Canadian in California looking for work

[Hockeygod]

I'll be completing the Primary Care Paramedic program in April @ Algonquin College in Ottawa ON, Canada. I'm currently visiting my family in San Diego CA and would love to start my career here. But its hard to figure out who to talk to about this sort of thing. I'm in San Diego until the 3rd of January and would really like to have a plan of action before I leave...Any california medics out there able to help me out??

I AM eligible to work in the states...

Christos

[Kiwiology]

You do realise that in contrast to PCP in Ontario, which you know is a two year course from the first world, the entry to practice standard in the US and esp. in CA is like 120 hour course that teaches you some advanced first aid and how to use an AED?

It's going to be difficult if not impossible to get reciprocity; I rolled up to LACoEMSA in Los Angeles and was told "well your training doesn't fit Basic (too advanced) or Paramedic (not advanced enough) so you will have to start all over again at Basic".

California has a proud history of the local taxpayers saying well, we have to pay for a Fire Department and a Police Department we don't really want to pay for EMS as well so what happened, in comes the Fire Departments they get a medical director and a few drugs; go to the break room and say right you, you and you, go to Paramedic school on Monday. Hence why California is still a heavily restricted "telemetry" based state where you have to call for online orders for most things, some are better than others but it's a very 'mother may I?' system and most of the jobs are for crosstrained, dual role Firefighter/Paramedics.

My two cents are go back to Canada.

Edited December 23, 2009 by kiwimedic

[Siffaliss]

You do realise that in contrast to PCP in Ontario, which you know is a two year course from the first world, the entry to practice standard in the US and esp. in CA is like 120 hour course that teaches you some advanced first aid and how to use an AED?

It's going to be difficult if not impossible to get reciprocity; I rolled up to LACoEMSA in Los Angeles and was told "well your training doesn't fit Basic (too advanced) or Paramedic (not advanced enough) so you will have to start all over again at Basic".

California has a proud history of the local taxpayers saying well, we have to pay for a Fire Department and a Police Department we don't really want to pay for EMS as well so what happened, in comes the Fire Departments they get a medical director and a few drugs; go to the break room and say right you, you and you, go to Paramedic school on Monday. Hence why California is still a heavily restricted "telemetry" based state where you have to call for online orders for most things, some are better than others but it's a very 'mother may I?' system and most of the jobs are for crosstrained, dual role Firefighter/Paramedics.

My two cents are go back to Canada.

I would suggest taking the training in Alberta. It will take longer from start to finish as there are three levels to successfully complete, however the training you'll have as an EMT-P here is second to none in Canada. That two year training over here might make you eligible to challenge the EMT exam.

As for working in CA and especially around the San Diego area ... beautiful weather and beautiful land; my dad lives in Valley Center, just north of San Diego. Crappy pay though ...

If you would like to message me your contact info I could pass it along to an EMT-P working here that came from CA, worked as a paramedic (ACP as some like to call it) for a number of years ... let me know.

[Dustdevil]

I would suggest you just enrol into one of those 3 week quicky EMT courses in California and get your 120 hours in, as if you had no prior education. It'll be over in a blink. Then you can go right to work driving nursing home residents to and from scheduled doctor appointments for $11 dollars an hour. Lucky you!

[Arctickat]

As for working in CA and especially around the San Diego area ... beautiful weather and beautiful land; my dad lives in Valley Center, just north of San Diego. Crappy pay though ...

If you would like to message me your contact info I could pass it along to an EMT-P working here that came from CA, worked as a paramedic (ACP as some like to call it) for a number of years ... let me know.

So, HockeyGod, ya gotta ask youself:

1. Why is Syphilis not working in a location close to where Dad lives?
   
2. Why is there an ACP from California up in Alberta rather than back in California?
   

Seems to me there is a valuable resource and a wealth of information written between those lines.

[BEorP]

Might a small part of your desire to head to CA have to do with not wanting to face potential rejection from employers? You're at a decent school. Finding employment in Ontario will still be a challenge, but it should be do-able as long as you're willing to move a bit within the province if needed. Don't sell yourself short by not trying.

Money isn't everything, but as Dust mentioned, you won't be making much of it in CA at all. We are compensated very generously here in Ontario, and this allows me to live a certain lifestyle where I live quite comfortably. If you're thinking long term, consider how well you could do for your future family on $11 an hour. You can do much better in Ontario. I believe I have even seen some Ottawa medics on the Sunshine List (for government employees who made over $100,000... obviously this involved lots and lots of overtime).

Aside from the money issues, do you really want to waste your education? Two years is a long time and you'll flush most of it down the toilet by going to work as an EMT-B.

Best of luck!

[tniuqs]

I believe I have even seen some Ottawa medics on the Sunshine List (for government employees who made over $100,000... obviously this involved lots and lots of overtime).

Or premature dirt naps ?

[BEorP]

Just in case my claim of paramedics making over $100,000 a year... here is a full list from Ontario that includes medics (among many others):

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/publications/salarydisclosure/2009/munic09.pdf

[Siffaliss]

I would suggest you just enrol into one of those 3 week quicky EMT courses in California and get your 120 hours in, as if you had no prior education. It'll be over in a blink. Then you can go right to work driving nursing home residents to and from scheduled doctor appointments for $11 dollars an hour. Lucky you!

Quantity not quality!

Just in case my claim of paramedics making over $100,000 a year... here is a full list from Ontario that includes medics (among many others):

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/publications/salarydisclosure/2009/munic09.pdf

Yup an EMT can make just as much here if they want, I can vouch for that personally and DON'T work oilfield. Only thing is even after a 2 year ON program, they can still only challenge the EMT exam here. But since you're in ON, do what you need to get by.

[Jamie Hersey]

Stay away from California would be my advice. The chances of you getting a visa would be very difficult, as a paramedic does not fall under NAFTA, therefore you can't get a TN visa. That does not mean you cannot get a visa, rather it is going to be very difficult, take a long time, and cost you a fair bit of quid. By that time you should have landed yourself a nice PCP job in Ont.

I was looking at moving to Cali myself, and my girlfriend was looking into finding work, and she did find someone who would consider hiring her, but it was for a transfer job. Needless to say, people need to get from the nursing home to the hospital and back, but doing that 100% of the time would doom any future EMS career goals, like ALS.