Paramedic Academy
Program Overview
The College of the Desert Paramedic Program prepares students to become competent,
professional paramedics capable of providing advanced life support care in complex
and dynamic prehospital environments.
The program combines classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, hospital clinical rotations, and supervised field internship experiences with regional emergency medical services agencies.
Paramedic education is rigorous and requires a high level of commitment, discipline, and professional accountability.
At the core of the program is a simple guiding principle:
The Standard is Excellence.
Students entering the program should be prepared to meet high expectations in academic performance, clinical competence, and professional conduct throughout their training.
The Fall 2026 cohort is scheduled to begin September 2, 2026.
Program Start:
College of the Desert is preparing for its second Paramedic cohort, expected to begin in August 2026. Below is the anticipated schedule for the application, pre-course, and program launch
phases.
Note: All details remain tentative and are subject to change.
Location:
All EMS courses are held at the:
College of the Desert Public Safety Academy
PSA Building – Room PSA 16
Palm Desert, California
Admissions Timeline:
- March 23, 2026 – Application Window Opens
- May 1, 2026 – 5:00 PM PST - Application deadline.
- May 19 – May 22, 2026 - Interview & Selection Phase - Applicant interviews are conducted.
-
May 25, 2026 - Conditional acceptance notices are issued.
Program Preparation Phase June 2026:
The Paramedic Preparatory Course is conducted. This course serves as a structured screening and readiness experience prior to the start of the full paramedic program. Successful completion of the preparatory course is required for final acceptance into the paramedic program.
Late June 2026
Final acceptance notifications are issued.
Program Launch - September 2, 2026
The Fall 2026 Paramedic Program cohort officially begins.
Contact Information
For questions regarding the paramedic program, please contact:
Alex C. Hernandez, Sr.
Paramedic Program Director
College of the Desert
951-990-0687
ahernandez@collegeofthedesert.edu
