Emergency Medical Technician and paramedic candidates have the choice of taking either the State of Illinois examination or the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination in order to be deemed licensed and eligible to practice within the state.
Paramedic Training in Illinois
Below, please click on a school to get admissions information on their healthcare programs:
· Advocate Bromenn Medical Center, OSF St Joseph Medical Center, and McLean County Area EMS System Paramedic Training Program Consortium – Normal, IL
705 N. East Street
Bloomington, IL – 61701
· Advocate Christ Medical Center – Oak Lawn, IL
4440 W. 95th
Oak Lawn, IL – 60453
Advocate Condell Medical Center – Libertyville, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
801 South Milwaukee Avenue
Libertyville, IL 60048
· Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital – Downers Grove, IL
3815 Highland Ave.
Downers Grove, IL – 60515
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital – Park Ridge, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
1775 Dempster Street
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Advocate Sherman Hospital – Elgin, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
1425 N Randall Rd
Elgin, IL 60123
Black Hawk College – Moline, IL
6600 34th Avenue
Moline, IL – 61265
Blessing Hospital – Quincy, IL
Broadway at 14th Street
PO Box 7005
Quincy, IL – 62305
Cadence Health at Central DuPage Hospital – Winfield, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
25 North Winfield Road
Winfield, IL 60190
· Edward Hospital – Naperville, IL
801 S. Washington Street
Naperville, IL – 60540
Illinois Central College – East Peoria, IL
1 College Drive
East Peoria, IL – 61635
Illinois Valley Community College – Ogelsby, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
815 N Orlando Smith Road
Ogelsby, IL 61301
Ingalls Memorial Hospital – Harvey, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
One Ingalls Drive
Harvey, IL 60426
Kaskaskia College – Centralia, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
27210 College Rd
Centralia, IL 62801
Kishwaukee College – DeKalb, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
2727 Sycamore Rd
Suite 1A
DeKalb, IL 60115
Lewis & Clark Community College – Godfrey, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
5800 Godfrey Rd
Haskell Hall Room 128
Godfrey, IL 62035
· Loyola University Medical Center – Maywood, IL
2160 South First Avenue
Building. 110LL, Room 0223
Maywood, IL – 60153
Malcolm X College – Chicago, IL
1900 West Van Buren Street
Room 2617
Chicago, IL – 60612
· Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers – Morris, IL
150 W. High St
Morris, IL – 60450
Northshore University Health System Highland Park Hospital – Highland Park, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
777 Park Avenue
Highland Park, IL 60035
· OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center – Rockford, IL
5510 East State Street
Rockford, IL – 61108
Parkland College – Champaign, IL
1309 North Mattis Ave
Champaign, IL – 61821
· Presence Saint Francis Hospital – Evanston, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
355 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
Presence Saint Joseph Hospital – Elgin, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
77 North Airlite
Elgin, IL 60123
Presence St. Mary’s Hospital – Kankakee, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
500 West Court St
Kankakee, IL 60901
Rend Lake College – Mount Vernon, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
327 Potomac Blvd
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
Riverside Medical Center -Kankakee, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
400 S. Kennedy Drive
Kankakee, IL 60901
Silver Cross Hospital – Lenox, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
1900 Silver Cross Blvd
Lenox, IL 60451
Southwestern Illinois College – Belleville, IL
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
2500 Carlyle Rd., BCMC 2441
Belleville, IL – 62221
Southwestern Illinois College – Belleville, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
ANDERSON HOSPITAL
2500 Carlyle Ave
BCMC 2441
Belleville, IL 62221
· Swedish American Hospital – Rockford, IL
1401 East State Street
Rockford, IL – 61104
· Vista Health System – Waukegan, IL
1324 North Sheridan Road
Waukegan, IL – 60085
Waubonsee Community College – Geneva, IL
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
Northwestern Medicine – Delnor Hospital
300 Randall Road
Geneva, IL 60134
Paramedic School Requirements in Illinois
· Prospective students looking to apply to a paramedic program must meet certain requirements. In Illinois, like most states, you need to be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED.
· You will also need to hold a valid EMT certification/licensure. Most states recognize national certification, and will grant you a state license (likely with more paperwork to fill out) without any further testing. This is not true for every state (some states have their own EMT or paramedic tests for licensure), so make sure you ask the school or paramedic training program you’re interested in about this important detail.
For more on becoming nationally certified with the NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians), which is a non-governmental agency that registers and maintains a database of certified EMTs, visit NREMT.org.
· You will need to have CPR certification. Depending on the program, an ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification is required, as well.
· Some programs may also require prospective students to pass a Paramedic Entrance Exam. You may also need to complete the COMPASS placement test, as well. This is a computer adaptive test, and it helps educators better evaluate students’ skill levels in Reading, Writing Skills, Writing Essay, Math, and English as a Second Language.
Sample questions from the COMPASS placement test can be found here.
· Any paramedic program you apply to will also require proof of immunizations (TB skin test, Hepatitis B vaccination, MMR vaccination and Chicken Pox titer or vaccination). This is required because you’ll be getting hospital experience as part of the course.
· You’ll likely need to go through a criminal background check and drug screening, too. Written references may or may not be required, so check with the college or paramedic program you’re interested in to learn what is explicitly required
PARAMEDIC TRAINING PROGRAM DETAILS
Paramedic training courses can typically be found at community colleges. An EMT-P course often provides students with a mixture of classroom and in-hospital clinical experience, as well as some field experience.
You will want to make sure that whichever paramedic training program in Illinois you select is an accredited program.
Where can I find an accredited paramedic training program in Illinois?
In general, make sure you visit the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) to find an accredited paramedic training program. This is important, because as of January 1, 2013, all students will need to complete paramedic education at an accredited school in order to take the paramedic NREMT exam.
Do I need EMT experience to apply to a paramedic training program?
Typically, experience is not required because proper experience can takes years to acquire. Still, experience is often encouraged by many program directors.
How long will it take me to become a paramedic?
This really depends on the college and training program you select. Typically, a paramedic program can take anywhere from 6 months to two years to complete.
At Southwestern Illinois College, for example, they have two tiers of paramedic programs. The Paramedic Certificate course is a 14-month program that can be completed in three semesters.
The Paramedicine Degree course is a two-year program that’s completed in about four semesters and one summer.
How much will a paramedic training program cost?
You can expect to pay anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000 for a quality and thorough paramedic training course. Some programs can most certainly exceed that cost, however.
TAKING THE PARAMEDIC NREMT EXAM
After you successfully complete the required paramedic training course, you will want to pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam. This is both a computer adaptive test (cognitive examination) as well as a skills test (psychomotor examination).
Cognitive Examination
The cognitive examination will cover the entire spectrum of EMS care. This includes Airway, Ventilation, Oxygenation, Trauma, Cardiology, Medical, and EMS Operations. The maximum amount of time you will be given to pass this portion of the exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Psychomotor Examinatior
The psychomotor examination consists of 12 separate skills laid out in a scenario-type format to approximate the abilities of the EMT-Paramedic to function in the out-of-hospital setting. Those taking the test are actually allowed to bring their own equipment to the exam provided it is approved for testing by the National Registry Representative in attendance at the examination.
The psychomotor exam portion of the paramedic NREMT exam will test your knowledge and competency in each of the following skills: Patient Assessment-Trauma, Ventilatory Management, Cardiac Management Skills, IV and Medication Skills, Oral Station, Pediatric Skills, and Random Basic Skills.
PRACTICING AS A PARAMEDIC
Paramedic candidates have the choice of taking either the State of Illinois examination or the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination in order to be deemed licensed and eligible to practice within the state.
For those taking the state exam, you are able to download a free 13-page study guide PDF, which is available at the Illinois Department of Public Health: EMS and Highway Safety website.
How much money does a paramedic make annually?
An average paramedic salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2011, is about $34,030 per year. Though in some areas of the country, like the District of Columbia, Maryland, and even Hawaii, a paramedic salary can range from anywhere from $44,000 to $49,000.
Learn more about online paramedic training, as well as local programs in your area, by revisiting our helpful homepage.
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