# becoming a preventative medicine technician



## Brew (25 Jan 2011)

Good day, I have a question about becoming a Pre Med Tech. I currently hold a 4 year bachelor of technology in public health and have worked as a public health inspector outside of the military. Is there a way for me to become a pre med tech in the military without enrolling as a med tech first?


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## Occam (25 Jan 2011)

I can't answer your question, but PMedMoe will likely be around to answer it, and remind you that the proper abbreviation is PMed Tech.


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## Journeyman (25 Jan 2011)

Occam said:
			
		

> .....PMedMoe will likely be around to answer it


She was amongst a group of us meeting a friend at a local watering hole last night. 
Feisty, but not much staying power; she may be late   >


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## PMedMoe (25 Jan 2011)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> She was amongst a group of us meeting a friend at a local watering hole last night.
> Feisty, but not much staying power; she may be late   >



Ha ha, I'll remember that, JM.   

PMed Tech is not a direct entry trade.  Presently (and this may change), the message for occupational transfer (OT) to PMed is put out once per year and the prerequisites are QL3 qualified Med Tech and 36 months in, amongst others such as current medical (and must meet MOC standards), fitness test, etc.

Public Health is not the only thing PMed Techs do.  We are also responsible for water quality, pest control, communicable disease (tracing , trends, etc), recommendations for medication(s) and vaccinations for duty and non-duty travel, providing briefings, heat, noise and lighting surveys, and uniform treatment, just to name a few.

As a 6A qualified tech, you get into the Occupational Health and Safety.  Having the basics from the Med Tech QL3 course (anatomy and physiology, modes of disease transmission, etc) will give one a background from which to draw from with regards to some PMed issues.

Yes, it is PMed Tech.  Pre Med makes me feel like I'm in university to become a doctor.   :

And it' preventive, not preventative.   :nod:


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## Brew (25 Jan 2011)

Thanks for your reply. As a public health inspector food inspection, water/waste water quality, itegrated pest management, solid waste management, epidemiology, occupational health and safety, air quality, communicable disease, environmental engineering issues, microbiology, anatomy physiology, organic chemistry, occupational hygiene, statistics, etc are all included areas of study and scope of practice. This BTech in Public Health covers all of what you talked about and much more with the exception of vaccinations. There is a distance program that is offered at cbu and there have been PMeds in the past take this program to build on their education and obtain a degree and write the CIPHI certification. I actually did my mentorship in Fredericton with an ex PMed now public health inspector. (Arnold Mazerole). Anyway, it was worth asking but it doesn't make sense why a 4 year degree would not be something that could get my foot in the door but I will continue to look into this a little further. Thanks again for your time.


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## PMedMoe (25 Jan 2011)

Go to the CFRC and see if they'll do a PLA (Prior Learning Assessment).  That's the best advice I can offer.


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## Brew (25 Jan 2011)

Thanks for your help. I'll try that and hope it works.


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## MG (10 Feb 2013)

Hello, Just wondering if anyone has any more information regarding the first post (or if the thread starter went through with their plans). I also have a degree in public health and am wondering if there is a way to enter without becoming a med tech. I have looked online but there is little information about this. I do know that the BOC exam to obtain the CPHI(C) qualification has members from the military on the advisory board, so I assume the training is similar. 

Thanks for any help.


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## The_Falcon (10 Feb 2013)

MG said:
			
		

> wondering if there is a way to enter without becoming a med tech.



No, it's a sub-occupation specialty. You can try going the route the OP did ask to submit a PLAR, so IF you got hired a Med Tech, your quals MAY be already in your PerFile/MPRR, by the time your eligible to OT.


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## MG (11 Feb 2013)

Okay. Thanks for answering me. I was hoping it would be something could get right into, but I should have looked more into this before taking the schooling.


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## DAA (11 Feb 2013)

Brew said:
			
		

> Thanks for your reply. As a public health inspector food inspection, water/waste water quality, itegrated pest management, solid waste management, epidemiology, occupational health and safety, air quality, communicable disease, environmental engineering issues, microbiology, anatomy physiology, organic chemistry, occupational hygiene, statistics, etc are all included areas of study and scope of practice. This BTech in Public Health covers all of what you talked about and much more with the exception of vaccinations. There is a distance program that is offered at cbu and there have been PMeds in the past take this program to build on their education and obtain a degree and write the CIPHI certification. I actually did my mentorship in Fredericton with an ex PMed now public health inspector. (Arnold Mazerole). Anyway, it was worth asking but it doesn't make sense why a 4 year degree would not be something that could get my foot in the door but I will continue to look into this a little further. Thanks again for your time.



Have you ever considered WFE Tech as an alternate--->  http://www.forces.ca/en/job/waterfuelsandenvironmentaltechnician-60


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## MedCorps (11 Feb 2013)

Keep your eyes open.  We had a briefing not that long ago stating that as part of the Med Tech restructuring that PMed Tech will likely move from being a sub-occupation to being it's own MOSID. Expect this to take 2-3 years.

This will allow PMed Techs to be recruited from the CFRC and will no longer see Med Techs VOT to PMed Tech as the method of personnel generation.  The same is true for OR Tech. 

Watch and shoot.  

MC


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## MG (23 Feb 2013)

Thanks for the information about this career opening up to outside recruiting. How would I go about finding out when the status of the hiring option has changed? Should I just check on the forces.ca website over the next couple of years to see if it has been added? 

Thanks again.


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## MedCorps (23 Feb 2013)

That is a good strategy.  When/if it  opens up it will be on the CF recruiting website. 


MC


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## MG (21 Mar 2015)

Just wondering if there has been any movement on this topic. I haven't seen anything on the recruitment site but maybe some people have inside information. Thanks a lot.


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## MedCorps (21 Mar 2015)

There has been internal movement on the topic, albeit it very slow. It is now with Director Personal Generation Requirements and the employment structure process. 

Still nothing to release to the public at this time. Heck it has only been a year since my last update, what do you expect?  ;D  I would not expect to see anything at this point until at least 2017, if indeed the project is approved (which I expect that it will be based on conversation with people who are working on the file daily). 

MC


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## MJP (21 Mar 2015)

MedCorps said:
			
		

> "daily"



The CAF version of daily is very different than what one would expect it to mean.  If you are comparing it to the movement of glaciers then it might be more appropriate 

* note for the haters this isn't a jab at the medical world just the CAF on any file in general


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