Wilsonville, OR – Twenty-nine highly trained paramedic students graduated from the ˿Ƶ (˿Ƶ Tech) Emergency Medical Technology - Paramedic joint program with OHSU on Saturday, Sept. 10, prepared to improve the quality of patient care within ˿Ƶ, the United States and the world.
After more than two years of intense classroom work, including five months of clinical hospital rotations and three months of field externship rotations on a 911 ambulance, the ˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU Class of 2016 received their diplomas before family and guests at the OHSU Auditorium.
The , located on ˿Ƶ Tech’s Wilsonville campus, graduates the highest level of pre-hospital medical providers from the only program in the state affiliated with a nationally ranked medical school. These graduates serve two critical needs identified in the state: increasing health care providers at all levels, especially in rural areas; and career-focused emergency care training programs. ˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU paramedic education focuses on managing in-field emergencies, critical thinking, clinical assessment, procedural expertise, and crew resource management skills while working as part of an interdisciplinary patient care team.
Of the paramedic students who earned a coveted spot in the selective program and successfully graduated, many have plans to practice in their rural and urban communities, while others have chosen to continue with advanced training in the ˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Services Management program.
Esmail Raslan, one of the graduates, came from Egypt to ˿Ƶ when he was 19 and enrolled in the program when he was 25.
“˿Ƶ Tech’s paramedic program was very rigorous and at first it was a bit daunting. But doing something you love means you can do very well at it. The program made me a better person and a better medic, and I felt very proud, and relieved, to graduate,” said Raslan.
Raslan twice returned to Egypt between 2013 and 2015 to volunteer during and after the country’s political uprising to help treat trauma cases and train other medical staff on emergency treatment and procedures. This week, Raslan is excited to start ˿Ƶ Tech’s bachelor’s degree program in Emergency Medical Services Management, Critical Care track. After he graduates, Esmail has plans to start an entrepreneurial effort, delivering emergency training to developing countries and areas where trauma treatment is sub-standard.
˿Ƶ Tech’s-OHSU’s program different from others in the state
Not only does the ˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU paramedic education program have the backing of a four-year university through ˿Ƶ Tech, but the partnership with OHSU provides resources from a nationally prominent medical school. The Paramedic Education Program is the only university-level paramedic program in the state of ˿Ƶ, which helps to attract high-caliber faculty and some of the best-prepared students in the region, making for an enriching, full education experience. The program includes active involvement in lecture, simulation training and lab skills development from more than 20 medical providers, including Todd Ellingson, M.D., medical director of the ˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU paramedic education program, and emergency medicine physician at OHSU and Doernbecher Children’s hospitals, and Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria.
The program’s full-time EMS faculty share a wide diversity of expertise, including running 911 calls, critical care paramedicine, community paramedicine, neuroscience, social disparities of health, and crew resource management that helps students not only become excellent individual medical providers but also develop an understanding of how their practice fits into a larger system of care.
Students within the program also gain hands-on experience working with some of the program’s nearly 40 industry partners, such as Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVFR), one of the most progressive EMS agencies in the country.
“TVFR has benefited greatly from our relationship with ˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU’s EMS department,” said Brent VanKeulen, Division Chief for TVFR. “As a premier college within our service area, we have partnered during simulations, served as an externship site and benefited from their bachelor’s in EMS administration capstone projects. This partnership helps us provide a higher level of service to our tax payers. Lastly, we hire many of the graduated students and find them to be of the highest skill level of any entry-level employee in the industry.”
Smaller EMS organizations supporting many parts of rural ˿Ƶ like Forest Grove Fire and Rescue (FGFR) also are pleased with the program’s graduates.
“˿Ƶ Tech-OHSU students come with more practical knowledge of systems of care,” said Will Murphy, EMS Officer at FGFR. “What I mean by this is they seem to understand they are one piece in the health care system and integration with the hospital, nursing homes, and care providers is essential to the best treatment of care for our patients. This program is where I would go if I had to go to medic school again.”
Upon completing the degree program, graduates earn eligibility for both state and national licensing exams, and find employment with leading agencies across the nation.
˿Ƶ ˿Ƶ Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, ˿Ƶ is the premier public polytechnic university the Pacific Northwest. ˿Ƶ Tech provides degree programs in engineering, technology health technologies, management, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public, and international communities through hands-on, applied learning. ˿Ƶ Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls and an urban, industry-focused campus in Wilsonville. Visit to learn more about ˿Ƶ.
˿Ƶ OHSU
is the state's only academic health center. As one of ˿Ƶ's largest employers with more than 15,000 employees, OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support not found anywhere else in the state. OHSU serves patients from every corner of ˿Ƶ and is a conduit for learning for more than 4,200 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to each county in the state.
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