Preparing future first responders: Saint Michael’s introduces Emergency Medical Services minor
A new program of study has recently been added to Saint Michael’s College’s list of academics – a minor in Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Kate Soons ’92, professor of Health Science and the creator of the EMS minor, said that the interdisciplinary nature of the program aims to enhance students’ applications to medical and nursing programs by demonstrating their foundational knowledge and skills in human care.
Kate Soons, professor of Health Science.
“Emergency Medical Services absolutely integrates and interfaces with public safety – you know, law enforcement and fire protection,” Soons said, “So, I wanted to try to create a minor that appreciated just how interdisciplinary Emergency Medical Services is.”
The minor will be offered beginning in Fall 2025.
Until 2022, Saint Michael’s students had to go to the University of Vermont to take courses and receive training for certifications in Emergency Medical Services.
“By bringing those programs to St. Mike’s, students no longer have to travel for courses,” Soons said.
Soons said that these courses can cater to a variety of students who want to work in first-response healthcare, and that the minor is valuable in terms of cultural competencies.
The three required courses being offered for the minor are Emergency Medical Technician, Introduction to Public Health, and Social Determinants of Health.
Soons said the minor covers knowledge necessary across several fields. So, for example, it would be pertinent to a student interested in the health literacy field, as well as a student who wants to address environmental issues.
The program mirrors the general Saint Michael’s liberal arts education because it has many applications across diverse fields of study, Soons said. Electives applicable to the program encompass a broad range of majors, including Health Science, Sociology, and Philosophy. Soons said this is so students can mold the field of study to their own interests, depending on what type of medical services they are planning to pursue.
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