Fourteen Quincy College students have officially completed the classroom portion of their training leading them one step closer to a Paramedic Education certificate, thanks to the collaboration between Quincy College and the Comprehensive Medical Training Institute (CMTI) in Weymouth.
The EMT course started in January 2020 before COVID 19 became part of everyday life in the United States. Within three months, as the pandemic surged, learning shifted quickly to Zoom before returning to campus in the summer. The paramedic program was one of a small number that met on campus during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 has certainly changed how we deliver our courses at Quincy College and other institutions,” said Dr. Servet Yatin, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Quincy College. “But some courses and programs—such as EMT and paramedic training—need that hands-on experience. We are proud that Quincy College, as soon as the pandemic hit, was able to put protocols in place for students in the program to learn safely.”
Students enrolled in the program come from all over southeastern Massachusetts, and most are working part or full time in emergency services or in the medical field.
For some students, paramedic training was a lifelong dream. “I am a veteran who served two tours in Iraq as a combat medic and I have been a firefighter in Weymouth for the past 14 years.
Becoming a paramedic has always been in the back of my mind,” said Matthew Menz, paramedic student from Weymouth. “When I found out that CMTI was accredited through Quincy College, I realized that it was the perfect fit to utilize my GI bill benefits. This has been a very rewarding experience. The only regret I have is that I did not do this sooner.”
The EMT and Paramedic Certificate programs reflect Quincy College’s strong focus on programs that meet the needs of the community. “So many local residents are unemployed as a result of the pandemic,” said Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, President of Quincy College. “We are proud of these programs because they fill a dual need: providing local residents with job training, and our community with first responders to be there when we need it the most.”
Class president Dan Harris from Quincy reflected positively on his experience: “The job of college instructors is to challenge, and Quincy College and CMTI delivered.” He also noted that learning during the pandemic was especially difficult because most of the students also worked as first responders during the pandemic. But learning online never prevented students from forging close bonds. “In the end, the biggest motivator to complete the program was each other,” Harris said.
The Paramedic Education Certificate program at Quincy College takes approximately 18 months to complete, including 12 months of classroom instruction and 336 hours in a clinical internship program with an assigned hospital preceptor. This partnership between the two organizations was formed in July of 2019.
Gary Smith, CMTI Director of Operations, reflected on the success of this collaboration that has resulted in 62 students receiving an EMT certificate, and now, the completion of essential classroom and laboratory training by 14 Paramedic Education certificate students. “We are grateful that Quincy College has collaborated with us to make these programs accessible to our students” said Gary Smith, CMTI Director of Operations. “We are also grateful that during these unprecedented times Quincy College has made incredible efforts to assist us with keeping these programs moving forward and establishing practices to keep the students and staff safe.”
To apply for this program, students should go to quincycollege.edu/apply-now/