Hey guys,

My username hints that I'd like to pursue a career in Emergency Medical Services. I know a lot of students on here are planning to pursue studies in Medicine, Optometry, Dentistry, Pharmacy, & Nursing.

I'd like to introduce people to this exciting profession, as a young student I want other students to look into alternative careers in health care. Don't limit yourself to only the big four which are Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Optometry.

Feel free to ask any questions regarding the profession, I may not be anywhere close to becoming a Primary Care Paramedic but I've spent a lot of time researching this health care profession since the 10th Grade.

I'm going to be possibly doing a volunteer placement for Hamilton EMS (depending on if I make it to the interview stage) and I've already been invited for a volunteer orientation at St. Joseph's Healthcare Center in Hamilton, Ontario. So I'm trying to get as much health care exposure as possible at a young age (I'm 18 :P)

I'm planning on pursuing undergraduate studies in Psychology this coming Fall 2012 and I have research interests related to EMS.

I may not be the most knowledgeable person on this forum but I'm definitely here to help anyone out who is interested!

Thanks a lot

I know it's a really hectic career, and so is being a ER Doc/Surgeon or Nurse because everyone expects these people to work magic in the worst possible situations so there is a lot of pressure on them while they have to perform life saving procedures.

I remember when I saw a police car get into an accident with another vehicle I ran out of my house and couldn't really keep calm, I got really excited/nervous but I managed to assess the scene and see if I can help out. I don't expect an average person to keep their cool in that kind of situation to be honest, a lot of people panic and become hysterical.

Being empathetic is definitely a must, some calls you'll get for when people overdose on narcotics or are passed out cause of alcohol, you won't be feeling bad for them, but when it's a young child ill or injured then I think any normal person has a soft spot for that.

It may seem like a hands on job but it still requires theoretical knowledge in Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology,Psychology and Pharmacology, not as much as Physicians but enough to be able to asses, treat, and transport a patient.


In terms of someone dying and telling them that they'll be okay, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere in a Paramedic protocol manual that you can't do that but instead say something like "We are doing our best, hang in there"

I'm not completely sure, but I'll look further into it.

Not necessarily true, the majority of calls are for patients with respiratory distress and cardiac emergencies. I don't have this need be an adrenaline junky where I need to constantly be responding to chaotic situations. I like the idea of dealing with patients, educating them, finding out about their medical history and medications.

Of course when Police need to make sure that the person that their detaining is actually okay, then they need to dispatch medics.

It's also without a doubt that Paramedics are abused on the job, it's a high risk job but someone has to do it right?

Here's the thing though, in today's system since there are so many medical calls, the fire department needs to be sent out as well. There is a lot of Emergency room back ups, and such. Medical Calls are filtered by priority and only the Advanced Care units are sent out to the more serious ones, while the Primary care is sent out to more general calls. Toronto EMS has this thing called the Community Paramedicine program which focuses on providing the patient with care preventing the probability of having to call 911. Obviously I first have to start out as PCP (Primary Care Paramedic) before taking on additional education to become an Advanced or Critical Care ones. I won't have that much medical authority compared to that of the other levels of Paramedics but I'll still have a lot of responsibility.

In terms of Paramedics, it's not really all about excitement but more of patient care. Just like when people assume being a cop is driving with lights and sirens as fast as they can, it isn't. It's actually a lot of paper work and dealing with ridiculous situations.

Paramedics in the the Region of Peel which is compromised of Caledon, Brampton, & Mississauga, respond to over 80, 000 calls per year, so that itself should say it's quite busy.

Good question and very simple answer, I have a strong interest for Psychology and as you know you need a undergraduate degree in Psychology or Neuroscience to pursue graduate studies in that field. I have research interests in Psychology that relate to Paramedicine. I think it's better to complete a 2 year Paramedic diploma separately at a College after I get my degree because I'll be purely focused on doing the training.

I looked at the course selection at U of T for Psychology and there is a large number of courses which I want to take in Psychology & Neuroscience.

Medic93, I've heard only good things about Mac's biopsych program :)

Just curious as to why you went the culinary route and not the regulatory affairs route. Couldn't find any jobs in pharma RA?

Hello, welcome to the studentawards forum

I'm seriously glad to see people who are interested in pursuing a career in the field of Paramedicine or EMS. This forum without a doubt is compromised of people who are mainly interested in the big four such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Optometry or the most famous allied health field which is Nursing.

I started up this thread for individuals who are interested in the process of getting into the career of EMS. As stated many times, it is a competitive field which many people may not realize. It's probably the most over subscribed college programs in Ontario. There are more graduates than employment positions available, but that's not to discourage anyone. The thing with getting hired as a Paramedic is your ability to do exceptionally well on the testing processes.

The process of becoming a Primary Care Paramedic isn't exactly a walk in the park.

I'll outline the steps which it takes to have a high chance of obtaining a position with a service in Ontario.

1. Apply to a Public Ontario College for the 2 year Primary Care Paramedic diploma program (most of the people who apply already hold previous educational credentials prior to applying)

2. Complete the program with good marks

3. Write your Provincial test to qualify as an Advanced-Emergency Medical Care Attendant

4. The Centralized Paramedic Competency Recruitment Testing (The most important thing)

Getting admission into the programs is competitive but it's definitely doable as long as you have solid marks, securing an employment position with a service in Ontario is honestly a difficult process due to the fact that there are a high number of applicants applying for so little positions.

Now enough of my rambling about the process and I'll direct my attention to your question regarding going into this career.

The most important factor to take into consideration when potentially interested in pursuing a career in Emergency Services of any kind is Physical fitness. Would you consider yourself to be Physically capable of performing effectively in the conditions Paramedics work in?

If you think that you are good enough to challenge the Physical testing then by all means go for it.

Another thing is this, experience, you've mentioned you've volunteered with St. Johns which is a good asset to have on a resume. Also if you have any prior educational experience it can help out as well.

Any further questions or concerns ask me or mobix, don't listen to people who "think" they know what EMS is about. I'm truly passionate about this field and I'm also realistic about the job I'm going to potentially get into. It's not all about racing Code 3 or w/e you call it with Lights & Sirens, there will be calls where you'll have to deal with ridiculous things but the good thing is medical calls are prioritized based on severity.

Hello

I am currently enrolled in the Paramedicine program at U of T. Even for someone like you, Medic93, it is a great program. Course requirements include a few psychology courses, and you could take a few more as your electives. This would knock 2 years off for you, as well. If you really want to focus in on Neuro, then go ahead and follow up on your plans.

For the 41 year old woman: There are NOT different standards for women than for men in terms of weight testing. I am a woman, and I found no difficulties with the lifts. I disagree with Medic93 that physical strength is such a huge factor. It is, to some degree. An obese person would have difficulties with it, for example. But most of the lifting is about technique. When you use proper technique, you can lift more weight than you ever thought possible. Height can be a bit of an issue, though. You need to be able to lift a stretcher with a 200+ lb patient on it to full loading height. This can be especially hard for the shorter women. I am around 170 cm tall, and I had no troubles. As long as you stay in shape, and work out regularly, you will be fine. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that this career can be taxing on your body, both physically and mentally. It's not generally considered a long-lasting career, although the advances in technology and workers' rights are changing that.


As for the question about talking to people, speaking therapeutically is HUGE.



This is correct, to a degree. You can't tell a patient that everything will be ok, because you don't know that for sure. But you also should not use cliches such as 'hang in there'. If someone thinks they are going to die, you can tell them it's natural for them to feel that way, but we are taking good care of you. We've been trained for situations just like these. Acting and speaking calmly is probably the most important thing you can do.

I think there was something else in this forum that I wanted to comment on, but I can't remember what it was at the moment. If you have any comments or questions about the program, feel free to ask. :)

LOL trust me I looked into the Paramedicine program extensively but I feel that getting an undergraduate B.Sc. in Psych is better because there are so many courses that I want to take from the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience.

Plus I would rather just go to a 2 year College and focus on Paramedic training rather than have it all mashed into 4 years. Plus you need extensive courses in Psychology to be eligible into a Psychology graduate degree.

I'm interested in the area of Neuropsychology, a Paramedicine degree won't provide me with a good background for that!

Thanks for the input everyone. I just wanted to add that I actually applied to Conestoga and got in, but I chickened out, thinking that I didn't belong with a bunch of kids I could have given birth to. Also, two of my closest friends are Hamilton EMS, one's a PCP, the other ACP, and both are unhappy and want to get out of it. I actually know a third Hamilton EMS PCP and he's pretty happy, but even he admits that 90% of his calls are B.S.

However, I'm sure Hamilton EMS can be difficult. Smaller areas might have better experiences. Halmdimand, for example, has protocols that allow PCPs to administer more drugs than PCP's in Hamilton, probably due to greater distance to hospital.

To the person who is thinking of joining EFRT (I'm assuming you go to Mac and are thinking of joining them) - I know from my 'insider' info that they are not as well respected as you might think. St. John Ambulance is much more respected, mostly because my two friends I mentioned both volunteer with me there and are there to meet EMS when and if we have to call them. For that reason, EMS trusts us when we give our reports. If I were you, I would consider St. John Ambulance instead. Besides, I've had incredible experiences with them - serious head injury at a bike race, cardiac arrest, dislocations, breaks, heat exhaustion, an intense MCI situation at the same bike race, triage experience, drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, babies, old people, whackjobs - in a nutshell, everything. I doubt you'd see all that at a university campus.

Anyway, the physical part does worry me a bit. I am not super fit. I'm healthy enough, exercise a lot, could lose weight (but who couldn't) and could probably manage alright. I've had to lift patients on stretcher into the back of our St. John Ambulance trucks and I was fine- that's another reason to join them, btw. I learned how to drive the ambulance (which is a decommissioned one from Hamilton EMS, the same one my PCP friend started out in), and how to use all the onboard equipment. This is something you won't get at EFRT. The paramedic programs are impressed if you go in saying "I drive an ambulance, I know all the onboard equipment, I have stretcher, stair chair and backboard experience, I've stocked and cleaned an amublance more times than I can remember, I have my trauma kit memorized, I've done EMS handoff, I've done proper PCR's...etc)

Ok enough for now. Any other thoughts?

BTW, why are we all from Hamilton on here?