(July 25, 2022) – A group of Oakton students are on their way to successful careers in the health care industry, thanks to a partnership program between Oakton College and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. The most recent cohort of EMS System Paramedic Program graduates recently celebrated their accomplishment with a commencement ceremony at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus.
Oakton’s Paramedic Program applicants are selected by partnering hospitals with input from Oakton. It is a 24-credit-hour certificate, made up of four classes that include classroom and hands-on instruction, as well as clinical rotations. To qualify for the Paramedic Program, students must have earned an EMT-basic certificate, a program Oakton also offers. Many students who complete their paramedic training at Oakton continue their education or begin successful careers at fire departments, on private ambulance companies or at hospitals. In addition to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Oakton also partners with Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Evanston to offer the paramedic program. A cohort of students based at Ascension Saint Francis Hospital is scheduled to finish in November.
“I am thrilled that these students have earned credentials to obtain licensure by the Illinois Department of Public Health as EMT-Paramedics, which will lead to immediate and long-term employability for years to come,” said Marc Battista, Oakton’s associate vice president of Workforce Education / Dean of Business and Career Technologies.
Graduates include:
Zachary Bookman
Sean Brucci
Francis Chambers
Tiffany DeRaedt
Kevin Donoghue
Austin Eichenlaub
Brandon Herr
Jayme Jensen
Philip Karsten
Jack Lauber
Natalia Ramirez
Christopher Rojas
Fiona Ward
Oliver Brown Leopold (Posthumous)
Oakton offers Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees and certificates in a number of career programs. These programs are designed for students who seek to gain skills that will prepare them to begin or advance in their careers. Registration for the fall ‘22 semester is now open, and classes start Aug. 22.