Do you have what it takes to be a successful Paramedic?

Do you have what it takes to be a successful Paramedic?

Many people who come and meet with an Admissions Counsellor at CTS Canadian Career College express their desire to train for a career where they can help people. Of course, ‘helping’ can assume a variety of forms, but it is something that many people express they want in a career: they want to have a positive impact on someone else’s life. What is not so commonly expressed comes from those who want to take their passion for helping to an entirely different level and decide to attend CTS for Paramedic training.

Dan O’Hare, Program Coordinator at our North Bay Campus , worked as a Paramedic for 17 years before moving on to a management position in which he worked for 6 years. He has been with CTS for 11 years as an instructor and the Coordinator of the paramedic program. With all this experience, he has gleaned a keen sense of what it takes to make it as a successful Paramedic. He has broken it down into 5 key points:

• Effective and Efficient Communicator – In paramedic calls, time is of the essence.  The ability to communicate effectively with your partner and those involved can save precious minutes. Knowing what questions to ask and who on scene to communicate with increases efficiency of treatment.

• Desire to be First on Scene – Dan often jokes that paramedics are half crazy as they are running towards the chaos when most are running away. Having that desire to be on scene regardless of the situation is paramount to being a successful paramedic. You don’t get to choose what calls you will answer.

• Willingness to Adapt to Changes – You need to work with the tools and within the situation you are presented with. Each call is different and no one call can be approached the same way. You need to be willing to ‘roll with the punches’, so to speak: you must be ready for each and every call, and you need to be willing to adapt to changes within situations as they arise.

• Professionalism – As a paramedic, you are often working with people experiencing traumatic situations who aren’t necessarily at their best. Paramedics must remain professional, even when faced with treating belligerent or unwilling victims. They often find themselves working on victims who are unconscious and unable to help themselves. The public expects Paramedics to be individuals who can be trusted and responsible at all times.

• Team Player – You don’t get to choose your partner, and many times, you will have a new partner each shift. You need to be able to work as part of a team and with many different types of people. From your partner in the ambulance, to dispatch, to other emergency responders, bystanders and victims, a paramedic must work as part of many different types of teams composed of many different types of people.

Sometimes, people know what their desired careers are for their whole lives. They plan for it from childhood and through high school, and they transition smoothly into their post-secondary education, and then on to their dream careers. Sometimes, it takes an event or moment of reflection to help pinpoint a passion for a specific career. Whatever category you find yourself in, know that CTS is here to help you to reach your educational and career goals. For some very unique individuals, that means pursuing CMA-accredited Paramedic training here at CTS Canadian Career College.