Hello,

I have often come across this forum randomly when trying to find answers to questions about emmigration and I've finally come up with one that I couldn't find the answer too!

I've often considered training as a paramedic as I think it would interesting and rewarding career but have been reluctant to make the three year commitment in the UK. I've recently got a Candian working holiday visa and, considering the possibility of staying permanently, I looked up the courses for a paramedic qualification as it's an occupation in demand and so would make it pretty easy to get residency.

Based on my research, it seems incredibly easy to do (the process that it, I don't know about actually passing the course...). I think you need to do two courses, an EMR course and a PCP course. As these can both be done in less than six months I think I'd be able to do it on my working holiday visa and wouldn't even need a study permit, though I may need a medical. I don't have science qualifications above GCSE but that doesn't seem to impact on my eligibility. Both courses seem relatively easy to get on to and the fees are only a couple of thousand pounds. And that's it. It pays a hell of a lot better than the UK too.

I'm struggling to accept the idea that it seems so easy. I'm almost expecting a Nigerian general to ask me to pay a deposit. Does anyone know if this an accurate assessment of the process or am I missing a huge hole somewhere?

I can offer you some comments about Alberta - and it obviously will vary from province to province.

To become a full paramedic is really a three to four year plan as far as I can tell.

For example (I work at SAIT in Calgary and this is from best memory) - you can do the EMR course in 12 weeks part-time. Other institutions across the province can offer a two to three week intensive course. Entry requirements are minimum but sciences would help.

Once you have that certification, you can apply for the EMT course. This is a 10-month course at our college. Again, other places may do different timescales. But entry to the EMT course is vastly over-subscribed and you need science or biology at Grade 12 level (even if you already have the EMR). You also need to provide letters of reference (preferably from work experiences where you used your EMR certification). There is only one start date in September, but you need to be applying in the previous October to offer you the best chance of obtaining a seat in the program.

After this 10-month program you take the Alberta College of Paramedics exam (ACP).

Next comes the EMT-Paramedic Diploma program - two more years of study. Again, much-sought after places, high competition.

Once again, you need to be applying for the Paramedic program in the previous year - so really, when you have only just started the EMT program, you need to be applying for the Paramedic program for the following academic year. (Many students at this point go and work for a year to get more work experience). You need the ACP exam before you can be accepted into the Paramedic program. The dates of the ACP exams don't always tie in nicely with when you want them! (usually only 5 dates a year). Check out their website and fees.

NAIT in Edmonton also offers these programs, plus Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Portage College (North East Alberta), and couple of others.

Hope that helps.

Thank you very much for the information, that's really helpful!

The information that I've gleaned so far has all been from BC and it seems it's dramatically different to Alberta.

The EMR course only takes 15 days and the PCP course only takes 4 months, though you do then need to do the hospital and ambulance practicum component but that's apparently pretty quick too. So it seems that in BC you can qualify in less than six months and could theoretically start work immediately. It seems one of the colleages offering the course has a 'first come first served' basis with no science qualifications required so it's not even that hard to get into.

Obviously the quality of the training isn't going to be anything like as good as what you've done in Alberta and it seems BC can be a bit of nightmare for newly qualified paramedics but I am attracted to the idea of getting started asap and then building on the initial qualifications to eventually end up at a higher standard.

But thank you very much for the information, it's really useful to get an idea of how it works in the rest of Canada!

You are very welcome - good luck wherever!

(For our college for EMT's, the college/classroom part is usually about four months too just like BC, then they add the practicum in, and back to school for a week or two at the end, making it the 10-month program).

Really? I would hope that the standard of training in BC is as high as anywhere else in Canada! Perhaps some BC paramedics will be along to put this OP straight.

[quote=robinr22;10239319Does anyone know if this an accurate assessment of the process or am I missing a huge hole somewhere?[/quote]

I think you might be.

You may want to call the training institutes for a more detailed assessment and look into job prospects before going too far. The standard across Canada is pretty much the same.

You have been to this site? http://www.bcas.ca/EN/main/careers.html

Be careful
BC has a lot of private colleges of varying standards. You might want to check what colleges your future employers take seriously.

BC is no different than alberta or other provinces, EMR is little more than the FAW in the uk with Defib and medical gases. Pay is not great at all, it is just the first small step in pre hospital work, mainly used as trained medic when in remote oil patch to meet legal requirments.

BC ambulance service is very hard to get a full time job in, all you will be offered is on-call work in some remote town only being paid for the hrs you are called out, after a few years and your dues are paid you may get offered a full time job.

I knew a senior Paramedic instructor/officer back in the UK, he even came over a few times a year to retrain with canadian qualifications in the hope of being able to go full time once he made the final move, after 3 years he gave up trying and walked straight into a city based job in australia.