a piece of reading material. Some questions are the sentence-relationship type, in which the correct answer best describes how two sentences are related. Other reading comprehension questions refer to reading passages of various lengths.   Sentence Skills This test measures understanding of sentence structure. That is, how sentences are put together and what makes a sentence complete and clear. There are two kinds of questions. Sentence-correction questions require the selection of a word or phrase to substitute for an underlined portion of a sentence. Construction-shift questions ask that a sentence be rewritten in a specific way without changing the meaning.   Arithmetic Skills This test measures ability in operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages. Questions include rate, percent, measurement and geometry problems as well as problems requiring the distribution of a quantity into its fractional parts. Elementary Algebra This test includes operations with integers, rational numbers and algebraic expressions. Questions include problems in solving systems of linear equations, solving quadratic equations by factoring, solving verbal problems presented in algebraic context, geometric reasoning, translating written phrases into algebraic expressions and graphing. College-Level Mathematics This test assesses proficiency from intermediate algebra through pre-calculus. Six categories are covered: Algebraic operations; solutions of equations and inequalities; coordinating geometry; applications; functions; and trigonometry.   What Is Distance Education? Distance education allows the student to complete his or her studies in the familiar comforts of home or work. This program is unique in the fact that it is done completely online at your convenience. The classroom is wherever you computer is! What Are My Career Opportunities? More and more often professional EMS services are requiring paramedics who wish to advance up the career ladder to posses an associate's degree. By enrolling into this program, a certified or licensed paramedic will be able to earn an Associate's in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree. What Are The Prerequisites? The only prerequisite needed is proof of your current and valid state paramedic certification or license. Camden County College will automatically award the student 33 credits based on that status. The credits will be placed onto your transcript at the completion of the online course work. What Options Are Available? Two tracks are available. One is designed for those looking towards EMS management, the other is for paramedics wishing to enter EMS education. When Can I Apply? Students can begin coursework in the Spring, Summer or Fall semesters. Can I Transfer Credits From Another College? Some credits can be transferred over , however, just like other accredited institutions, Camden County College has a residency requirement. This means that at least 50% of the credits a student earns towards a degree must be taken at Camden County College. What is the Cost? This course is uniquely priced to offer you high quality distance education at local community college prices!   A.A.S. Degree Completion Prerequisite Transfer of state certification/license ** (credits awarded at course completion) First Semester ENG 101 English Composition I (3/0) 3 credits PSY 101 Basic Psychology (3/0) 3 credits PEM 260 Topics in Paramedic Care (6/0) (required for all students) 6 credits xxx Science elective (3/3) 4 credits Semester Total 16 credits   Second Semester ENG 102 English Composition II (3/0) 3 credits PSY 109 Developmental Psychology (3/0) 3 credits PHL 232 Biomedical Ethics (3/0) 3 credits xxx Math elective (3/0) 3 credits xxx Science elective (3/3) 4 credits PEM 265 EMS Education (3/0) 3 credits - OR - PEM 270 EMS Management (3/0) 3 credits Semester Total 19 credits   Program Totals General Education 26 credits Professional Education 9 credits State certification/license 33 credits Associate's Degree in Applied Science 68 credits   ** Students who originally graduated from The School of Paramedic Sciences will have earned 42 credits for completion of the certificate course. Their A.A.S. degree total will equal 71 credits. For more information, please contact: Regina Twisdale, BS, EMT-P Director, School of Paramedic Sciences Phone: 856/374-5078 email: paramedic@camdencc.edu The School of Paramedic Sciences is the culmination of over 20 years of experience in the training and education of paramedics. In 1976 Virtua Health (then West Jersey Health System) was designated by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as an official paramedic training institution. Camden County College immediately became the campus where didactic instruction was conducted and for the next two decades hundreds of New Jersey's paramedics were taught here. In 1997 Virtua Health and Camden County College signed a formal agreement that officially brought The School of Paramedic Sciences into being. Boasting over 30 faculty members that include emergency medicine and specialty physicians, paramedics, RN's, EMT's, behavioral health experts and college faculty, the School offers a wide variety of expertise in it's instructional staff. Students enrolled in the paramedic courses at The School can expect topnotch classroom instruction followed by a wide variety of in-hospital clinical exposures. Field internships and residencies will be conducted in both urban and suburban locales as Virtua Health operates 14 MICU vehicles in southern New Jersey. Graduates from The School of Paramedic Sciences have a "first time pass rate" of the certifying examination by The National Registry of EMT's that exceeds the national average by nearly two to one!   * * * * * You may click on the titles of the programmes for further information.   Interested members are requested to contact the college DIRECTLY for information and further details.