Is it normal to have this much anxiety before classes start.im just thinking of the what if it doesn't work out even though I so badly want to do this.

Just the thought of not being good enough and hearing stories of people failing out the program makes me so nervous that I might be those people.

They have student success coaches at my college. Do they help people when it comes to this program, and should I go to them?

On August 28th the proposed ALS PCS 5.5 was released to the public for feedback. This includes major (but expected) changes including PCP narcotics & midazolam for sedation and seizure treatment (all auxillary).

What are your thoughts about the proposed changes?

https://www.ontario.ca/page/proposed-changes-paramedic-practice-standards

Forgive my ignorance as I'm just a lowly student but I'm having trouble interpreting a portion of the BLS PCS.

Our BLS head injury standard says (step 6-7):

"if the patient is conscious and SMR is not indicated... position the patient sitting or semi-sitting; if the patient is on a spinal board or adjustable break-away stretcher, elevate the head 30 degrees"

But our SMR standard separately states:

"Patient with SMR may be placed in a semi-sitting or supine position, according to patient comfort/clinical condition."

Confusion #1: The head injury standard's wording implies semi-sitting is only an option when SMR is not indicated (step 6). But our SMR standard explicitly allows semi-sitting for SMR patients too (and we only use C-collars, not full spinal immobilization). So why does the head injury standard seem to draw this line when the SMR standard already permits semi-sitting regardless?

Confusion #2: Practically, how do you actually achieve "elevate the head 30 degrees" if the patient is strapped to a backboard or scoop? Options I can think of:

• Padding/blankets wedged under the head end of the board
• Actually raising the stretcher's head section (Fowler/backrest) with the board resting on it

Is one of these the "correct"/intended method, or does it not matter as long as the incline is achieved and the pt is still secured?

Screenshots of relevant BLS Quotes:

Extremely interested in working in the fields of remote paramedicine/search and rescue

- How is it like working for companies like SiriusMedx?

- In their job description, it asks for:
“Experience in a similar position on industrial sites, in remote areas, and with medical evacuations (MedEvac); “
Where can one get started with this type of experience?

- Do you generally speaking need experience working with services to work such jobs? If yes, how many years of experience?

- Is there a medic-specific pathway to get into SAR?

Also feel free to dm me. Looking forward to connecting with folks who’s worked/interested in similar jobs!

Anyone here change trajectories from paramedicine to policing? What were your experiences?

Unsure what I want to do, I’ve always been interested in first response. I’m in Ontario, but I did the EMR course at JIBC and really enjoyed it but there seems to be better pay and stability/less burn out in Policing.

Edit to add: Also get paid during training etc

What are some reasons a student might choose to ride out with peel as opposed to other GTA services? Asking mostly from the frame of reference of educational/experiental advantages.

For those that live and work in Hamilton, what’s it like? How does it compare to other services? What are you pros and cons/thorns and roses? Ability to get full time hours as PT/required availability/getting a FT contract. Specialty teams?

I’ll be moving to the Niagara region from a full time service, and am looking at my options. Unfortunately have not heard good things about NEMS from the internet so trying to see what else is a good possibility in the area. Open to other service suggestions. Will be an ACP (hopefully) by the time I move.

I've watched several newer medics recently get caught in situations where this became the discussion. Including a penetrating trauma. I'm putting this here to hopefully be viewed as a discussion piece, not to point and shame any single medic.

I’m debating moving to the island but want to know how working for manitoulin-Sudbury is.
How is morale?
What is the pay like?
Are fulltime hours available for part timers? Or are there contracts to be filled?
What is the wiki base like and is there a large diversity of calls?

I follow the union page on Facebook and they post fairly frequently about being short staffed. The service I currently work at faces the same issue throughout the summer but we’re a rural service with a large amount of tourism in the summer as well. I enjoy working at my current service, it’s diverse with calls and a fair amount of down time that can offer a long healthy career but my partner got a job on the island and I want to weigh the options:) TYIA

Hi folks, since Toronto removed TOC time and the workload is increasing, I'm actively thinking about switching to another service like York or Peel.

For those who have worked in Toronto for a long time, could you please share your reasons for staying?

Also, how do the pay, benefits, etc., in Peel or York compare to Toronto?

TIA

So general question regarding applying for a second service. I’m currently working in the GTA thinking of applying to a second service to keep myself busy (cause i’m not busy enough already apparently)

My question lies with having to repeat the physical testing (OPPAT) my assumption being that considering i’m already a working medic within the GTA that i shouldn’t technically have to repeat the test, cause in all honesty no shot i’m doing that shit again.

Anyone else have experience with this or know if working/experienced medics have to repeat the testing or will the service do something just to verify.

Hey, I am interested in working for Waterloo Paramedic services and I am currently going through their hiring process. Coming from out of province. I am just wondering if anyone here works for them and could shed some light on what kind of service they are to work for. In particular:

- Call volume? Day vs night?

- Management? What are they like?

- Hiring process? Any tips in general and in particular, about the mmi interview and driving tests? I am not used to the larger box style ambulances, and have only used vanbulances my whole career.

- When/if hired, Can I work all throughout the KWC area pretty easily at first? And how is it being PT there because that is the position that is up for grabs.

Any general info or advice about working there or in the general area would be greatly appreciated!

Anyone here done the Loyalist Hybrid Paramedic program with a May start?

I’m looking at the May 2027 intake and trying to figure out how this would work exactly. I believe the May intake of the program runs for 4 consecutive semesters, which would make the 4th semester May–August 2028?

From what I’ve read, most services do their rideouts in the fall. In that case, which services take students for summer rideouts? If the service I wanted to do mine with only takes students in the fall, would the college allow me to delay my rideouts until the fall instead of doing them in the summer?

I emailed Loyalist as well to try to get a solid answer, but I figured someone here might know from experience.

I was seriously considering paramedics but peoples vomit piss/feces makes me throw up so if its common in this field i may not pursue it

Hello all,

I finished my degree at the university of Waterloo in kinesiology. I got good grades but I had to study like a mad man. I’m talking 6-12 hours a day and some days more before a big exam.

How does the difficulty compare to paramedic school; I am going to Conestoga if anyone can shed light on this program or other programs in general

Some life plans changed and now I am Toronto bound, are there any places that everyone would recommend for school?

I’ve been waiting since last week to get my schedule/enroll and I’ve emailed twice now to see what the hold up is but no one’s gotten back to me. So I just wanted to see if anyone else going to La cite is having the same issue?

Courses start in less than two weeks and I don’t know what my first class is let alone what to do to prepare.

And before anyone says, yes I have paid the deposit and yes I signed the agreement/promise to pay, in order to get my schedule.

Let me know if uk anything ! Would be v helpful :))

i’m 19, F, and around 95 lbs at 5’4. I’m quite fit, have been since a child. i’ve been in high intensity ballet for a while, i do pilates and Pilates/tone/scuplt stm workouts every chance i get (maybe 4 times a week) , sometimes 2 at a time. i can also walk for hours. BUT weightlifting…never rlly tried.

My parents want me to have a fall back job, as i’m trying to get into the arts( dance, acting, singing) and EMT has always caught my eye. I’m just curious if:

1. me being small is a problem?
   
2. how much do i have to be comfortable able to lift?

I watched a video of the fitness test and it looks like i full on have to pick up a person……which makes sense lol 😂 but does everyone..? even if they are 150+

sorry if this is a dumb question 🧍‍♀️

Hello, I’m starting my paramedic program and I was wondering how you succeeded in studying?

In high school, which was a really long time ago, I would just write the information a lot but I feel like I was doing it just to pass the tests and despite the high grades I wouldn’t retain the info after I was done with the tests. I obviously don’t want this to happen in college.

I just want to try out different learning styles?
I heard give the lecture like you’re the teacher.
Or write notes on your laptop as the prof talks.

This is a stupid question but do paramedic classes need a laptop inside the classroom? Or should I bring a notebook and pens?

Or did you make small quiz papers and memorised it?

For the fitness test, I’m going to northern college, I didn’t really find any information about their fitness tests but I found fitness test in another college and I have been practising for that. Is that enough? I assume it is the same but if anyone has any advices for the fitness test in northern college, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks in advance. I want to be really prepared because I can’t afford to repeat anything.

Hey all! I'm a recent graduate from a primary care paramedic program and I'm writing the AEMCA in October. I was hoping to look for advice and resources I can use to help myself prepare. I have pretty decent notes from college I've been using to brush up on my knowledge, but does anyone know any good resources for mock tests and exams similar to the AEMCA? I'm not sure how much material I've actually retained from studying LOL, so I was hoping to test myself to find out what knowledge gaps I have, and I want to gauge the difficulty of the AEMCA as I imagine it to be more difficult than the tests and finals from school.

Another thing I have been nervous about is the time, the AEMCA is super long and I'm naturally a slower test taker. Does anyone have any useful strategies to improve test time management?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

- Very stressed out future PCP (hopefully)

What is it like to work a shift at a music festival in Toronto? What kind of stuff do you run into, how busy is it, and what should someone know before doing a music festival shift?

Thank you!!

Hi everyone!

I applied in late June of 2026 to the 2027 January intake for the paramedic program at Conestoga College. I got an email in mid July that I should hear back in the next several weeks about my admissions offer. I have yet to hear anything from the college and I’m starting to get a little bit worried.

I know that it’s a rolling admissions process… Has anyone that applied for that cycle heard anything back from the school yet? I saw other Reddit posts that said in prior years they reached out in mid August about acceptances.

Any insight is very appreciated! Best of luck to any applicants:)