Paramedic

Admissions Policy

Admissions inquiries may be directed to a Dorsey College campus convenient to you or by visiting our website at www.dorsey.edu. Applications for admission may be completed by contacting Dorsey College to arrange a convenient appointment with an admissions representative. A career planning session will be scheduled to review Dorsey College career programs and the applicant’s attitude, motivation, and commitment to training. Successful applicants will be provided with a copy of their fully executed enrollment agreement. Current government issued photo identification or passport is required when completing the enrollment agreement. The enrollment process is complete when the applicant commences training.

Admissions Requirements

Requirements for admission to Dorsey College are:

• High school diploma or its equivalent (for example, a General Education Development “GED” High School Equivalency Certificate), as evidenced by an attestation signed by the student,
• A career planning session with a Dorsey College admissions representative, and
• The desire, interest, and motivation to succeed.

Documentation of high school diploma or its equivalent must be submitted to the campus by the program applicant. Students enrolling into Dorsey College with a foreign diploma or transcript must have their diploma evaluated prior to enrollment to provide proof that the diploma or transcript is equivalent to a United States high school diploma.

Program applicants of select programs are required to submit to a criminal background check at enrollment. Continued enrollment in these programs is contingent upon the results of the background check. A history of a criminal background and/or drug abuse may be cause to deny a student entrance into any program. Individual programs also carry additional programmatic admission requirements (such as immunizations, drug screening, minimum age, and AHA/BLS certification).

Successful completion of most programs requires the use of a laptop or other electronic device outside of the campus to access learning management systems that Dorsey College deems enriching to the educational environment. Students enrolled in programs utilizing distance education or hybrid delivery are responsible to ensure reliable internet access is consistently available during designated distance education courses.

The paramedic program length is 14-16 months of contact time, dependent on schedule selection.

The paramedic program totals 1,024 hours with 329 classroom hours, 195 laboratory hours, and 500 clinical hours covering 8 topics:

• Preparatory (101 hours)
• Airway/respiratory (22 hours)
• Patient assessment (46 hours)
• Medical (167 hours)
• Trauma (71 hours)
• Special considerations (60 hours)
• Operations (57 hours)
• Assessment-based patient management (9 hours)

Additionally, students are required to complete 60 clinical hours in a hospital emergency room, 22 hours of specialties, and 168 clinical hours on an ALS transporting ambulance. All 250 hours of field internship must be completed in an ALS pre-hospital unit.

Fees include textbooks, clinical scheduler and tracker, and online testing access. One uniform shirt (polo) is provided to all students enrolled in the program. Total tuition and fees are billed upfront.

Types of Financial Aid

After completing the FAFSA and establishing eligibility, students at Dorsey College receive a financial aid offer that may include one or more types of assistance.

Scholarships — Typically awarded on the basis of academic achievement or other qualifying criteria. Scholarships do not need to be repaid. Examples include the Fostering Futures Scholarship, Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Michigan Competitive Scholarship (MCS), Mi Gear Up Scholarship, Dorsey Great Start Scholarships, and several memorial scholarships.

Grants — Need-based awards that may be funded by the federal government, the State of Michigan, Dorsey College, or private organizations. Grants do not require repayment. Examples include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (CVTG), Michigan Tuition Grant (MTG), Ruth Dorsey Grant, Pat Fischer Culinary Arts Grant, and Dorsey Veterans Grant.

Loans — Low-interest student loans are available and must be repaid when a student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half-time enrollment. Options include the Federal Stafford Loan Program, Direct PLUS Loan (for parents), Dorsey Institutional Loan, and private educational loans.

Federal Work-Study — Provides part-time employment opportunities, enabling students to earn wages that can be applied toward educational expenses.

Other Benefits and Job Training Opportunities — Students may also qualify for state-sponsored programs, veterans’ benefits, or other workforce development and job training initiatives, including the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) Phase I, EMS Career Programs Advance Payment Incentive, Tuition Reimbursement, Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), Michigan Merit Award, Veterans Education Benefits, Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and UAW Tuition Assistance Plan.

The Dorsey College financial aid department provides students with both entrance and exit loan counseling.

Total program tuition is $9,445 (tuition only; any fees billed separately).

Career Services

Career services coordinators assist program completers in establishing and accomplishing personal employment goals, polishing resumes, and providing job search and interview techniques, in support of Dorsey College’s objective to “assist students to secure training-related employment.” The Dorsey College career services coordinators can be reached at each campus or online at www.dorsey.edu.

Dorsey College maintains an impressive graduate employment (“placement”) rate, serving as its hallmark. Dorsey College calculates its placement rate according to the requirements of its institutional accreditor. Thousands of graduates from Dorsey College have launched new, exciting, and rewarding careers with many of Michigan’s leading employers. These graduates fulfill Dorsey College’s objective to educate students who are well prepared to enter the workplace, and assume the tasks and challenges associated with their new careers and satisfy the performance requirements of employers. Licensure must be obtained from the State of Michigan to work as a practical nurse, registered nurse, massage therapist, emergency medical technician, paramedic, cosmetologist, manicurist, esthetician, EMT instructor/coordinator or as a pharmacy technician.

Dorsey College does not guarantee job placement or starting salary. Dorsey College has developed and continues to develop long-term relationships with employers to enhance employment opportunities for completers.

A Message From the President

At Dorsey College we take great pride in providing our students with a positive learning environment that includes smaller classes taught by credentialed instructors with real-world experience. Training at Dorsey College is hands-on and performance based, using simulated work environments to ensure you are equipped with the practical skills needed to meet the demands of your chosen career field. Most of our programs are taught in a hybrid learning model that includes online and on-ground courses to provide flexibility and convenience. Classroom and laboratory training is combined with clinical training or an externship in most programs, where students go on-site to an employer in their field to gain real life industry experience.

Established in downtown Detroit in 1934, Dorsey College continues the heritage of its founder, Ruth Dorsey, as a trusted name for comprehensive, quality career training. Now in operation for over ninety years, Dorsey College has continued to be a mark of educational distinction with tens of thousands of graduates enjoying successful careers throughout the country. Institutional facilities consist of seven campus locations with well-equipped classrooms and laboratories, including medical labs, dental labs, HVAC and electrical labs, culinary kitchens, cosmetology clinics and massage therapy clinics furnished with program-appropriate equipment to simulate the work environment for which the student is training.