Clinical Requirements

Students who are entering the EMS Program with the aspiration of becoming a paramedic should understand that their training is not completely in the classroom.  Clinical is a course that places students at various agencies to allow paramedic interns to gain exposure to real life situations.  Each student will complete the EMS Program with at least 600 hours of clinical time logged.  Many students earn 1,000 or more clinical hours.  We encourage students to actively pursue as much clinical time as possible.

Some examples of the places you will be in clinical at are:

• Buncombe County EMS
• Henderson County EMS
• Mission Hospitals Emergency Departments
• Medical Director Rotations in Emergency Departments
• Mission Hospitals Neuro-Trauma Intensive Care Unit
• Mission Hospitals Cardiac Cath Lab
• Mission Hospitals Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
• Reuter Children's Outpatient Center
• Mission Hospitals Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
• Mission Hospitals Labor and Delivery
• Mission Hospitals Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
• Mission Hospitals Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Asheville VA Medical Center Operating Rooms
• Grady EMS, Atlanta GA
• NC Mountain State Fair
• Medical Emergency Transport Services
• Mission Hospitals Regional Transport Services
• Asheville Bele Chere Festival

The times for clinical activities vary from early morning rotations to late evening rotations.  Most of our clinical rotations will be on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday.  However, other days of the week are scheduled as the need arises.  Clinical shifts are scheduled for at least nine hours.  Tuesday and Thursday clinical shifts usually run from 1:00 pm to 10:20 pm.  Friday clinical shifts usually run from 8:00 am to 5:20 pm. 

Clinical begins in the second semester of the EMS Program.  This semester is focused on orientation and EMT-Intermediate skills.  96 hours of clinical must be obtained in that semester.

The students become Paramedic Interns in their third semester here at AB-Tech.  Clinical begins to focus on advanced level care.  A total of 500 hours is required by North Carolina during the final three semesters.  This equates to 167 hours minimum during each of the final three semesters.

Grady EMS in Atlanta, Georgia is an example of an overnight trip that actually lasts for five consecutive days.  This occurs during the second fall semester of your EMS Program.  Please be prepared for this trip.