neil&momo

Hi
Our friend had alot of work to do to get his ICP status. I'm not sure the exact details but I do know he had to study alot, he worked alongside an ICP for him to assess him for a while. He also had an exam and scenarios plus BIG interview panel to pass. Bearing in mind he worked as an Advance care for about 18months before doing it. He also had his Diploma in paramedic before he left UK.
It's a good idea to work as advance care to start with anyway as you need to learn all the new protocols and procedures as it's quite different to the UK. Once your ICP they expect you to know everything!
You will be able to ask all about it when you get here. Knowing QAS the rules will have changed by then anyway!!
I'm doing my Paramedic degree, it's all done at home over 3 years. No exams just assignments and lots of reading. You dont attend lectures. QAS is giving me 75% of fees back as long as I pass it.
Hope this helps!
Neil

starburst

yeah thanks.

scotspat

Hi all

I am a Paramedic working in Scotland where it has been raining for the last 4 months and have an interview next month with Queensland Amb Service, I am 37 and have 4 nippers so am trying to get everything right in my head, I have a few questions i would like to ask and any replies would be gratefully received.

What is roughly the wage you receive in your hand per month?

Does QAS look after the visa application?

Wheres the best place to live gold coast?sunshine?brisbane? and where do u get more house for your money (alas we should have bought that tv a few years earlier)

How long does the whole process usually take and does QAS give you adequate time to get your affairs in line on this side?

I have read a few posts from some of you who have been over there for a while now and it all sounds good, hopefully I will bump into one or two of you in the future

Ronnie and Deb

Hi Starburst I sent you a personal message did you get it Ronnie

starburst

No, there was some sort of error and I could't access some of the messages.
They all seemed to have the same reference number?!?!?!?!?!

starburst

Hello,
In an email they said "The base salary applicable to your position is 46 215 and the total remuneration package is 76000 (this is based on the average ACP salary in 2005-6, it does not mean this will necessarily be your total yearly earnings after you commence). You will be working 40 hours a week."

- There is a wide difference in pay to do with where you work and if you do regular overtime to cover sickness. I think the $76000 is the top.

QAS nominate you and you apply for your visa from this end - There will be a "Labour Aggreement" by then, but you still have to be checked out - your ID, Medical and Character as usual I suppose. Because the Labour Aggreement isn't quite in place I've been told to apply for a Tempory Business Visa. Will convert to permenent very soon after it is granted. QAS have given me a TRN number to put on the form.

The Labour aggreement is a special arrangement where a company want to bring over a lot of workers and it's valid for 3 yrs I think. I will make things easy for future UK Paramedic Immigrants during the next 3 years.

They've put me in South West Brisbane. According to all I've read and spoke to - It's a city with all the facilities; It's the least hot an sticky - especially for new comers. House prices are just as you'd expect: more in the city and on the coast and +++++++dirt cheep in the out back.

check out http://www.realestate.com.au/
and http://www.ourbrisbane.com/

We didn't get a choice, they just asked us want we wanted from a place.
My family wouldn't be able to stand it in a very small place.

They interviewed last June and wanted us there by this June, but I can't make it before July and I know someone who expects to be there in August. They're OK with that.

Also check out Google maps. Click "more" on the search page and then click "Maps". Put " Brisbane Australia" or whatever place, in the search box and start zooming. The satellite view will show you the individual houses. Copy a house's address from real estate site and paste it into the Google maps search box. It shows you the exact house.

I've got some loose ends to do with the visa that I hope won't delay it any. And the dog's going too; the most expensive part.

See ya

Ronnie and Deb

Hi we,ve pm'd you again hope it works this time

scotspat

Thanks starburst for all that info I did'nt realise they had been recruiting since last year. I was just wondering how intense the interview was and what exactly they are after, any tips would be appreciated

starburst

Just got this from them:



Hello,

Since announcing that we will be returning to the UK I've had a flood of inquiries from UK people through referrals and word of mouth.

We do appreciate your referrals! But so that you can provide more comprehensive information to anyone that you might be speaking with, the following might be useful.

1. We will be in London from March 16-30, 2007.

2. On this trip we are primarily interviewing people who are already in the process of an application. Many of these are people who we were unable to fit in for an interview in July 2006, and we advised them to lodge all of their paperwork with us, in case we ran another campaign. Many of those people did so, and now the interview is the final stage in our selection process.

We have very limited capacity to see or interview people who have not provided us with any documentation to date. The best advice we can give to people who are interested in a career with QAS is to go to the website, www.ambulance.qld.gov.au and lodge the application forms with us.

3. In broad terms a Registered Paramedic in the UK is equivalent to our level of P3, and an EMT is equivalent to our level of P1. However an Equivalency of Qualifications process still needs to be undertaken. There is little benefit in UK people applying if they are Student EMT's as our student levels do not easily translate. It is far better for Student EMT's to complete their training in the UK and accrue more than 3 years on road experience before applying for a position with us.

4. The provision of Employer Sponsored Visas come with some restrictions. Some examples are: Minimum base salary must exceed $41 850; nominee must have greater than 3 years on-road experience as a paramedic or ambulance officer; nominee must meet our base level qualifications as specified; nominees must have a minimum of vocational proficiency in English. We are also limited in the number of people we can sponsor in a calendar year. So employer sponsored immigration is not automatic by any means.

3. We will be interviewing some Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD's) who have previously lodged applications with us. While we are able to offer employment to suitably experienced EMD's from the UK, they need to be aware that we are unable to offer employer sponsored visas to these people. This is because the Job Classification of "Radio Dispatcher" does not carry sufficient academic weight to qualify under DIMA's rules for "skilled migration". We had initially proposed to include EMD's in our Labour Agreement however it was overturned by DIMA for the above reasons.

Therefore, it is only beneficial for a UK EMD to apply for a position with QAS if they have their own means of immigrating to Australia (eg. Spouse visa; family sponsorship, etc).

I hope this information is helpful.

Regards




Area Director Ipswich
Queensland Ambulance Service
PO Box 408
Ipswich 4305
Australia





It's the most normal anbulance interview I've
had.
No practical.
Questions - Clinical;
1 Pre-hospital use of Aprin in MI. Apparently some QAS staff don't give it cuz "you haven't got a headache."

2 Causes of unconsciousness- come on! F.I.S.H.S.H.A.P.E.D.

3 What is clinical governence. A means of monitoring. Audit, responsibility, filling your PRF's completely....ask a manager. I'd just done the ECP degree so I was full of useless nonesence.

4. A newly qualified Paramedic wants some advice on how to keep on top of her job. - Debrief every job, talk to doctors, look up things you come accross and don't know, regular update/training blahdiblahdi.

The rest;
have you got support of your family,
Why do you want to go etc....
What do you need from where they would put you.

I was impressed and relieved that it all semmed quite normal.

Aparrently, some of the UK Paramedics must have not known some of the basics, because they interviewed 71, but only took on 40. Now they want more. I asked why so many, they said "It's from the commissioner". Obviously he must be God.

I didn't ask about pay, but it all depends on which station you work at. I think the more isoloted, the more bonus and how mutch overtime you do.

"Base Salary: 46215.00
Total Remuneration Package: 76000.00"
That's what I have to put in my visa application.

Please ask for more info
Geronimoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Karl.
Sorry for the delay. Didn't Know how to work the website.

temptininnit

You m ight want to edit out Leannes email and telephone numbers etc.

I've never heard of F.I.S.H.S.H.A.P.E.D.!

Flapper

Thanks for all the info., I am one of the 'chosen ones' selected for interview later this month, some 6 months after initially sending off my completed application form (pack). I just missed out on last years selection 'cos i didn't see the advert until after getting back from AL, but was told to submit it anyway ready for the next trawl.
One point, when i completed my medical questionnaire, i mentioned that i had a few weeks off work over the past 12 years after a couple of episodes of muscular back-strain following those particularly heavy/awkward 'time-critical' jobs we all love so much. It is an unfortunate and sometimes unavoidable part of our job. But despite an examination by my GP ( BTW i don't have a back 'problem'), they have asked for another examination by my GP, as they 'have a duty of care not to exacerbate any previous injury'.
I know they are just being cautious, but they freely admit 'ambulance work involves continuous heavy lifting, etc, etc' which is eventually bound to result in the odd strain (or worse). Unlike most others in the healthcare industry, we are expected to put our backs at risk on a shiftly basis (carrying chairs?!), and i bet there aren't many of us who haven't strained their back from time to time.
So answer the questionnaire honestly, but if you mention any back strains they may well pick up on it. I wouldn't worry about it though, it's part of the job!!
Good luck to anyone else at the interviews, the Ozzies do seem to have a fairly relaxed way of doing things, but you have to know your stuff.

scotspat

Cheers starburst you are a god send thanks for all that info. How many ot shifts do u reckon you need to do to get 65k and by the way FISHSHAPED?

THANKS MATE

scotspat

Cheers starburst you are a god send thanks for all that info. How many ot shifts do u reckon you need to do to get 65k and by the way FISHSHAPED?

THANKS MATE

Ronnie and Deb

Starburst thanks a lot for that info. i don,t think i will make the London interviews i will have to stick to the original plan and go for interview when we go over in June this year. Cheers mate

starburst

Don't know how much overtime you need, but I get the impression it needs to be fairly regular.

F fainting
I infantile convulsions
S shock
H head injury

S stroke
H heart attack
A asphyxia
P poisoning (inc drugs & alcohol)
E epilepsy
D diabetes

http://www.suslik.org/FirstAid/Misc/unconc.html

see you soon.