Episode 7 - IJOP Debate: An Associate Degree Should be Required for Entry Level Paramedics

This debate is presented by the Perspectives Section of the International Journal of Paramedicine (IJOP). The proposition for this debate is that an associate degree should be required for entry level paramedics. The transcript of this debate was published in the Perspective Section of our January-March 2026 (#13) issue, which can be accessed here: https://internationaljournalofparamedicine.com/index.php/ijop/article/view/3543 On the team arguing FOR the proposition: - Sean Caffrey, MBA, FACPE, NRP - Gregg Margolis, PhD - Mike Thomas, DrPH, MHA, EMT-B, FACPE - John Todaro, BA, NRP, RN, TNS, NCEE, CHSE, CHSOS On the team arguing AGAINST the proposition: - Louis Imperatrice, NRP - Edward Bauter, MBA, MHL, FP-C, CCP-C, NRP The debate was hosted and moderated by Editor-In-Chief, Mic Gunderson, EMT-P (Ret.), FAEMS. The debate was organized by Perspectives' Section Editor, Edward "Ted" Lee, EdD, NRP. References The members of the debate team were asked to provide citations for work that that they may have referred to in their presentations as well as other references that would be important to be aware of on this topic. This is a partial list of the references included in the debate article in the Journal. Aiken, L. H., Cimiotti, J. P., Sloane, D. M., Smith, H. L., Flynn, L., & Neff, D. F. (2011). Effects of nurse staffing and nurse education on patient deaths in hospitals with different nurse work environments. *Medical Care, 49*(12), 1047–1053. [https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e3182330b6e](https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e3182330b6e) American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2025, June 1). *Degree completion programs for registered nurses: RN to master's degree and RN to baccalaureate programs.* [https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/degree-completion-programs-for-rns](https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/degree-completion-programs-for-rns) Aston-Mourney, K., McLeod, J., Rivera, L. R., McNeill, B. A., & Baldi, D. L. (2022). Prior degree and academic performance in medical school: Evidence for prioritising health students and moving away from a biomedical science-focused entry stream. *BMC Medical Education, 22*(1), Article 768. [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03768-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03768-y) Ball, M., Powell, J. R., Gage, C. B., Kapalo, K. A., Kurth, J. D., Collard, L., Miller, M. G., & Panchal, A. R. (2023). Paramedic educational program attrition accounts for significant loss of potential EMS workforce. *Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open, 4*(2), e12917. [https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12917](https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12917) Ball, M. T., Powell, J. R., Collard, L., York, D. K., & Panchal, A. R. (2022). Administrative and educational characteristics of paramedic programs in the United States. *Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 37*(2), 1–5. [https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X22000115](https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X22000115) Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, August 29). *EMTs and paramedics.* U.S. Department of Labor. [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm) Caffrey, S. M., Barnes, L. C., & Olvera, D. J. (2019). Joint position statement on degree requirements for paramedics. *Prehospital Emergency Care, 23*(3), 434–437. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2018.1519006](https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2018.1519006) CAAHEP. (2015). *Standards and guidelines for the accreditation of educational programs in the emergency medical services professions.* [https://emsa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/71/2019/07/CAAHEP-Standards-and-Guidelines-for-the-Accreditation-of-Educational-Programs-in-the-Emergency-Medical-Services-Professions-2015.pdf](https://emsa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/71/2019/07/CAAHEP-Standards-and-Guidelines-for-the-Accreditation-of-Educational-Programs-in-the-Emergency-Medical-Services-Professions-2015.pdf) Cary, R. R., Geller, J. E., Rallo, M. S., Teichman, A. L., Englert, Z. P., Pierre, P., Murphy, T., Falcon, L., Narayan, M., & Choron, R. L. (2024). Implementation of an education module to improve emergency medical service provider accuracy and confidence in trauma triage. *Journal of Surgical Research, 303*, 241–247. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2024.09.014](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2024.09.014) Questions and Comments You are invited to ask questions and make comments in response to the debate in NEMSMA's online discussion group at: https://groups.google.com/g/nemsma/. Look for the messages with the subject line: [IJOP 3543] DEBATE: An Associate Degree Should be Required for All Entry Level Paramedics. Perspectives Section Editors Edward "Ted" Lee, EdD, NRP – Event Lead Albert Bouwer-Monroy, MS-1, NRP, FP-C Elizabeth Lacy, MPS, BS, Paramedic Christopher Suprun, BS, NRP, FP-C Michael Thomas, DrPH, MHA, EMT-B, FACPE International Journal of Paramedicine website: https://InternationalJournalOfParamedicine.com