Medical Technician ( Med Tech )

[RLH999]

Good Afternoon Guys
I have a question for the masses.
I moved to Canada 4 years ago from England, and have just reached the ripe old age of 50.
I served in the RAF for 6 years, was a Firefighter (Civilian) for 12 and finally served as a front-line Paramedic (ACP equivalent) for 13 years.
I am currently working for a security company in Canada, which is ok, but not what i want.

I have done some serious thinking about what i really want to do, and after being told by the M.O.H. that i would have to resit twice as many exams as it took me to qualify in the first place, i was thinking about other avenues.

I was wondering what options and opportunities i would have, if i stepped forward and spoke to a CF recruitment centre?

I fully appreciate i am in the more senior time of my life, but i dont feel that i am at a time to give up looking for another career choice.

Thanks

Lee

 

[mariomike]

I have done some serious thinking about what i really want to do, and after being told by the M.O.H. that i would have to resit twice as many exams as it took me to qualify in the first place, i was thinking about other avenues.

In order to become employed in Ontario as a paramedic at any level, a person must hold an Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (AEMCA) qualification or hold training and qualifications deemed equivalent.
Ontario Paramedic Equivalency Process
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/ehs/edu/equiv.html

I was wondering what options and opportunities i would have, if i stepped forward and spoke to a CF recruitment centre?

Required Education
The minimum required education to apply for this position is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 12 or Secondaire V in Quebec with Grade 11 Applied Math (or Quebec equivalent) as well as Biology and Chemistry at the Grade 12 or Secondary V level.

This position requires a valid driver’s license.

Direct Entry
If you already have a college from a recognized Primary Care Paramedic program as well as a current registration, license or certification to practise as a Paramedic from a Canadian provincial or territorial regulatory authority, the Forces may place you directly into the any required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military occupation training is required before being assigned. If you have graduated in the last 24 months, no minimum experience is required. If you have graduated more than 24 months ago, at least 480 hours of cumulative experience is required as a Primary Care Paramedic with an emergency medical service in the past 24 months.

I fully appreciate i am in the more senior time of my life, but i dont feel that i am at a time to give up looking for another career choice.

Am I too old to join/do well/fit in? (Merged thread) 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/207.0
12 pages.

As always,  recruiting is your most trusted source of information.

 

[RLH999]

Thanks
Much appreciated.
I do intend speaking to recruitment, but im also looking for any other info that might be helpful

Lee

 

[Blackadder1916]

I moved to Canada 4 years ago from England, . . .

The first question to answer - are you a Canadian citizen?  If not, it is unlikely you will be enrolled.

 

[mariomike]

Thanks
Much appreciated.

You are welcome. Good luck. 

I do intend speaking to recruitment, but im also looking for any other info that might be helpful

You posted in Enrollment Medical.

You may find some info here,
Medical Technician
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+med+tech&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=-lPMWOWcIsiC8QepypXYCA&gws_rd=ssl#q=site:army.ca+%22med+tech%22&&spf=1

 

[Taylor Levert]

Hello,

I've just gotten in as a Med-Tech. I was wondering if anyone here knew where the paramedic school was located. I know previously that the Forces used the JIBC, but the recruiter had informed me that it had been moved out east somewhere. I couldn't find a forum with this information.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sarahsmom]

The new academy is located in Moncton, NB at Medavie/Atlantic Paramedic Academy.

 

[RoninTheMedic]

Hi,

I'm an Advanced Care Paramedic interested in Med Tech in the Reserves.

I'd like to know for those of you [FT or RES] working as a Med Tech, past initial entry training, how much medical-related duties do you perform on a daily basis?  Understood that all duties are for the mission, but I'd like to know past admin, maintenance, etc, specifically how much regular patient contact time, medicial training, etc you receive?

Thank you

 

[mariomike]

I'd like to know for those of you [FT or RES] working as a Med Tech, past initial entry training, how much medical-related duties do you perform on a daily basis?  Understood that all duties are for the mission, but I'd like to know past admin, maintenance, etc, specifically how much regular patient contact time, medicial training, etc you receive?

See also,

Medical Technician
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+medical+technician&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=VQ8qWpjXL8GDX9uIgLAO&gws_rd=ssl

Med Tech
https://www.google.ca/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&dcr=0&ei=VQ8qWo2XOovijwShj5zABg&q=site%3Aarmy.ca+med+tech&oq=site%3Aarmy.ca+med+tech&gs_l=psy-ab.3...24799.30175.0.31258.26.15.2.0.0.0.136.1114.14j1.15.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..13.0.0....0.ab4dB-d2YM0

 

[RoninTheMedic]

Sir,

I do not care what your position is on the list:  I do not want nor appreciate my post being merged with an old one, and I do not require direction to the CAF pages I have already reviewed.

Please separate my post and meddle less.

Thank you.

 

[Staff Weenie]

Well, isn't that just the sort of attitude I don't want in my unit. I really don't give a rat's hind end if somebody is an ACP. I want soldiers who follow direction, and will put their ass on the line for the wounded, without complaining.

 

[ModlrMike]

As I suggested in my reply to your post on the Navy board, you may be disappointed in the reserve as an ACP. Particularly in the early portion of your career. The fact that you're an ACP in civilian life, may or may not have any bearing on how you function in the military where scope of practice is driven mostly by trade qualification. While your extended knowledge and skills will be appreciated, you may not be entitled to practice to the full extent of your civilian qualification. This is a function of working in a different health authority; your licence does not carry over.

Personally, I get enough of my regular job at work... I do something different in the reserve on purpose. Plus I bring new skills to my regular job that I wouldn't get if I was in my primary occupation.

 

[PuckChaser]

I do not care what your position is on the list:  I do not want nor appreciate my post being merged with an old one, and I do not require direction to the CAF pages I have already reviewed.

Fortunately for you, when you make a post in a thread it makes it nice and new and right to the top of the list. It's no longer old, its new!

 

[One-off]

Roninthemedic, after reading your various posts here's my take on your situation.
  As an ACP your skill set would be better used in a Field Amb unit, specifically the reserves.  I've worked with a few reservists who are civvie paramedics and they love working on the green side part time because it allows them to go places and do things they normally wouldn't do.  In the reg force, you'll end up doing more clinical work than you probably want to do, spend time on PAT platoon thumbing your sphincter and 2nd guessing your life choices, and there's not as much trauma as there is civvie side unless you're deployed.  A lot of your time in a reserve field amb will be honing your skills for the big show which can be a huge asset for you civvie side as much as your civvie experience will benefit the unit you join.  So basically what you'll be looking at with the reserves is training, practicing, and attending exercises ranging from 2 days to ??? all over Canada including the arctic, you could also have the opportunity to go on deployments.
  Like Modlrmike said, your civvie qualifications won't necessarily carry over, you may find yourself having to do the dp1 for med tech.  It happens, I was on PAT with an individual who had spent 7 years full time as a civvie EMT but still was sent to JIBC to take the primary care paramedic course.  Another individual I worked was was a reservist who wanted to CT, he had been working 3 year full time contracts before he applied and the only way they would let him is if he forfeited his rank and redid all his training so he CT'd to a navy trade instead kept his rank and the corps lost a good medic.  It's all about mindset, one of those individuals looked at it as refresher training and an easy paycheque and the other took it as an insult.
  Irregardless of a previous comment made, any field amb unit would be pleased to have someone with experience vs a fresh recruit who's never been covered in someone else's blood, never put their a** on the line to save a life, or dealt with the frustration of trying their hardest but still losing a cas.  Most likely you'll be working for someone who is younger and has less experience than you but it may not stay that way for long if you made peace with it and don't expect special treatment/feel entitled.  Reserves need good people and the units find ways to make productive use of the ones with relatable experience 
  Considering all of that, the best advice I can give you is talk to your local reserve field amb unit, they'll have someone other than a generic CF recruiter to answer any and all questions you'll have.

 

[mariomike]

I do not require direction to the CAF pages I have already reviewed.

You must have missed Reply #201,

There are also no NavRes MedTechs.

before starting your "Med Tech or similar in Naval Reserves?" thread.

  Like Modlrmike said, your civvie qualifications won't necessarily carry over, you may find yourself having to do the dp1 for med tech.   

I posted this to RoninTheMedic's other thread.

This is for anyone else who may be applying for Med Tech,

Medical Technician - Unskilled, Semi-skilled, Skilled Application 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/81858.75.html
5 pages.

As always, Recruiting is your most trusted source of information.

 

[Gregt-rex]

Hi, I am planning on enlisting as soon as im done my secondary education however I was hoping some of you that have served(med tech or not) could tell me about Life in the Canadian military as a Med Tech and answer some questions if you are able.

For example, I would like to be a tac-med, with the guys in the field( Once I finish my program I will be an ACP with trauma experience in USA, Mexico and South Africa) but I was wondering how would it work to be an effective tac-med if after BMQ I would go to Canadian Forces Medical Service School in Borden, Ontario for medical training and miss all the stuff infantry learns during their basic occupational qualification training like patrolling tactics, cqb,infantry tactics and field-craft etc. This seems important stuff to know, wouldn't that be important knowledge for a tac-med? If, for example, the infantry unit will be operating in an urban environment yet a Med Tech hasn't received adequate CQB training, wouldn't that make him/her a liability or worse, dangerous?

My second question is more about the med-techs life with his/her unit and advancement opportunities. I would like to become jump qualified and then move into recon and hopefully one day go through pathfinder course. As a med-tech is that a possibility or do I have no clue whatsoever?
I have some more questions but lets start with these.

Thank you

 

[LightFighter]

Med Techs do not do Infantry DP1/BIQ, they do their own trade course.  BMQ-Land is a course they would attend, and it’s more of an intro to the C9, grenades, patrolling, etc.

If you are posted to an Infantry battalion and attached to a rifle company, etc you would conduct training with them. 


Medics can attend Basic Para, comes down to the unit you are in, luck, etc.

You can also try out to be a Medic for a CANSOF unit.

 

[Gregt-rex]

okey, am I able to choose to be posted with an infantry company and volunteer for these advanced courses or is that completely out of my control and is up to luck? is there a chance I will get posted in the navy or something after my training?

I know there is no direct entry into special forces and im not going to pretend im the stuff of legends but is it possible for a med tech to get in as an assaulter or operator?

thanks

 

[LightFighter]

okey, am I able to choose to be posted with an infantry company ....  is there a chance I will get posted in the navy or something after my training?

You can list preferences for postings, but ultimately you could end up anywhere a Med Tech at your rank/qual level is required.  I’m not a Med Tech, so I can’t really add anything about the likelihood of getting what you want, timelines, etc.

I know there is no direct entry into special forces and im not going to pretend im the stuff of legends but is it possible for a med tech to get in as an assaulter or operator?

Any trade in the Canadian Forces can submit an application and try to be an Operator or Assaulter. 

 

[Blackadder1916]

okey, am I able to choose to be posted with an infantry company and volunteer for these advanced courses or is that completely out of my control and is up to luck? is there a chance I will get posted in the navy or something after my training?

Ask all you want, but "technically" no Med Techs get "posted" to Army field units.  The Medics are their own world, their chain of command goes from the lowest level direct through all the various levels to the Surgeon General/Commander Canadian Forces Health Services Group.  The medical units are not in the Army, Navy or Air Force; they are in support of elements of those commands, but they are in a separate command.  That's why most medics wear the Military Personnel Command badge.  There are a few odds and sods in the medical world who are posted outside the medical world but that is mainly in staff positions and the only junior Med Techs would be the Cpl/LS on those HMC ships with medical staff (currently the frigates and tankers - usually one per vessel).