How to Become a Paramedic in Ontario
Being a paramedic is a career full of excitement and energy. Paramedics are a crucial part of the health care system, are well paid and are always in demand. Becoming a paramedic does require specialized training and licensing. If you're in Ontario, there are fairly specific guidelines you should follow to become a paramedic.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Understand the levels of paramedic designations. There are three different classes of paramedic in Ontario, each with different requirements. In order of their difficulty and responsibility these are: Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) and Critical Care Paramedic (CCP). The ACP designation typically requires an extra year of training beyond the entry level PCP. Similarly, the CCP designation typically requires another year of training beyond the ACP level.
-
2
Get a Standard First Aid certificate. This is a basic first step and will be a prerequisite for most college paramedic training programs. There are training centers all over Ontario that can teach you what you'll need to get your certificate.
-
-
3
Consider the EMR Course. Below the Paramedic levels is the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) designation. While EMRs are not technically considered to be paramedics, the training is a great way to get a leg up on the skills you'll need. The EMR course is about 75-80 hours and is conducted by Red Cross instructors.
-
4
Take a college paramedic training course. There are several colleges in Ontario that offer paramedic courses. There are separate programs offering training at the PCP and ACP level. The standard PCP course is usually two years. The ORNGE air ambulance service also offers a specialized program for critical care paramedics since these paramedics are mostly concerned with transporting critical patients between facilities.
-
5
Take the exam. Once you've graduated from a College Paramedic course, you can take the Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (A-EMCA) exam. The passing grade on the A-EMCA is 70 percent and you can attempt it three times. If you fail three times, you'll have to undergo remedial training before you can take it again.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
According to the Ontario Paramedic Association, there are currently about 4400 PCPs in Ontario, about 1200 ACPs and about 200 CCPs.
