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!
