North Campus is slated to be Miami Dade College’s third location to open their doors to the school’s emergency medical services program.
Registration is expected to open later this fall, with classes starting in the spring semester. The North Campus site joins the program’s existing hubs at Medical and Homestead campuses.
At the onset, the North Campus program will accept a cohort of 18 students who will attend classes and labs together. That number is expected to grow as the program does.
On Aug. 21, the North Campus gave the community a sneak peek into what the facility will offer. Located on the second floor of building 7, the $1.1 million facility will consist of five labs, two lecture halls and a control room—when it’s fully built out.
The control room will offer a realistic environment where students can demonstrate their skills, while instructors observe them behind double-sided windows.
It will allow students practice with technical mannequins that simulate human anatomy, along with health devices such as IVs, EKGs and non-rebreather masks.
“What sets Miami Dade College’s EMS program apart is how closely the education is connected to the real-world demands of emergency medical services,” said Evelyn Rodriguez, the senior director of campus administration at North Campus, who is overseeing development of the space at the campus.
Fabio Nascimento, the Chair of Health Sciences program at Medical Campus, said student demand led to expansion of the program at North.
For example, students at North Campus’ Fire Academy get emergency medical technician certification. Now they can stay at the campus for the training rather than go to another MDC site.
“So many students wanted to be at the North Campus and stay there, and we simply could not provide the physical space,” said Nascimento, an MDC alum who’s worked at the college since 2013.
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