Our Primary Care Paramedic program is where your faith meets your career. Begin your year with us by engaging in scripture to build the foundation for your medical education. Then complete your First Medical Responder course and Primary Care Paramedic course with Professional Medical Associates.

Our on-campus program allows you the benefit of community life including chapel, small group, athletics and other co-curricular activities.

Why Primary Care Paramedic?

Bible as the Foundation

As you prepare for intercultural ministry we believe that it is important to know the living word of God.

Small Class Sizes

Prairie College only admits sixteen Primary Care Paramedic students each year. Your teachers and peers will support you individually as you prepare for this challenging and rewarding career.

One Year

This one year program gives you a Biblical foundation and gets you into your medical career quickly. It also is the foundation for your Advance Career Paramedic if you would like to pursue further education.

Do you have questions? Let's chat...

Program Partner

We are pleased to offer our program in partnership with Professional Medical Associates. Professional Medical Associates has been providing education for EMS Professionals for over 25 years with unprecedented rates of success at all levels including accreditation for our PCP (Primary Care Paramedic) and ACP (Advanced Care Paramedic) programs through Accreditation Canada.

Primary Care Paramedic

All courses are three credits unless shown otherwise.

Bible & Theology (12 credits)

NT 112 Reading the Gospels and Acts

In this course, students are introduced to the story of Jesus Christ and his earliest disciples as told by the four Gospels and the book of Acts. Students will grow in their understanding of who Jesus is as well as in their ability to interpret the bible by attending to its literary, historical, and theological character.

OT 112 Reading the Torah

A study of the first five books of the Bible, focusing on the historical, literary and theological features of these books as well as establishing a strong grounding in Torah principles as preparation for interpreting the rest of Scripture.

ST 105 The Christian Quest

The Christian life is the experience of God drawing us into a relationship that is nothing less than the believer’s participation in the life of God through union with Christ. This is the Good News (i.e. Gospel) that takes root through sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone). The transformative participation in Christ and His purposes gives this present life value, direction and hope. The believer is called to the quest of faithful discipleship in this participation and engagement with Christ.

The course is an exploration of and involvement in that quest. You will be challenged toward intentional participation in the life of God through your faithful discipleship response to His person and work. The content will explore a Christian spiritual theology and practice of participation with Christ. The theological approach to this participation is as a transformational relationship with the triune God in which you have both responsibilities and privileges. The course is designed to stretch beyond a cognitive/intellectual exercise and therefore you will be encouraged to actively engage in whole-hearted participation with God, both inside and outside of the classroom. The desired result is that you will know God more deeply, relate to Him as one intimately known by Him, and desire to make Him known to others.

TH 100 Introduction to Christian Theology

This course introduces students to the biblical, doctrinal, philosophical and historical “big picture” outlines of the Christian faith. The course aims to equip students with the skills to develop a Christian mind by assisting them in constructing a theological foundation for thinking and dealing with life’s most important issues. This course will also enable students to begin to think theologically and to construct a Christian worldview for the edification of the community of faith and to the glory of the almighty God whom we serve.

Arts & Sciences (3 credits)

HF 110 Written Composition

This course provides students with a solid grounding in the processes that writers use to communicate clearly in a behavioral and health science context with a focus on the mechanics of writing college level essays and papers. Students will be introduced to strategies for developing an essay, enhancing writing skills, appropriate research procedures including using a library effectively, essay formatting and documentation.

Primary Care Paramedic (15 credits)

First Medical Responder Course

Primary Care Paramedic Course

Practicum

Note: We cannot guarantee that practicum sites will be available in the Three Hills vicinity. Practicum length varies dependent on the call volume and student aptitude. Practicum completion is based on competency, not merely fulfilling a prescribed amount of hours.

  1. Practice safe, respectful, holistic and competent nursing care using evidence based creative problem solving, critical thinking skills and clinical judgement when planning appropriate client care. 
  2. Demonstrate competence within current legislation for Licensed Practical Nurses based on the current Competency Profile, Standards of Practice, Policies and Practice Guidelines and the Code of Ethics. 
  3. Provide safe, culturally sensitive, patient centered care to diverse populations across the lifespan. 
  4. Engage in continuous learning and reflection to meet and maintain one’s own personal and professional accountability to safe practice. 
  5. Provide leadership and supervision when working with unregulated health care providers as appropriate. 
  6. Practice interprofessional collaboration and teamwork to meet the collective needs of client care. 
  7. Employ therapeutic communication techniques to develp therapeutic relationships that support client care. 
  8. Practice safe and ethical technology use when providing client care.

After our one-year program, students will have completed 15 credits of Bible classes, the First Medical Responder (FMR) course and the Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) course.

Graduates are eligible to complete the Provincial registry examination process and apply for registration with the Alberta College of Paramedics. After receiving their license, students can work as a Primary Care Paramedic. 

Our graduates can continue their training and become an Advanced Care Paramedic.

Admissions Requirements

Academic Admissions Requirement:

  • A minimum average of 60% in five grade 12 courses.
  • A minimum of 60% in English 30-1 or 30-2.

For Homeschool students and applicants outside of Alberta please visit our Steps to Apply page.

Christian Life & Testimony:
Prairie College requires that students demonstrate a Christian life and testimony in order to effectively participate in our Christ-centered community. Applicants show evidence of meeting this requirement in the following application items:

  • Personal Testimony
  • Spiritual Reference
  • Declaration for Admission

English Language Proficiency:
Applicants whose first language is not English must show proof of English Proficiency. See International Admissions Procedures for more information.

Students must meet the following post-acceptance requirements prior to enrolling:

  • Age: Must be at least 18 years old by January of the academic year you are enrolled in. 
  • Criminal Record Check (CRC) with a clear Vulnerable Sector Search: You must submit the completed form directly to the Professional Medical Associates instructor in a sealed envelope within 90 days before the start date of the PCP course in February. If the CRC that you submit has a positive result you may not be permitted to enroll in the PCP course. The CRC should be completed through your local RCMP or city police office. Students are responsible for informing faculty of any changes to their CRC’s.
  • Immunization records will be collected at the start of your second semester in January.
  • Valid driver’s license.
  • Health: To complete this program successfully you must be free of any medical condition that would interfere with your performance as a PCP such as infectious disease, a physical condition that would prevent you from lifting and carrying a stretcher with an adult patient, uncontrolled epilepsy or other convulsive disorder.
  • Fitness testing and exercise: Student’s fitness level and aptitude testing will be assessed by PMA Instructors. Students will be provided with feedback regarding exercise to work on during the fall semester in order to be prepared for entrance in to the FMR course in January.
  • Alberta Student Number: As an accepted student you are required to have an Alberta Student Number (ASN). If you have not completed any education in Alberta and do not have an ASN, please visit www.learnerregistry.ae.alberta.ca to apply for a number. Please email your number to your Admissions Counselor.
  • Competitive Internal Process: once you have been accepted to begin study in Prairie’s Primary Care Paramedic program, you will need to successfully complete each stage of the program to advance to the next stage of the program. The stages in respective order are:
 
  1. Completion of the fall semester courses with a minimum final GPA of 2.0. Students who successfully complete these courses are eligible to advance to the First Medical Responder (FMR) portion of the program.
  2. Students who successfully complete the FMR course in the winter semester are eligible for the PCP student assessment process. Students are specifically selected for entry into the PCP course through a competitive interview process conducted by program instructors that takes academic ability, competence, and aptitude for emergency medical work into account, as demonstrated during the FMR course.
  3. Once selected for the PCP course, students must successfully complete the course to be eligible to advance to the program practicum.
  4. Successful completion of the practicum will make the student eligible to write the Alberta College of Paramedics licensing exam.
 

Note: We will only accept applications for admission from Canadians or Permanent Residents for the Primary Care Paramedic program. The reason for this is transferability of licenses, and the probable unavailability of post-grad visas for this 1-year program. If you are interested in this program and are from a country other than Canada please feel free to contact admissions at admissions@prairie.edu for more information. 

For our Tuition & Fee rates as well as Room and Board please see Fees & Financial.

Please note that students can not get federal or provincial student loans for the Primary Care Paramedic program. To discuss options for how to finance your education, please contact Doug Johnson at doug.johnson@prairie.edu. 

Canada & United States Application

Winter 2025 (January start), Fall 2025 (September start) and Online Education (start anytime) applications are open. 

International Student Application

Prairie welcomes applications from individuals all around the world! To begin the International Student Application please click the link below. 

Master's Application

If you are applying for the Master of Christian Ministry Leadership or the Master of Global Christian Educational Leadership please click the link below. 

Information Request

Tell us a bit about yourself and an admissions representative will be in touch shortly!

Here are key opportunities you can partner with Prairie

We have launched our Campaign for Greater Impact to provide students with the very best learning opportunities and campus facilities for the decades ahead. 

In Phase One of this Campaign, we plan to invest in much-needed campus renewal, including: upgraded Infrastructure, a new Student Residence, Cafeteria, Worship Auditorium, and expanded Aviation Training Centre. A modern campus requires an investment that is bold, and even expensive, but each Campaign Project is strategic, and designed to enhance Prairie’s campus and student life experience.

Expansion of Prairie Aviation Training Centre

This expansion of PATC’s facility is a key project of Prairie’s Campaign for Greater Impact. It will increase the College’s capacity to train a new generation of Christian aviators to serve God in missions, and also address the growing need for trained pilots in the commercial aviation sector.

Scholarships & Education Fund

Invest in the next generation of missional professionals. Each year Prairie College distributes over $500,000 in scholarships and bursaries to students. We are grateful for each gift that reduces the burden of students’ tuition and allows students to fulfill their God-given professions.

Prison Bible Encounter Program

Encourage inmates in five institutions across Alberta to discover or reconnect with Jesus Christ. This fund assists the students studying the Certificate in Bible program with scholarships, resources for classes, and instruction. 

General Ministries

Prairie College is educating students to pursue a Biblical foundation for life and career.  Your contribution to this fund assists in minimizing the College’s general operating expenses.  

To allocate your gift, please select one of the donation buttons below.

New Masters of Christian Ministry Leadership launches in January!