# A few questions about ROTP and being a Physician Assistant



## TristanB (29 Aug 2008)

Hey I am going into my 3rd year of nursing school (BScN from Trent University) and I am considering ROTP, Am I too late? Do they only accept you into this if you are just starting out? 
If I got the ROTP for 2 years how much service would I have to give back?
My other question is...Can I become a Physician Assistant? Or do I have to be a med tech first for like 10 years, even though I am qualified as a nurse?
And if I can become a Physician Assistant going through the nursing path how long will it take?

Any information about nursing in the CF is appreciated as well!

Hope to hear from you guys soon!


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## kincanucks (29 Aug 2008)

Med Techs become PAs and search all the answers are there.


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## medicineman (29 Aug 2008)

If you want to be a PA, as it stands in the CF at the moment, the feeder trade is Med Tech.  If you want to go the the civvy route, you can apply to the BSc Program at McMaster or the MSc program at U of Manitoba - however, I doubt you'd get an ROTP scholarship for either (right now anyway).  If you applied now, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to have the remainder of your schooling paid for to continue the nursing route.  As for time paid back, you'd have to talk to a recruiter.

Cheers.

MM


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## TristanB (29 Aug 2008)

Not that it is all about money... but will a med tech be a lower pay scale as compared to a nursing officer? That is the only thing holding me back from nursing to med tech, plus would a nursing degree be above a med tech? I'm not being rude, I mean in like a medical sort knowledge perspective.
 Also I have decent grades like 78% and rising, but PA school at  McMaster is probably impossible to get into, probably just as hard as medical school (I'm going to apply anyways this year). Manitoba probably even harder because I will be out of province. The profession of PA gives me the scope of practice that I want, I don't necessarily need a flashy MD on my business card.
Also If I apply now for ROTP nursing. Is it too late for them to cover my current school year 2008-2009? 

Thanks for the replies guys!


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## aesop081 (29 Aug 2008)

TristanB said:
			
		

> but will a med tech be a lower pay scale as compared to a nursing officer?



Yes.


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## RubberTree (29 Aug 2008)

Tristan... you pay back 1.5 years for every year the military pays your schooling to a total of 5 years (for most trades including nursing)

As a nurse, once you graduate (and finish basic) you start at about 55,000 / year, as an Lt.
As a med tech you start at about 31 000 as a Private but the jump to Cpl is significant.

Its not too late to apply to ROTP but due to the length of the recruiting process it may not work, talk to your local CFRC. I applied before 1st year and wasn't accepted until the summer after (and was not paid back for the first year).

Depending on what you want to get out of your career you should consider your options as either a nurse or a med tech to PA. They are all great careers. A PA will have a very different scope of practice and in many ways broader than a nurse but that all comes with years of experience and practice.


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## medicineman (30 Aug 2008)

Forgot to add something - at the moment, PA's are Warrant Officers, so don't have a commission (at the moment - there are rumblings going on), whereas Nurses in the CF are officers, hence no ROTP for PA's (thus far).

MM


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## TristanB (30 Aug 2008)

O.k this is good stuff guys. Lots of stuff is cleared up. When I talked to a recruiter they were just like look at this document, look at that. Didn't really know a lot about either occupation.
The pay is some what comparable, so I am going to look into getting into it for the upcoming year 2009-2010.


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## dwalter (30 Aug 2008)

TristanB said:
			
		

> O.k this is good stuff guys. Lots of stuff is cleared up. When I talked to a recruiter they were just like look at this document, look at that. Didn't really know a lot about either occupation.
> The pay is some what comparable, so I am going to look into getting into it for the upcoming year 2009-2010.



A good way to play it would be to apply for the Nursing Officer position ROTP, go through the motions to apply for it (CFAT, Interview, Medical) and make sure you qualify for the NO position. Then, see how you feel about it after getting through that part of the selection process. They give you time to change your choices and to change your mind. Also, you will have time to read up on each trade in more detail, and talk to some people (Perhaps even on this site) that are employed in those trades to get more of an idea of what you could expect.

Best of luck!


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## TristanB (1 Sep 2008)

You guys are awesome. It seems that the training they provide for the Nursing officers is quite amazing. To have some of that stuff on the resume is really pushing me towards it. 
I'm really looking for the widest scope of practice so I can really learn some advanced skills and knowledge.


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## Snakedoc (2 Sep 2008)

Does the CF offer Nursing Officers the opportunity to pursue post-graduate nurse practitioner training?  If so, this would help to 'widen your scope of practice and learn some advanced skills and knowledge.'


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## medicineman (2 Sep 2008)

They do allow post-grad, and were sending people to NP school, however I can't comment on if they still are or not.

MM


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## TristanB (4 Sep 2008)

Yea I went to a recruiter about the nursing officer ROTP. He answered most of the questions but he is not sure how long my contract would be. He said normally 6 years, but obviously shorter because they are only going to subsidize one year of school. Anyone have any idea of how long it will be?

Also how competitive is the program for nurses? They want my transcripts from my last three years of University and last year of high school. I did one year at the University of Ottawa before I switched into Nursing at Trent. In my one year there I did not do very well. I failed Calculus and left with a C+ average. I'm doing well at Trent now (74% first year, 81% second year). I was wondering if they were going to average my marks or just look at the trends? any information on admissions is greatly appreciated!


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## kincanucks (4 Sep 2008)

TristanB said:
			
		

> Yea I went to a recruiter about the nursing officer ROTP. He answered most of the questions but he is not sure how long my contract would be. He said normally 6 years, but obviously shorter because they are only going to subsidize one year of school. Anyone have any idea of how long it will be?
> 
> Also how competitive is the program for nurses? They want my transcripts from my last three years of University and last year of high school. I did one year at the University of Ottawa before I switched into Nursing at Trent. In my one year there I did not do very well. I failed Calculus and left with a C+ average. I'm doing well at Trent now (74% first year, 81% second year). I was wondering if they were going to average my marks or just look at the trends? any information on admissions is greatly appreciated!



Your contract (terms of service) will be for nine years and included in that will the obligatory time you will owe the CF (approx two years) and after your obligatory time is up you are free to leave without penalty (if they let you leave).  They will average all of your post secondary education.  Competitiveness depends on the number positions available and the number of people applying.  However, not to burst your bubble but in six years of recruiting I saw less than five people get subsidized for only one year.  If you don't get in under ROTP there is always DEO and you won't owe any time.  Good Luck.


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## TristanB (5 Sep 2008)

Thanks, Yea I totally get that they would want to subsidize people in lower years. It makes sense they would want to have people in contract longer. Do you think it is even worth my time and spending the cash on getting all my transcripts? I want to do this, but if my chances are too low I may as well wait to graduate and do the DEO route.


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## kincanucks (5 Sep 2008)

TristanB said:
			
		

> Thanks, Yea I totally get that they would want to subsidize people in lower years. It makes sense they would want to have people in contract longer. Do you think it is even worth my time and spending the cash on getting all my transcripts? I want to do this, but if my chances are too low I may as well wait to graduate and do the DEO route.



It doesn't hurt to try besides if they have your information on file and you were processed it would make the DEO application that much more smoother.  You would have to get the transcripts either way.


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