QL3 is the one after basic, but the new format has one part in Borden, and the other in Chilliwack BC to do the new Primary Care Paramedic course with the Justice Institute. Most of your days will be 9-5 pretty much, but there‘s always SOME degree of shift work with the actualy medical positions.
An MIR is kind of like a walk-in clinic. People may have broken their pelvis, or may just have blisters on their feet. Since medical coverage is included in being a reg force member, they‘re required to go to the MIR for any kind of treatment. The bigger bases will have social workers, EKGs, x-rays, and most also do minor surgeries (appendectomy, vastectomy, etc.). They‘ll also have a pharmacy, but they‘re NOT a hospital. The people come in and go out the same day, since there‘s no facilities for long-term care. If you need to be held overnight, you‘ll go to the local civilian hospital.
The restructure is certainly not being done because the training is poor. There‘s no reason that a QL3 med a can‘t go on deployment, or work in a field hospital, MIR or other setting. What the CFMS is doing is trying to draw all of their medical assets (people, supplies etc.) into a very narrow area. Yes, this will allow the local medical units to run more medical training, and keep close tabs on all of their personnel, but it will also severely reduce the standards of care (in my opinion). With all of the UMSs being shut down, people can‘t receive treatment for really minor stuff at their own unit, and this overburdens the MIRs even more, while having less people allowed to staff them. Any idiot knows how to soak a blister, but even really minor stuff like that can only be done by a QL5 med A. Many of the QL5s have been doing tour after tour, because they‘re the only ones allowed. Meanwhile, this enormous amount of QL3s sit around at the local Field Ambulance fixing trucks and folding mod when their experience could better be used elsewhere.
But that‘s just my opinion, I could be wrong.
