Holland College's Advanced Care Paramedic and Primary Care Paramedic programs recently received six-year accreditations, the maximum number of years for which a program can be accredited, from the Canadian Medical Association. The college's Advanced Care Paramedic - Distributed Learning program, which allows primary care paramedics to continue to work in the field while they take the advanced training, has received the maximum two-year accreditation allowable for new programs.

Accreditation ensures students and prospective employers that the training received in these programs meets or exceeds national standards, enabling students to apply for positions across the country with confidence, and can apply for national certifications.

To become accredited, programs must comply with the CMA's Requirements for Accreditation. Each program submits an assessment report, which is the program's self-assessment of its compliance. A survey team comprised of three to five professionals, including a physician, practitioners and educators reviews the documentation to determine if it is sufficient evidence to warrant a site visit from the team to review additional documentation and to interview key participants.

It's an arduous but vital process, according to Rosemary White, Program Manager for Health and Community Studies at Holland College.

"The Paramedicine faculty and staff put in many hours of work to ensure that the program curriculum is comprehensive, up to date and responsive to evolving industry needs. The result is that Holland College Paramedicine graduates are second to none, and are aggressively recruited by emergency services agencies," she said.

All of Holland College's Health and Community Studies programs are accredited by the appropriate national bodies, ensuring that graduates are prepared to write national examinations.