Mount Wachusett Community College Assists Eligible Service Members and Veterans to Earn Paramedic Certification

Mount Wachusett Community College, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, is launching a bridge program for eligible service members and veterans to earn and maintain their National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification.

The program enables US Army Combat Medics to earn credit for their military training and experience, smoothing the transition to the civilian workforce while enhancing career opportunities for Reserve Component members.

“It gives us tremendous pride to offer this program to our service members,” stated MWCC President James Vander Hooven. “The Mount is a leader in both veteran services and preparing first responders and healthcare professionals, and this program is a natural fit for our college and community.

“The gap between military training and college education can sometimes be enormous. That’s probably why there are so few programs like this,” notes Robert Mayer, Director of Veteran Services at MWCC. “I’m thrilled that a way of bridging that gap has been worked out here at MWCC.  I am optimistic that this could be a first step in narrowing that gap for many in our transitioning military population.”

Military medic to paramedic programs were first established in 2017 in Michigan. MWCC is one of only a handful of higher education institutions to offer this bridge program. The MWCC Paramedic Technology program was launched in 2018 and has since seen a 100% employment rate for graduates.