considering paramedicine as career in toront, need help/advice

[pay1000]

hi, i recently finished my undergraduate degree and is considering becoming a paramedic either as a career, or as a good job/life experience if i decide to go back and get another degree later. i am currently 22, male, 6 4, and swimmer build (i am in shape). questions i wanted to ask:

1. would there be a demand for paramedics in 2 years when i graduate (is it like the police force, where there will be people retiring)

2. as there seems to be a lot of ranges out there, what would a paramedic make in their first two years out of paramedicine program.

3. what are the difficulties of getting a job in toronto as a paramedic

4. what are the hours like

5. is it possible to work part time or take a leave of absence to go back to school

6. what are good schools for paramedicine in toronto, and is there anyway i can shorten the two years (ie. use of my degree credits to supplement, or taking a full course load in the summer)

please pertain your answers to toronto, or ontario, as i really wish to stay in toronto if at all possible.

thank you for your time in advance.

[WolfmanHarris]

hi, i recently finished my undergraduate degree and is considering becoming a paramedic either as a career, or as a good job/life experience if i decide to go back and get another degree later. i am currently 22, male, 6 4, and swimmer build (i am in shape). questions i wanted to ask:

Hi. I'm a Primary Care Paramedic in the GTA and a fairly recent grad from the program. I'll attempt to answer your questions as best I can.


1. would there be a demand for paramedics in 2 years when i graduate (is it like the police force, where there will be people retiring)

Services hire fairly consistently, but it's incredibly competitive, especially for Toronto and the rest of the GTA.


2. as there seems to be a lot of ranges out there, what would a paramedic make in their first two years out of paramedicine program.

This varies significantly with the area. Given the high cost of living in the GTA services in these areas pay better than more rural services. In any case an EMS service pays what I would call a comfortable wage. When benefits and pension are factored in (usually only for FT) it's definitely a good career.


3. what are the difficulties of getting a job in toronto as a paramedic

Toronto is one of a few services that hires only full-time right from the get go. This along with being the busy big city attracts a lot of people. The demand for these jobs is particularly high in an already competitive industry.

Toronto also has one of the more detailed hiring processes. There is a written test, practical test, lift test, interview, Physical Agility Evaluation (via Abilitywerks Inc) and then a driving test.

Keep in mind, Toronto is not the be all and end all of Paramedicine. Go to almost any service in the Province and you will find former Toronto EMS Paramedics. It's a difficult city to practice in: high call volumes, limited down time, very diverse sometimes difficult population. Some medics excel there, some burn-out quickly.

Also, Toronto is not at this point, at the forefront of EMS clinically.


4. what are the hours like


There is some variation among services, must the vast majority are 12 hour shifts. Various shift patterns. The only one I know well is my own which is: 4 nights, 4 off, 3 days, 3 nights, 4 off, 4 days, 6 off. Repeat.

Some services do have day only trucks, weekend trucks, etc.


5. is it possible to work part time or take a leave of absence to go back to school


Toronto EMS does not employ Paramedics part time. Most other services start all Paramedics at part-time or casual and they work up to full time. Often Paramedics can drop back to casual for family or school obligations, though there is no guarantee necessarily of returning.

I can't speak to LOA's beyond where I work. This will depend on the CBA and municipal policies.


6. what are good schools for paramedicine in toronto, and is there anyway i can shorten the two years (ie. use of my degree credits to supplement, or taking a full course load in the summer)


In Toronto, go to Centennial. Their program is now run as a joint with UofT allowing students to graduate with their PCP and their BSc. You can take the non-joint program as well and the credits from the program could be used towards another degree later at UofT and potentially another institution.

I also know many of the instructors there and they are some incredibly smart, well educated medics.

That's not to knock other programs (including the one I attended), but if I were to go back and do it all again, I would choose that program and degree over the Ba and PCP programs I took.

Beyond that, your best bet is to contact the various schools directly and get their information.

[froems]

I read the rest of this thread and you were given good answers.
I don't know what city you are currently in but some Ambulance Services do permit “ride-alongs”. This could give you the opportunity to tag along and observe a Paramedic crew for a shift. Our service permits this is some circumstances (froems.com/Observer.html).

If you get out on a ride out and find you liked it, I'd recommend taking an advanced first aid course such as the First Responder course. This will be a great introduction into hands on skills.

I do a lot of career preparation for aspiring emergency service professionals. If you have any other questions please let me know.