Choosing to become a primary care paramedic is more than a career choice – it’s also a commitment to serving others in your community during critical moments of their lives.
Because of this, the outlook and demand for primary care paramedics in Ontario, along with the rest of Canada, is consistently strong. Graduates of these programs can expect to find competitive salaries, high job satisfaction, and also a number of exciting careers that take paramedics outside of the ambulances and into other interesting settings.
In the following post, we walk you through some of the doors that paramedic training might open for you beyond traditional ambulance roles.
Diverse Career Opportunities for Paramedic Graduates
Despite common misconceptions, paramedics and people trained to work as paramedics find employment beyond emergency medical response and ambulatory services. True, according to the Canada Job Bank most paramedics work with ambulance services, a good quarter of all paramedics in Ontario find themselves employed in other situations.
The reason for this is that undergoing training as a Primary Care Paramedic will equip you with a number of versatile and highly transferable skills across multiple fields within emergency medicine, healthcare, and even veterinary science.
Here are some of the other areas where your paramedic career might take you:
Flight Paramedic: Not all paramedics ride in ambulances. Flight paramedics typically respond to emergencies taking place in remote or inaccessible regions by aeromedical transport, such as by aircraft or helicopter. This could include providing assistance to stranded hikers or others in remote communities.
Ski Paramedic: Like Flight Paramedics, these paramedics also respond to calls for assistance in hard to reach places. They typically work closely with ski patrols and mountain rescue teams, utilizing their expertise to stabilize patients on-site and facilitate their safe transport to the nearest medical facilities.
Firefighter Medic: It’s not unheard of for firefighters to take on paramedic training or for paramedics to transition into specialized roles within particularly busy fire departments. The Firefighter Medic might accompany the rest of the fire brigade on public safety calls or be brought in when the situation necessitates rapid medical action.
Police Medic: Similar to a Firefighter Medic, Police Medics work closely with local police departments or law enforcement agencies acting. Their duties might involve responding to emergencies in high-stake situations and environments.
Military Medic: The armed forces is another high-stakes environment where people trained as paramedics might find their services to be in need. Military Medics typically undergo training with their fellow servicemen and women, and provide medical support in combat zones, humanitarian missions, or even at home during training exercises.
Emergency Room Technician (ERT): Certain paramedics transition to Emergency Room Technicians. This allows them to apply their emergency response skills in hospital settings, often assisting with patient care under the supervision of nurses and physicians.
Offshore Medic: Offshore medics act as support personnel on oil rigs, ships, or remote worksites, where they provide emergency medical care. They also help ensure that occupational health standards are met and being followed.
Veterinary Technician: While less common, certain paramedics have realized they can translate their training over into animal healthcare. Working as Veterinary Technicians often requires additional school, but paramedic skills are also in demand at animal shelters, clinics, and competitive spaces
Community Paramedics: These paramedics provide proactive healthcare by visiting patients at home, managing chronic conditions, and preventing emergency situations through early intervention. Paramedics in these situations sometimes find themselves working in remote communities, but also see higher average wages as a result of their posting.
Your Future in Paramedicine
The versatility of paramedic training extends beyond traditional emergency response roles. Completing your Primary Care Paramedic training offers you numerous pathways for career advancement and specialization. Whether you choose to remain in emergency medicine, pursue advanced clinical roles, or transition to related fields, your experience as a paramedic equips you with invaluable skills and a foundation for success and career satisfaction.
Did you know that Primary Care Paramedic training is one of the fields of study covered by the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant that gives students the possibility of completing their studies without paying for tuition all the while earning financial incentives after graduation? CTS Canadian College is one of the only institutions in Ontario eligible to offer this free paramedic training program.
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