# Civvy EMT to Res medtech?



## frodo (13 Oct 2014)

Hello everyone,

   I'm currently attending an EMT program in Calgary, and I'd be attached to 15 Ambulance detachment here. Lots of things to address, first off I'll state the reason for my post. I've looked on army.ca but there is no mention of how a civ EMT integrates into the reserve role and I have a few unanswered questions.

1) I had a very strong inclination to go directly into Reg forces as a medtech, but at my age (23), I cant waste 5 years on a contract when I wont REALLY know if paramedicine is for me until I'm in the field. I'm not saying I don't love it, because I do, but the profession has a tendency to chew you up and spit you out if its not a perfect match. Thus my decision is to do my civ edu., work civ and hopefully train/tour with reserve, get a feel for both environments and transfer to Reg force if its a good fit. 

2) Would I be sent off for BMQ one summer, then SQ the next while parading the rest of the year? What kind of duties or activities do the medics do during parade nights, is there a lot of scenario and practice? If I'm a working civvy medic can I partake in some exercises before BMQ/SQ? Are most at 15 field ambulance originally reg force moving toward retiring or into civ, or are most people civ medics? 

3) Alberta EMT scope is the highest in Canada and surpasses ontario/bc PCP scope, which is what Reg force educates you in. Obviously protocol and procedure for military medicine would be altered, would my scope be limited? I'm assuming the ACP and health professions has zilch to do with the CF. I'd love to hear some opinions from any guys who know res medics personally or ARE themselves, even Reg medtechs if you could shed some wisdom. My biggest fear of joining is that things may be stagnant, where a civvy EMT is working and running calls 365, medtechs would only get to "work" on deployment(feel free to set me straight on that), I'm not saying I want guys to get hurt so I can be a hero, but I went into this to save a life on the rare occasion.

4) Regarding deployments, do medics/CF in general do a lot of International Aid deployments? That's another reason I am looking to forces because I eventually want to get into disaster relief, SAR, maybe even flight medicine if I'm up to it.  

I guess my biggest question is this: Going civ to reserve to reg is obviously doable, is it optimal? Do a lot of guys go this route and become lifers? I know a few guys from highschool who were Res Inf who got stuck in res because our age group was 18 in 2009 when they slashed recruitment rates, they're now ppcli 1 and 3 after 3 or 4 years of "patiently" waiting.

Before you say call the unit, keep in mind I was in the bush as an EMR from april 'til September and I started attending a condensed (3 month) EMT course in sep, so my time is and has been extremely limited, otherwise I'd try to set up a face to face. I'd also rather wait until I have my transcript in hand before I start barking up their tree. I intend to get in direct contact immediately after finishing didactic phase of my course.

Thanks a lot in advance,

   Cole


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