Joining the Reserves Medics

[Medicman]

I am currently in the process of joining the Reserves. I would like your opinion. Would it be wise to join the Medics as I am taking Paramedics in college. Any information that you could provide me would be great. Thanks

 

[vr]

Hi Medicman:

It would be very beneficial to both your civilian and military occupations if you joined the medics.  The Reserve Medical world is eagerly seeking out personnel with civilian qualifications.  Having these will allow you access to a wider range of experiences ie going overseas as a medic, than other personnel.  Also civilian quals allow some of your courses to be wholly/partially written off and give credit towards promotion as well.

Being a Reserve medic will also allow you to practice your civilian skills more often.  You will have the opportunity to lead and teach other junior members which makes you much moreeffective in your civilian career.  Many employers love to see the Reserves on a resume because it means you're a hard worker, able to get along with others, are disciplined, and have a high BS tolerance.(my emphasis)

In short going Reserve Med A for you is a win-win situation.  Go Medic, man.

 

[Fraser.g]

There are two points of view.
One is that if you do it on Civi street do you want to do it on weekends as well?
The second is that you will develop your leadership skills faster in the military than on Civi street and you will be valued for your medical skills. If you become an infanteer your medical skills will not and can not be put to use due to scope of practice.

Of those two choices, I say GO FOR IT!!! Not only will you be valued for your civi skill set and have the choice of teaching those skills to others but you will have the ability to deploy on tour as a medic more readily then if you did not have the CIVI qualifications.

Good luck and if I can be of any help give me a PM.

 

[Dale Turner]

Hey Medicman,
    Just a quick note,  I've been a paramedic for 14 yrs and I joined the closest Fd Amb unit 4 yrs ago.  And take it from me that your skills and training will be looked up to by all of your peers in the unit.  You all of a sudden become the "subject matter expert" and it does wonders for your ego especially when you're new to the army environment.  Just turn that ego boost into enthusiasm and you'll be surprised at how much you enjoy being a medic in the army.

Dale

 

[SweepstakesRon]

One question from somebody who has no idea on this whole thing.  What if somebody had no civi training as a paramedic or in the medical field in general.  Any tips on becoming a medic or any advise in general?

 

[Trinity]

I was a medic for 10 years...

Since this new change in the medical system, my
understanding is if you don't have any civilian qualification
behind you.. it totally sucks. 

The army wants the reserve medics to have civy standards,
even the ones already in, which just isn't possible for many
of us to do since we all have other jobs...

Its one of the reasons i remustered....
I would have been a MCpl but not allowed to do anything
No thanks

 

[Donut]

Sweepstakes, are you looking for Reg Force (full-time) or Reserve (pt)?

That will make a huge difference in the answer.

If Reg F, the army will teach you what you need to know; meet the entry requirments, study hard, listen to your supervisors, and learn what you need.

If Res, you'll learn a bit, but not a huge amount, of emergency medicine, you'll have an opportunity to maintain the skills you'll gain, and you'll work under supervision for a while.  Non-licensed reserve medics have a fairly restricted scope-of-practice.  If you've got a civi license, you operate to the level of your civilian protocols, you can go overseas, work in CF clinics, spend lots of time in the field, etc.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask if there's anything else you need.

DF

 

[drdique]

So I am new to this forum, and the world of the Canadian forces. I'm currently complete the Primary Care Paramedic (Civilian) course in Edmonton, AB. I'm interested in joing-up, but as a Med-Tech, What's the difference between Reg-Force and Reserve? I'm curious about committment, training, wages, pros and cons. I'm a little bit skeptical as to whether or not i should join-up, provide words of encouragement, or caution if you have any.

Thanks guys,

a

 

[Donut]

Gimme an  S
Gimme a    E
Gimme a    A
Gimme a    R
Gimme a    C
Gimme a    H

Clearly you missed the mandatory reading for new comers here.

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FRIENDLY ADVICE TO NEW MEMBERS - http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/24937/post-259412.html#msg259412

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Canadian Forces Aptitude Test - http://army.ca/forums/threads/21101/post-103977.html#msg103977

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To summarize. Welcome to Army.ca, start reading.

 

[drdique]

Please accept my appologies for being hasty. Since I began investigating the Canadian Forces, I have become markedly more interested and zealous. I will continue to read and explore the information at hand. I look forward to an amicable future on army.ca

-a

 

[Donut]

Well, to give you some credit, you did resuscitate an old thread rather then starting a new one!    ;D

Really, welcome to the boards.

DF

 

[sunnyliston]

Well, to give you some credit, you did resuscitate an old thread rather then starting a new one!    ;D

Really, welcome to the boards.

DF

sinc
So, Instead of starting a new thread, I thought I would ask my questions here...on this one, since they relate to the same topic.

Firstly, I was wondering if there were any members of 23 Field Ambulance on the board, since I have had NO LUCK finding out information through the internet and recruiters...secondly I was wondering if my civilian healthcare experience would qualify me for a med tech role...I have a B.S. in Exercise Physiology and extensive Advanced First Aid and Cardiac Medicine qualifications...I am currently working as a Kinesiologist in Hamilton. Lastly, I wanted to know if I can train and work with a pres infantry unit, but be trained (on weekend courses) as a combat medic?? Any insight would be greatly appreciated, as I have realized talking to CF members currently working in these roles is much more helpful than talking to a recruiter!!

Cheers,
Emily

 

[old medic]

There are a few members here from 23 Fd Amb. Keep checking back.
Experience and Qualifications help tremendously. That's exactly what Health Services is
looking for.
Medics work with whatever unit they (their unit) are in support of. That could be the infantry, or
it could be the Navy. There are a number of qualifications new medics need before
they work outside the Field Ambulance.

 

[sunnyliston]

Thank you. Do you know how I would find out what Unit 23 Field Ambulance supports??

Also, for any 23Field Amb members, I would love the opportunity to pick your brains about what life is like for a reserve medic. THanks!!

 

[MommyMedic]

I am a civvie paramedic who is also a reserve medic. I actually came from the reg F, where I was lucky enough to get my civvie Crackerjack-Box License. I absolutely love being in both worlds. Obviously both have pros and cons but on the whole I get something very unique from each side.

If anyone is considering whether to join reg F vs. go to a civvie school, I would suggest if you can get the army to pay you to get your PCP license, that math makes the most sense to me. If you are interested in the army, you will enjoy your time in I think. Maybe someone who went to a school then joined as a PCP can weigh in on the differences between a civvie program and the army program. I believe they are very similar. All I know is I banked money in the army, and had money in the bank when I started my civvie career - better than being in debt.

Edmonton (in my experience) is a phenomenal place to be a civvie paramedic in the reserves. Your training and experience will be valued and used appropriately; which is not the case in every reserve unit. Edmonton has some very valuable resources in their staffing; all kinds and levels of medical professionals. I would consider myself lucky to be able to work with that group again.

If anyone wants to PM me with questions, I'd be happy to help if I can.