I have been in the reserves infantry for about 10 years. In Sept 2011 I applied to the NCM SEP program and did not hear back from them when it came time to pick a college for Paramedic training. I picked Centennial college because it was closest and now I am in second semester. Centennial college is not a CMA approved school. This week I got asked by the CF component transfer office to submit transcripts so they could determine my eligibility for an interview and from there a transfer offer.
So soon I will have to decide if I want to complete the program I am in or go to a CMA approved college as part of the NCM SEP (assuming the interview goes well). This is obviously a big decision, and mostly it hinges on what life I want to live. If I stay at centennial college I plan to transfer to 25 fd amb reserve unit.
So now for my questions.
I have quite a lot, but most of them come down to this: Do any of you med techs wish you were a civi paramedic? Why or why not?
If you are willing to read a bit more (and thanks if you are):
As part of my clinical placement I have got a chance to experience things that are super high intensity like cardiac arrests, labour and delivery etc. When I ride out with ambulances (or am ultimately employed by EMS) I will get to go to intense things like MVC trauma and things like this. This is very appealing to me, and yes I understand that 24/25 calls will not be that "sexy" and that I may see things I will regret seeing on those "sexy" calls.
What experiences, if any, could I expect as a med tech that would be comparably exciting? What are the major career highlights I could reasonably expect that in your opinion would make up for a lack of things like this (assuming continued peace/low intensity operations)?
Related to these "sexy" calls is the concept of burnout: when a medic has seen to many calls where he/she was powerless to help, or he/she feels it is a case of system abuse etc, and apathy takes over. Enthusiasm is dead and the paramedic cannot wait for the end of shift or retirement. Worse still, paramedics may develop PTSD from accumulated stress. Is this of equal concern to military medics?
This is not to say that I only find fulfillment on the edge of my seat. I very much enjoy helping people in other ways, such as helping a patient to understand their condition in a manner that is honest but compassionate. Have you had similar experiences? Will I be able to feel I am making a positive difference in the lives of my patients?
The recruiting video on forces.ca talks about the Maintenance of Clinical Skills Program, which I understand has been replaced by the Maintenance of Clinical Readiness Program. Riding out on ambulances would be very rewarding, but how often could I reasonably expect to do this? A couple times a month? A couple times year?
Since the scope of practice for med techs seems to be half PCP half RPN, do med techs get hospital rotations?
Approximately how much time should I expect to spend doing administrative duties? If I get promoted to sgt some day, will admin be my whole life? Can I reasonably avoid this?
What kind of ongoing training should I expect? How much of your typical year does this occupy?
Answers to any of these questions would be appreciated. I have looked through the forums, but the answers provided did not satisfy me.
So soon I will have to decide if I want to complete the program I am in or go to a CMA approved college as part of the NCM SEP (assuming the interview goes well). This is obviously a big decision, and mostly it hinges on what life I want to live. If I stay at centennial college I plan to transfer to 25 fd amb reserve unit.
So now for my questions.
I have quite a lot, but most of them come down to this: Do any of you med techs wish you were a civi paramedic? Why or why not?
If you are willing to read a bit more (and thanks if you are):
As part of my clinical placement I have got a chance to experience things that are super high intensity like cardiac arrests, labour and delivery etc. When I ride out with ambulances (or am ultimately employed by EMS) I will get to go to intense things like MVC trauma and things like this. This is very appealing to me, and yes I understand that 24/25 calls will not be that "sexy" and that I may see things I will regret seeing on those "sexy" calls.
What experiences, if any, could I expect as a med tech that would be comparably exciting? What are the major career highlights I could reasonably expect that in your opinion would make up for a lack of things like this (assuming continued peace/low intensity operations)?
Related to these "sexy" calls is the concept of burnout: when a medic has seen to many calls where he/she was powerless to help, or he/she feels it is a case of system abuse etc, and apathy takes over. Enthusiasm is dead and the paramedic cannot wait for the end of shift or retirement. Worse still, paramedics may develop PTSD from accumulated stress. Is this of equal concern to military medics?
This is not to say that I only find fulfillment on the edge of my seat. I very much enjoy helping people in other ways, such as helping a patient to understand their condition in a manner that is honest but compassionate. Have you had similar experiences? Will I be able to feel I am making a positive difference in the lives of my patients?
The recruiting video on forces.ca talks about the Maintenance of Clinical Skills Program, which I understand has been replaced by the Maintenance of Clinical Readiness Program. Riding out on ambulances would be very rewarding, but how often could I reasonably expect to do this? A couple times a month? A couple times year?
Since the scope of practice for med techs seems to be half PCP half RPN, do med techs get hospital rotations?
Approximately how much time should I expect to spend doing administrative duties? If I get promoted to sgt some day, will admin be my whole life? Can I reasonably avoid this?
What kind of ongoing training should I expect? How much of your typical year does this occupy?
Answers to any of these questions would be appreciated. I have looked through the forums, but the answers provided did not satisfy me.