Career guide
Paramedic
Paramedics assess and treat people at the scene of an emergency and on the way to hospital, and move patients between facilities.
- StatusMinistry certification
- Training1–2 year program
- Pay scaleNot stated in current postings
- Openings now—
A day in the job
You check your ambulance and equipment, then answer calls: chest pain, falls, crashes, breathing problems. You assess, treat, decide where the patient should go and hand over at the hospital. Rural services also cover long transfers.
Where you could work: Urban, rural and remote EMS, interfacility transport
How to get there
- Complete a Primary Care Paramedic program at an Ontario college
Ontario schools: Centennial College (opens in a new tab), Algonquin College (opens in a new tab), Fanshawe College (opens in a new tab)
Licence and registration
- Pass the provincial Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (A-EMCA) exam
- Get certified by a regional base hospital, which authorizes the medical acts you may perform
- Keep up the base hospital's certification requirements
Official starting point: Ontario Ministry of Health: paramedic certification (opens in a new tab)
Trained outside Canada?
Paramedics trained outside Ontario should ask the Ministry of Health about equivalency before applying to a paramedic service.
Important: Requirements can change and may differ for internationally educated professionals. CareZelo links to official bodies but does not determine eligibility.