Hired

For those of you who may not know me well - Both my husband and I are currently active working medics. The following post will explain the how's and where's! 

Our adventure of finding a job within our desired field was one of tested patience, long study sessions, and being completely buried in all things paramedicine. We applied to each service together but we definitely had our desired regions/municipalities we wanted to work in. The real question is now, looking back on where we have ended up, are we both content? This is something I would be happy to chat about in person!

What is the hiring process you might ask? Well I’m so glad you asked, because I was going to tell you anyways!

Services hire once or twice a year depending on how many successful candidates there were in the previous hire or if the service needs more medics AND has the necessary funding. You can only apply when the job becomes “open”. The application process can vary from answering pages and pages of questions answered online, other times it’s as simple as attaching your meticulously crafted resume and cover letter. Most services have a scanner that searches for key words in the cover letters as well as very specific qualifications on the resumes submitted. This is a way to electronically sort through the thousands of applications each service receives. Accumulatively, we spent hours perfecting both resume and cover letters for the specific service we were applying to.

After our resume and cover letter passed through initial scanning we were notified of a date for the written exam. The number of people invited to the written exam was a percentage based on the number of Paramedics they were allotted funding for from the provincial government and municipality (50/50). To put this into perspective: Hamilton was given funding to hire 40 new Paramedics in 2019. There were approximately 2,000 people applied, however, only ~800 people were invited to the written portion.

The third step to this competitive process was the scenario. Scenarios in the world of paramedicine usually consist of a judicator, a partner, a patient, a few bystanders, and maybe some people standing in as police officers or fire fighters. In a scenario, you are evaluated based on BLS & ALS PCS directives, scene management, communication, skills utilized/delegated, the different acts Paramedics fall under, and a few other specific criteria. The scenario is simulated based on actual calls responded to within our field. If you want to talk specifics send me a message. I have put enough time and space between the reality of making one wrong decision and it costing me a job opportunity!

The fourth and in some cases, final step is an interview. The interview can be a panel: meaning six to eight different people asking you questions and documenting all answers. A different style of interviews are MMI’s: Multi Mini Interviews consist of seven stations all different questions with timed answers. The only other type of interview that we had to do was sit down with the chief, an HR representative, and usually one other member of management.  This was the most challenging part for me. You could have thrown any variation of scenario at me or test questions and it was something we had studied or practiced. Interviews were not black and white answers. There were many ways you could answer a question and still score a high mark, but with each one I became more and more confident. There are many types of questions the interviewer could ask, such as: interpersonal relationships, protocols, communications, conflict resolution, are just to name a few.

Along with the above mentioned steps to obtaining a job offer you had to complete on your own time and funds: A specific class drivers licence, a medical physical exam, a physical test (weight lifting, endurance, strength), and obtaining all past medical history/immunization documentation.

After you receive a conditional job offer you have to brave through one more round of testing: base hospital certification testing. This is yet another type of test which consists of another seven scenarios all testing the aforementioned points. This certification allows you to perform medical acts under an assigned physician within a specific region in Ontario. 

Due to the highly competitive nature of paramedicine we applied to regions all throughout Ontario. We put a lot of kilometers on our little Cruz, but every road trip was spent memorizing, reviewing, discussing case scenarios, and listening to plenty of great music!

Benjamin was the first to receive a job offer with the Niagara Region. Benjamin worked diligently throughout the whole process with Niagara and I can still remember the pride I felt as he answered that phone call. I was placed on the waitlist that hire and was hoping to receive a job offer before too long, but it never came.

I was hired not too long after in Brantford as we both continued to hope for a position within the same region. The most important thing to both of us was the fact we were now certified paramedics with an oasis number and working as paramedics.

Eventually, we both received a job offer within the City of Hamilton (my dream location). I would have to admit it to being one of the proudest moments of my life. For the previous four years, everything I did was to obtain a position as a paramedic with the city. Our journey is far from over. There are many avenues we can take within our field and room for lots of movement, but for now we are more than lucky to be where we are.

I absolutely cannot imagine going through those months of writing exams, doing scenarios, and interviews without Benjamin and his constant encouragement. Those months of disappointments and feeling like you’re just not quite GOOD enough. A huge thank you as well to those of my family and close friends that were constantly there for me – you are SO loved.

For anyone who might be reading this and going through the process right now, feel free to drop me a message. You will get there! Stick at it, work hard and above all – DO NOT give up! I have met people who have worked for years to obtain a position. Be patient with yourself and believe in yourself!

Apply, Apply, Apply

I will never forget the first service I applied to. Did I want this specific region? NOPE! Was I allowed to be picky? NOPE! I spent hours and hours on my resume and cover letter. I had so many people read it, in fact I'm sure they got sick and tired of reading it over and over as I would make minor changes. Oh the stress and nerves that would follow in the months to come. I had worked so hard and invested so much into this career. More than anything I wanted a career in paramedicine.

The period of time that passed during first application and now seemed endless - I felt like I would be "a lifer" applying to services only to be rejected again and again. It is so easy to become discouraged in this season of applying, writing services tests, interviewing, practicing scenario, being tested on scenarios, ONLY to find out someone was just a little better than you! However, there is hope! All of the sudden the floodgates opened and there were sixteen services open all at once. It felt like there was so much pressure to get a job offer from every single service! This is an unobtainable feat, but this is what I thought I had to strive for.

My husband (now) received a job offer before I did. I'm going to be brutally honest here. This girl is 100% competition and this one stung! Did he deserve this job? Absolutely! Although totally unwarranted and completely ridiculous, this super competitive, overachieving girl was just a smidge bit jealous. However, things happen for a reason and things would turn around.

My goal was to dedicate one hour to studying every day. It was hard to find the time some days with working and prioritizing family/career life. We all have responsibilities AND distractions, but we need to learn how to prioritize. For me it was delaying some things for the betterment of my future. There were a lot of "NO's" given out in this time period as I knew for me I had to really focus on exceeding through the hiring processes. The process of selection is a highly competitive and demanding one, I was not going to be under-prepared. For you, FIGURE out what works for you. Talk to the people that are close in your life, TRUST me they will understand and want to support you in whatever way they can! This process will likely look a lot different for you than for me, however, you NEED to dedicate a period of time daily and focusing on your future. In the end, if it's between you and another person you don't want them to choose your competitor because you forgot a minor step!

Fact: YOU WILL NOT BE HIRED AT EVERY SERVICE YOU APPLY TO. Unless you're some psycho smart genius who gets LUCKY! It's hard! You will feel like you're doing all that you absolutely can. You will see LESS competent people get hired ahead of you, just DON'T GIVE UP!

Like I said previously I had invested so much time, money, and energy into this career I knew that I could not be "choosy". Did I have my choice service? Absolutely! Did I get it, eventually. However, not without a great sacrifice, and the support of those who understood what the process was like.

To sum it up:
1. Study daily - even if it's for a short period a day
2. Prioritize
3. Find one or two people who are there to support and not be afraid to PUSH you when needed

Consolidation Period

I will never forget the first day I was to start my consolidation with Hamilton Paramedic Services. I was a nervous, shaking mess! Who were my preceptors going to be? Would they facilitate a healthy learning environment? Would they welcome my constant pestering of questions?

I arrived at base 1.5 hours before my first shift as supposed to start...a little too keen? Likely! I never got the name of the superintendent that greeted me each and every day before I started my shift, but his welcome was always a highlight of my day! He very quickly put my nerves to ease and introduced me to one of the kindest of HPS who was very quick to show hospitality and excitement to have me as part of the team. He took me out to the garage where I would see 2014 (my house for the foreseeable future). He walked me through bag, monitor, and truck checks. It was then that I would meet the one that would invest so much of his time and energy into my success of becoming the paramedic I am today. Every negative thing I heard about HPS consolidation went up in dust within the first few moments as my preceptors personified a kind, intelligent, and welcoming atmosphere.

How do you consolidate 540 hours of learning, real life experience, and growth in one post? YOU CAN'T!

I will forever remember the first call on my first day! We were called code 4 SOB (shortness of breath)...so on went the sirens. Adam (preceptor name changed for privacy, but here on out referred to as such) turns around (as he's weaving through traffic and people J-walking the streets of Hamilton) and asks me "what are four things that could cause SOB?" This would be the beginning of many amazing conversations with Adam. The big red truck pulled in just before us and all four guys raced for the door. Jared (other preceptor, name also changed for privacy) was attending this call and casually got out of the truck and assisted me in getting the stretcher and bags out of the truck for the first time. My adrenaline was pumping, how could Jared be so calm in demeanor? Noting the attitude of my preceptors I felt myself calm down. We entered the apartment and Jared stared assessing the patient, Adam talked to the spouse, and I attached cardiac monitor. I was trying to take in everything that was going on. I did amazing in lab at school, but the real life scenarios are always so different than other colleagues pretending they're in an emergency situation. This call ended up not being everything we thought it was going to be, but I learned a few valuable lessons on this call. First, never RUSH into the house. You have to remain calm in order to create that controlled environment. Secondly, people don't always understand what is happening inside their own bodies. In a day and age were INFORMATION is so readily available people often try and figure out on their own what the cause of the aches and pains are and usually search engines will generate some sort of cancer! Anxiety will only likely exacerbate said issues. RABBIT TRAIL...

My cloud seemed to be domestic issues. Honestly through, I'm so thankful I was able to witness and deal with such a broad spectrum of these types of calls as the training in school on how to communicate with these patients is very limited. Mental illness and domestic issues are a very prevalent reality in today's world. I was able to communicate with an un-medicated bipolar woman in labor wanting to commit suicide as she didn't feel this world was fit to bring her child into. I was able to talk with a lot of teenagers not living at home, trying to fend for themselves, and just utterly broken. The saddest domestic call I had was this lady who ran a few blocks from her home, barely conscious, just to get away from someone beating her at home. She was scared to talk about it, tried telling us her dog was just too strong for her. There are clear signs we are able to ascertain physical human abuse vs. dog pulling you off your feet and this woman exhibited all of them.
Perhaps the most exciting call I had within this segment was to a woman's shelter. I can't even remember what we were called for, but I do remember that it was close to the end of a very long day! Jared was not on the truck this day, so we had a new hire filling for him (very easy to get a long with). Anyways, the new hire was keen and wanted to take this call. He walked in and introduced himself to a very non-obliging patient. She had just been dropped off by the cops from a bar. She wasn't really in much of a state to answer questions. She was disturbing other people in the home and the staff at the home did not feel comfortable having her there before medically clearing her. The patient would not talk to new hire (male) so I asked him if I could try speaking with her.  He took a step back and I was just starting to communicate well with her when I noticed  new burn marks all up her legs and arms. This call had just turned into so much more. I began to carefully ask her if she had noticed the burns on her peripherals and where she got them, the answer to which she completely evaded. She said all she wanted to do was sleep. I explained to her that I couldn't leave until she was honest with me as my main concern for her was her own safety. It was at this point that something clicked in her brain, and not necessarily a positive change. She decided she had to use the washroom (which was down the hall) and there was nothing any of us could do to convince her to wait. Once she came out of the washroom she sat in the corner and I went up to her and somehow was able to help her see the need to receive medical attention. We were all ALMOST in the elevator, I JUST had to grab the one bag when she made a bolt for it. It was almost as though she had been injected with some sort of adrenaline (I guarantee she was NOT) as she suddenly turned into Lightning McQueen! Adam and I ran after her with the cardiac monitor and symptom relief bag in hand trying to navigate through the stair wells and hallways. It wasn't until she entered the kitchen and got close to a knife block that I realized she REALLY did not want us there. She then dashed through another door just as someone yelled from behind "NOT IN THERE, THAT'S WHERE THE KIDS SLEEP". Adam knew he needed to stop her before she disturbed, much less harmed the kids, so we closed in on her just in time for her to rip a fire extinguisher off the wall and throw it at Adam. He then asked for his sedative to be drawn up which we did not end up using at the time. She was not communicating at all at this point and we couldn't find any I.D. on her person. It was a scavenger hunt which included her attempting to draw her name on my arm, that turned futile. It was yet another sad story of a very lonely, depressed young adult that hadn't yet been able to find the help she needed. Hopefully this was the last time she needed to be helped in this capacity.

There were a few days Jared was not able to make it into work which meant Adam and I were a PRU for the majority of our shift. One day we were called to three VSA's in a row, which made for a tiring shift. We were a very efficient team though and I learned so much through our one on one time. The one VSA we ran together was tricky. We arrived on scene to find two new BLS hires running the VSA stating the dad of the patient insisted there was a DNR, but was unable to produce it. He was adamant that his son did not wish to be resuscitated. Due to the nature of this call the patients wishes were vague and he was terminally ill. Attempts were made to reach our BHP, but we could not reach CPER right away. While Adam initiated his ACP protocols I continued attempting to patch through to BHP while watching monitor and recording all times throughout the resuscitation. Finally we were able to connect and Adam explained the situation to the Dr.. We were able to honour the wishes of the son and stopped all efforts. I have never explained someones death to a loved one and seen them so relieved. It was also the first time I was able to clean up post VSA and make the body presentable. I didn't know how I'd react to staring death in the face, no one does, until they really do.
Another VSA I will never forget is the one Adam and I made it to the house in less than four minutes after the call was placed. We even beat the big red truck, in fact, we had first analyze, airway, and a brief summation of the patients hx before either BLS crew or fire arrived! Both were flabbergasted! I will forever remember my last VSA. We arrived after the BLS crew and fire, but I had worked with both BLS medics before so it was like a little reunion. Other than compressions and BVM Adam and I ran the call and the other three medics just watched (didn't realize till after). One of the BLS medics approached me after the call and wanted to let me know how impressed he was with how the call was handled. He said he had never given a compliment to a student before but needed to give one to me. I am not writing this to gloat or brag, just feel that in years to come when I'm running calls, it will be good for my sanity to look back on this! With each and every call I was becoming more and more confident in my skills as did the itch to be able to be a true Paramedic and finally kiss the student badge goodbye! Other than trauma, I was able to witness the different types of ways we as paramedics handle different types of deaths. My experience through HPS was thorough and 99.9% complete!

There are perks to being a woman in this profession and there are downsides. I really noticed the difference between how woman in domestic distress, little children, or teenage girls who have issues with the big questions in life would respond to me as a female vs. my preceptors (males). However, there were inevitable downsides. One of the biggest was when drunk men thought you were their girlfriend. This one call we arrived on scene after the police. He did not meet the aid to capacity and in time, obliged to our request to get on our stretcher. He was not communicating well with my preceptors or the police, so once we were in the back of the truck I started speaking to him in his native tongue, Spanish. However, this was perhaps the biggest mistake of my consolidation. He then proceeded to communicate with only me. At first it was fine, then when I tried to connect him to the monitor he grabbed for my upper leg. I told him very firmly never to attempt that again. He then proceeded to punch in cabinet doors and rip the ecg wires in half with his teeth. Jared was sitting on the edge of his chair, but kept getting closer and closer to the patient. Both Jared and Adam were super protective of me and never put up with any type of physical or verbal abuse towards me, which I greatly appreciated. The patient seemed to calm down temporarily till we got into the hospital. There was nothing we could do to convince him to stay on the stretcher. He was unable to stand straight, much less walk so we acquired a wheelchair for him. Much to our displeasure he attempted many times get up and a few times made it quite far into the hospital parking lot before Adam, Jared, and security were able to get him back inside After quite a few advancements inside, fights with Adam and Jared to try and get to me, I hid from sight while working on my ACR's. The worst part of it all was that as he was speaking vulgar to me, I felt isolated as no one around could understand except the patient and I. We never went overtime on offload delay at the hospital, EVER, EXCEPT with this cheerful patient! We were with him two and a half hours after end of shift which felt like an eternity.
I was so thankful and lucky for the preceptors I had during another episode of a difficult work atmosphere. There are some people that see paramedicine as a mans world, much less a world where YOUNG female students belong (P.S I LOVE BEING CONSIDERED YOUNG). My preceptors were off for a few days in a row and I was with such a person. Most of his partners didn't get along with him either. However, when he started calling me out in front of nurses, hospital staff, patients, and patients family members, I did not feel comfortable being on his truck. This attitude definitely was not instilling confidence in the patients I was attempting to attend to and I knew that I needed to take a step back. So many details of these three days I cannot go into, however when my preceptors came back they had a few things to say. I told them that as long as I never had to be on the truck (without one of them) with him again I was happy to not let this go any further. Not even a week later Adam and I were first response and one of the female supervisors came into the back of the truck (where we were likely discussing some sort of protocol kink or pathophysiology of a call we recently had) and told us that we were being paired up with this same person. Adam stood up for me and explained that if that that was not an option for us. The poor supervisor must have been so confused as Adam is known at HPS as being the most amicable and easy going person in the service. I told him it was ok and not to explain it to her. However, he snuck in and told her the whole story! She happened to be one of the first female supervisors in Ontario so this situation is one that she was very familiar with. She came back out to the truck and explained to me that this was unacceptable and that it had to be dealt with. Jared found out and contacted his friend (another supe on duty) who came out to the truck as well and we had a long conversation. He explained how, even though I was a student, this was my workplace as well and that I was not to put up with such behaviour. He gave me encouragement and the permission to call this person out if this happened again. I knew that nothing would happen as Adam was with us on the truck as well and I had full confidence that he would not allow anything to transpire. Guess what, I was right! I responded to other calls with him during the rest of my consolidation, but he never talked to me as such again as it had been dealt with properly. I felt so supported and really appreciated how everyone showed such care, even for me as a student... literally no one to them.

Jared was so thoughtful and considerate throughout my entire consolidation. From day one he told me that if I ever felt uncomfortable with anything that I was to let him know immediately and he would do whatever he could to amend the issue. I am thankful I never had to utilize this in a very big capacity I knew that that support was there and that I could talk openly about whatever I needed to with him. Jared also spent many hours with me finding songs for my wedding playlist! I now have an amazing compilation, thanks to Jared! Jared was an easy going kind of guy and challenged me in my patient assessment and treatment each and every day.

The best "consolidation completion" gift I was given was the HPS badge and PCP epaulets off of Adam's uniform. The epaulets are usually only given once you have completed base hospital training and are hired within a service. So being presented with these at the end of consolidation was super special for me. Adam was incredibly patient with me throughout my entire time with them on 2014. He listened to all of my whacked theories and we talked through many different ideas together. He gave me a deeper understanding of why we as medics do what we do and gave me a great appreciation for the ability to be firm but gentle when needed. If I can be half of the medic Adam is one day, I will be happy! Hoping to return to HPS one day or wherever Adam is to have him oversee my ACP consolidation - hopefully sooner rather than later!

We can study till we are blue in the face. We can be able to recite each and every protocol inside out. However, until we truly understand WHY we do WHAT we do, I do not believe we are helping our patients in an effective and efficient way. I saw so many people just following each protocol as the patient fit into it, but the response of the patient was not precipitated as kindly. Yes, there are protocols and directives in place to protect us and our patients, but, paramedicine is becoming so much more. It is lending itself more and more to clinicians, which is a future that I am super excited about. Paramedicine is all about thinking outside the box. If we understand the underlying issue, we can ACTUALLY respond in a way that is beneficial to each and every patient. Paramedics need to be sympathetic, gently, firm, be able to walk into ANY/EVERY situation and maintain a calm and peaceful demeanour. It is a field of constant study and learning. It is a field of constant sacrifice. You have to be flexible in your personal and professional life as you will likely be paired with MANY different partners who want to do things a different way. You need to have excellent communication skills: The ability to communicate with little children to the Base Hospital Physician AND everyone in between is a wide range of different levels of communication. You need to know how to be concise when needed, or elaborate when asked. You have to be constantly thinking (critically) as to the best course of action for you, your partner, and your patient. Your physical fitness is so important as well. You CAN do the job if you are not fit, but I know for myself that when I haven't been working out that I am not able to process information as well, think as fast on my feet, as I feel sluggish. As a paramedic it is my responsibility to be on my A-game constantly. Will I always be able to maintain this, NO, but THIS IS MY GOAL.

There is no way that I could possibly write about all my experiences during my consolidation, but I hope I have somewhat amalgamated the highlights into a readable blog entry.  I will be writing in more detail what I learned from different calls and just generally as I do not want to forget the many firsts I experienced as a Paramedic with Hamilton Paramedic Services!

Hamilton

Hamilton - The City That Stole My Heart

Most people, when they hear/read above title cringe or roll their eyes! How could such an old city that's filled with factories and pot filled roads hold such a place in one's heart? Keep reading... and you'll hear my side of how AND why! 

As a little girl I often travelled with my family from Kitchener to Niagara Falls and my favourite part was coming down the hill into Hamilton and seeing the flame going over Burlington bridge. For some reason these things fascinated me! As soon as I started driving I took as many trips as I possibly could to visit the many falls Hamilton held! When I was accepted into OCHT I took steps into culturing myself to this strange and beautiful city. I started working a patient transfer which lended an aid into learning the ins and outs of all the one way streets in Hamilton. I quickly learned the quickest route between hospitals and nursing homes in the Hamilton and surrounding areas! 

There is not ONE thing that did it for me, it was the diversity of the city! It kept life interesting! 

Hamilton is filled with one way streets, art galleries, bridges, waterfronts, steep embankments, old century homes, museums, theatres, but the one thing that stands out the most has to be the diversity in the beautiful people groups. I grew so much working among the citizens of Hamilton and I miss it every day! 

Stay tuned for my experience with HPS... 

When Should I Start Building My Resume?

NOW!

    Each and everyone of us have undoubtedly come from differing backgrounds. Some are lucky enough to have come fresh out of a bachelor's program while some of us are fresh out of nothing! All kidding aside we all come from different walks of life which doesn't negate what our future employers will be looking for in our resume! We all hear different things. What are they actually looking for on a resume? I'm still wondering how my resume stands out from others, but it inevitably does!

    Patient Transfer. Wait, what? Do I really have to be a patient transfer attendant to be a paramedic one day? The easy answer is no, because I have seen people get hired straight out of college (with no work experience). That being said, those people are the lucky few! You want to put work and volunteer experience on your resume that makes you stand OUT! Patient transfer attendants need at least there EFR certificates to be hired or one semester complete of your paramedic program! You can start before you even go to school, if this is something you are considering! For me, the patient transfer job was really beneficial in a few different aspects.
     It introduced me to the different hospitals, ALL over! Yes, that's right. It doesn't matter if your company is based out of Kitchener, Niagara, London, or Owen Sound, you will be driving ALL over. You will be expected to communicate with many different people in various aspects of your job (e.g. nurses, doctors, receptionists, patients, co-workers, dispatchers, paramedics, police, and even people you'd never expect to have to communicate and reason with). One of my favourite stories that is all encompassing and reflects the many different elements of my job took place near the end of a very long shift. My partner and I were on our last call of the day (or so we were told). We arrived at the hospital and while I was finishing up some paperwork in the front of the truck my partner jumped out to get the stretcher ready. A few seconds later I was alerted to this man, who was a slightly bewildered, advising me that my partner needed me. "Of course he needs me", I'm thinking to myself, he can't get the stretcher out by himself! "Now!" the man yells at me! I jumped out the truck in time to see a man approximately 50ft. from the back of he truck collapsing in my partners arms. I rush over to both of them and total instinct hit me. There was blood every where, a security guard yelling at someone to move their vehicle, but somehow I was able to assess and find the problem quickly. Pinched the unfortunate mans brachial artery that was fully exposed and had significantly decreased in pulse output. I called out to the security to help my partner carry the man into the ER. Paramedics met us at the entrance as they were ready to go to the next call. ER nurses were all rushing around trying to get a bed. It was all a flurry of activity, but because of excellent communication between my partner and I, and everyone else we were able to get the man into a bed, where the ER team was able to take care of him, as quickly as possible.
   The patient transfer job also gives you the opportunity to learn the quickest routes between different nursing homes and hospitals, which is a huge benefit when starting your career as a paramedic. Yes, every truck is equipped with a GPS, but the familiarity you'll have with the area will put you and your partner at ease. It also provides you with the opportunity to handle some of the different equipment paramedics are required to use each and every day!

    Volunteer. Volunteering is something that I absolutely love doing and wish I had more time and resources to be involved in a lot more of the goings on in my community. Volunteering within your community shows prospective employers that you care about your community and this will go a long way! Volunteer whenever, however, in whatever capacity you are able to!
   Personally, I volunteered at every event possible with my school (ambassador, testing, events). I love every minute that I get to work with my school. I had such an amazing experience at OCHT and I want to pass on that positive experience to everyone! All of our instructors are active paramedics, so working with them all the time will only produce positive effects! I was also part of the Rotary Club (the one for college students :)) all throughout college. We put on different fundraising opportunities to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House (McMaster), had bottle drives, and brought awareness to our community. One of my favourite volunteer experiences was with Odyssey (which I am now an employee of). They are an event medical team of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and students of all the above fields. An incredible wealth of information and really cool people to work with! We provide support at concerts, races, sporting events, and functions.

Education. I took a few extra weekend courses to add to my resume. International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) is a weekend course offered in Toronto. It is an international standard that a lot of services hold to for trauma related calls. Some services require it, some will send you to the course after you're hired, and some will just add a few bonus marks to your score when they are deciding who to hire. CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) was another course I took. This was a course on intervention with physically aggressive patients. Again, some services require it, others will bring in any educator and do an in house training. There are a few other great courses to take, but anything to give you an added edge in comparison to your competition!

   
    Your experience will look a lot different than mine did! I wish I started building my resume earlier than I had, but can't go back and change the past, only can change my future and hopefully speak into a little of yours! Anything that shows you are a caring person and are interested in always learning will go a very long way when it comes down to it! Show you are a faithful, loyal, and committed person!

Looking forward to seeing each and everyone of you out there!

Which School is Right For You?

Finding the right college for you, as an individual, can be challenging, stressful, and rewarding all at the same time. There are a lot of factors that play into choosing YOUR college.

First, unless you're a super genius and/or have an incredible resume to begin with, you have a 0.05% chance of being accepted into the paramedic program at any community college (this is an estimate based on the 50 students that most colleges accept. This number is however variable due to the number of actual applicants!). Okay, take a deep breath! I am not saying this to try and deter you from applying or in any way attempting to squash your dreams. This is the hard reality of entering this competitive world. If becoming a paramedic is a passion and a dream, pursue it with everything you have! DO NOT let the statistics scare you away!

For me, returning to school for paramedicine was a crazy hard challenge, but SO worth it. As my previous post stated, becoming a paramedic was everything I ever wanted to do, but it was a journey. I have a lot of passions and I knew that I needed to explore different avenues before beginning my career. I will save the details of that chapter of my life for another post, IF YOU WANT TO READ IT (comment below)! After being away from the whole Biology and Chemistry world for over seven years, I knew that to get the grades I wanted I would need to take a refresher course. I looked into different options and found the Pre-Health option at Conestoga seemed to be the best option for me. My reasoning for this was if I were to take this certificate program through Conestoga, my chances of being accepted into their paramedic program would increase exponentially, which is true. What I was NOT told during all my questioning and research was that they would not take my grades from the Pre-health course as I would not be able to have my midterm marks submitted by February 1st. This was frustrating for me as I did not find this out until a week before the deadline for every community college in Ontario! Let's just say the week of midterms suddenly became a whole lot more stressful as I was calling around to different colleges and applying like crazy! When you're 25 and returning to school, TIME matters! My cousin (who is a supervisor with Niagara Emergency Services) recommended a private college. I was super hesitant at first, as I knew the reputation of a lot of the private college paramedic programs within hiring services is super low. However, upon further research and talking with different people I knew, within the paramedic services, I felt confident in sending my application into Ontario College of Health and Technology.

The month of March was crazy busy! It consisted of driving around to different colleges, taking their entrance exams, and getting all my paperwork together. I knew deep down that everything would work out, but leaving my full time job to come back to school was a huge deal and I needed to make sure I was doing everything right. Making hasty decisions just because you want something SO BAD, is never the right choice! Always make decisions your future self will thank!

I will never forget the day I drove down to Stoney Creek to meet with the dean of OCHT for my interview. I was so nervous! The interview went really well and I knew walking out of the school that day that I would 100% be coming back, KNOWING that I would have the support I needed to start this program! ALSO, I would be able to complete one semester early if chose OCHT over a community college. The cost and time commitment would prove to be the hardest challenge, but I wouldn't trade my education experience for anything!

I was approximately half way through my first semester at OCHT when the invites for all the other schools started to come in. However, I knew I had made the best choice for me! I am in no way trying to knock other schools, they might be right for you! For me, the small classroom environment was exactly what I needed. The instructors were always ready and willing to sit down with me and answer any questions or go over any theories I wanted to discuss/debate.

The paramedic program is intense. You need to find the school that is right for you, that will be able to give you the support that YOU need! You are allowed to be selective, this is the REST of your life you are planning! I guarantee you will have hard days, stressful weeks, months you will go without much social interaction, but believe me, your FUTURE self will thank you! #noregrets

Why Paramedicine?

Why start this blog? Honestly, for two reasons.

1.To answer the question everyone has been asking me "Why Paramedicine"
2. To help others in their own journey. As they strive to reach their own personal and career goals

As of now, I have just completed the provincial exam (A-EMCA) and anxiously awaiting the results! If any of you have written and are waiting, the days pass so slowly, but trust me once it's written there is no use in worrying about it, you just have to WAIT, PATIENTLY! Celebrate your accomplishments if you have made it this far and reward yourself! You have already made it so far!

Okay, lets back up a few years. At a very early age I remember sitting at the family table where my grandfather explained to us that he had just been diagnosed with lung cancer. I remember specifically the him telling us the doctors had no idea how long he had left with us, but thought he would have at least two years left. I remember leaving the table feeling helpless, but wanted to do everything I could to help my grandpa live longer. I wanted him around as I went through life. I spent a lot of time with my grandpa, trying to help out wherever I could. Six months later the granny suite my parents were adding to our house was completed and both my grandma and grandpa moved in. This was really exciting for me as I knew that I would be able to spend a lot more time with my grandpa. I went with him to almost all of his appointments and regular visits to the hospital to get the fluid drained from his lungs. Many, many memories were made with my grandpa in his very short six month stay with us. I remember coming home from my friends house one day and the fire truck was parked outside their door. I rushed over just in time as the Paramedics walked in. I don't remember their names, I don't remember what they looked like, but what they brought to the room I will never forget. They brought such a tranquility to the room and everyone turned to them for answers. The paramedics were even able to calm my anxious grandmother down! This was huge! The last thing I remember about my grandpa was the paramedics taking him out of the house and putting him in the back of the ambulance as he died three very short days later. However, the impact of this interaction with the paramedics would be life lasting!

It was then, at nine years of age, that I decided that one day I would be a paramedic. My journey was a long one back to my child-hood dream, but let me tell you, it was the RIGHT time! My dream to become a paramedic stems from my desire to help people, to be the best part of someones worst day, to be trained and equipped to bring relief when writhing in pain, or simply hold someones hand through their panic attack. This is what we as paramedics are trained to do. However, being a paramedic is not JUST a career, it is a CALLING. Some people become a paramedic for the benefits or the money, but it is so much more than that! I hope that as you read the next, MANY posts you will see my love for people, my love for medicine, and my love for finding the best care for every patient will be evident.

So, DEEP BREATH. Keep reading, If I've made it to this point in my journey SO CAN YOU! Don't give up! Keep studying, keeping pushing, keep on putting your best foot forward! You too will make it!