Inver Hills EMS grad brings wisdom of on-the-job experience to his students
Benjamin Feldkamp, 31, graduated from the Emergency Medical Systems (EMS) Paramedic program at Inver Hills Community College in 2016, earning an A.S. in EMS and a Paramedic certificate. Ben began teaching as an adjunct instructor in the college’s EMS program in June 2018.
The same year he graduated from Inver, Ben began working as a paramedic at Allina Health EMS. He served as a full-time paramedic for Allina through August 2021, covering 911 ambulance duties in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. He continues to work as a paramedic while teaching EMS classes at Inver Hills. Ben earned a B.A. in Biology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, in 2013.
When asked about his teaching philosophy, Ben said: “Think HUGE: Help. Uplift. Guide. Encourage. I seek to assist students in taking charge of their own education and discover a desire to learn.”
Ben Feldkamp Inver Hills gallery
More about Ben…
Originally from Woodbury, Minnesota, Ben graduated from Woodbury High School, Class of 2009. Ben and his wife, Sara, have been married for more than seven years.
“We’ve been together for almost 12 years,” Ben said. “Sara currently teaches 2-year-olds at a Daycare Learning Center, but is planning on teaching in a school system this coming fall after taking a break from work this summer. Both of our mothers, as well as her brother, have worked in education as well. We are certainly looking forward to spending more time together this summer!”
Ben and Sara have two dogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel mixes, aka Cockaliers, named Pippin and Bilbo. “Pippin, the smaller one, is 20 months old,” Ben reported, “and Bilbo, the larger one, is 7 months old.”
When he’s not teaching and working, Ben enjoys homebrewing, hiking, camping, DIY around the house, woodworking, golfing, playing tennis, cooking, baking, and gardening. Ben, Sara, Pippin, and Bilbo reside in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Benjamin Feldkamp family gallery
Benjamin Feldkamp • Q & A
What advice would you give students thinking about paramedicine as their career path?
I can’t think of a better way to be involved in healthcare. It’s exciting, challenging, and stressful, but so fulfilling. Going through the EMS program at Inver Hills was the most fun I’ve ever had as a student, and has led to some of the strongest friendships I could have ever imagined.
The field of paramedicine has many exciting prospects right now, in terms of pay, development as a provider, transition to other job roles/fields, and the training it takes to get there produces mentally and occupationally strong individuals.
What are the most challenging aspects of life as a paramedic?
Learning how to respond to emergencies at any moment. Sacrificing time at home in order to work longer shifts. Generating a lot of medical waste.
Three words that describe you as an EMS educator:
PASSIONATE. INQUISITIVE. GROWING.
What are some essential individual qualities a paramedic must bring to the job?
Integrity, critical thinking, sensitivity, and a sense of calm.
What do you like best about your work as an EMS instructor?
Getting to know my students and all of their unique personalities; working closely with my fantastic coworkers; and sharing my passion for the field of EMS.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your career as a paramedic?
Everyone has a different story. I have had to learn how to listen to each person’s story and use them to reflect on my own life.
Where do you hope to find yourself in 20 years?
Regardless of where I end up in 20 years, I hope to find myself in a job that is still exciting, challenging, fulfilling, and fun.
What person has influenced your life the most and why?
My grandpa Roy. He had a passion for learning, was full of love, and lived in the moment. Growing up, he was my best friend, and he is the reason for many of the ways I became the person I am today.
One word that best describes your experience as an EMS educator:
FULFILLING
Benjamin Feldkamp • 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Golf
Place you would most like to visit: Alaska- The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Went surfing in Ireland
- Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Establish trusts to take care of all of my loved ones 2) Build eco-friendly homes for the impoverished 3) Travel the world with my wife
- Best book or movie you’ve read or seen lately: Dune (2021)
- Time period you would explore if you could time travel: Ancient Egypt in the height of the Great Pyramids being completed
- One thing you most want to accomplish in your life: Building an environmentally responsible homestead
Your national bird if you were your own country: Red-tailed hawk- Dream occupation: Medical school professor
- Person you would most like to meet: Paul Rudd
- Skill you would most like to learn and master: Pumpkin-carving
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Environmental destruction
Learn more about the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Paramedic program at Inver Hills by contacting:
More about the EMS Paramedic program at Inver Hills…
Join a health care team that saves lives on the front lines. Train at Inver Hills to become a paramedic or emergency medical technician (EMT). Paramedics provide care in a variety of emergency medical and traumatic situations. With enough education or experience, EMTs and paramedics can become emergency service supervisors, managers, directors, or executive directors.
Why major in EMS at Inver Hills?
Earn your EMT certificate on your way to becoming a paramedic.
The 9-credit Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program delivers a basic education in emergency medical care. As a student in the program, you will develop the competencies you’ll need to take the national certification exam, which you’ll need to pass to become an EMT, a requirement to enroll in our paramedic A.S. degree programs.Learn how to care for people during medical emergencies.
As a student in our EMT certificate program, you’ll learn to be responsible for delivering emergency care to critically sick or injured people. You’ll develop the skills to use and maintain basic emergency equipment. Topics covered include patient assessment, trauma skills, and care and recognition of heart disease and respiratory problems. This program will give you clinical experience in the field. An EMT certificate is required to enroll in our A.S. in EMS program.Be the go-to professional in extreme-stress situations.
Our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) degree and diploma programs deliver comprehensive educational and occupational preparation in advanced, prehospital emergency care. As a paramedic, you will be employed by advanced, life-support ambulance services as well in various out-of-hospital care settings to provide care in medical and traumatic emergencies.Three options to advance your paramedic career.
Our EMS Paramedic program offers two degree tracks, Traditional and Accelerated. Both lead to an A.S. in Emergency Medical Services. We also offer a diploma option if you already have a degree or are seeking a career as a paramedic without completing additional liberal arts coursework.Trust in the quality of your EMS education.
The Inver Hills EMS program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) on the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).Attention paramedics looking for innovative training opportunities.
Our 12-credit Community Paramedic certificate provides additional training to certified, experienced paramedics in the areas of public health, health prevention, patient advocacy, triage, disease management, mental health, and the management of ongoing illness or injury. As a community paramedic, you’ll work for an EMS medical director in cooperation with a primary care doctor.Career Opportunities
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMT) provide first-line medical care for sick and injured people at the scene of an emergency, which could be almost anywhere, including a private residence, accident site, terrorist attack, or disaster area.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “Employment of EMTs and paramedics is projected to grow 11 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.”
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