EMT Alberta Licensing Exam Prep

[pips11]

Hi,

I am an ex-military medic who went to school and was licensed as a PCP in BC 5 years ago and was dumb enough to let my license expire. Now in order to be licensed in Alberta I need to write the licensing exam with the Alberta College of Paramedics(ACP). Unfortunately, I don't know any of the protocols here in Alberta and ACP told me they don't have any, which I found out is a farce. I was given no advice on where to start studying for the exam except to look at the AOCP's on their website. It was extremely vague and I might as well just read the entire mosby's. Do any NAIT students have exam prep materials? I am willing to pay to get my hands on some concrete study material, even notes.

Thanks for any help

 

[Medic Tim]

Hi,

I am an ex-military medic who went to school and was licensed as a PCP in BC 5 years ago and was dumb enough to let my license expire. Now in order to be licensed in Alberta I need to write the licensing exam with the Alberta College of Paramedics(ACP). Unfortunately, I don't know any of the protocols here in Alberta and ACP told me they don't have any, which I found out is a farce. I was given no advice on where to start studying for the exam except to look at the AOCP's on their website. It was extremely vague and I might as well just read the entire mosby's. Do any NAIT students have exam prep materials? I am willing to pay to get my hands on some concrete study material, even notes.

Thanks for any help

I am surprised they are letting you test without a refreshed course. Good Luck I wish I could help

 

[teej]

Alberta has joined COPR (Canadian Organization Of Paramedics Regulators), so I'm assuming they'll be switching over to the new national exam in the near future. I know in SK the first national exam is going to be at the end of June but I don't have any information on when Alberta is switching over, though I'm sure if you poked around you would be able to find something.

 

[Medic Tim]

Alberta has joined COPR (Canadian Organization Of Paramedics Regulators), so I'm assuming they'll be switching over to the new national exam in the near future. I know in SK the first national exam is going to be at the end of June but I don't have any information on when Alberta is switching over, though I'm sure if you poked around you would be able to find something.

I heard the ACP exam is coming out this year and the PCP next year.

 

[teej]

In June both PCP and ACP exams will be national, but again, I only know what's going on in Sk.

 

[Medic Tim]

In June both PCP and ACP exams will be national, but again, I only know what's going on in Sk.

I hope that is the case. Now that I think about it my info was from almost a year ago.

 

[pips11]

Hey guys,

ACP mentioned something about how everything is changing soon but I am almost positive my exam is provincial. If anyone has done the EMT course through an alberta college and received exam prep material and still as this I would be very grateful if they messaged me and we could talk.

Thanks

 

[fortsmithman]

ACoP may be changing to a national exam I do mean maybe changing it's not set in stone. Unfortunately the mindset of ACoP is that even after the change EMTs will still be called EMTs not PCPs and EMTPs will still be called EMTPs not ACPs. This is from their membership who are EMTPs who believe that only ALS should be referred to as Paramedics and not BLS. Personally I think ACoP should fall in line with most of the country and change the titles.

 

[systemet]

Personally I think ACoP should fall in line with most of the country and change the titles.

Maybe they should, if the rest of the country is doing it. But I also don't understand the push from a lot of EMTs to be able to call themselves paramedics.

One of the advantages to restricting the term "paramedic" for an advanced level provider, is that it makes lobbying for an extension of ALS care much easier. A community can't claim to have paramedics unless it has ALS. It also means that police and fire and other allied agencies know that they're getting the highest level of care when they ask for paramedics.

But given the title paramedic is being given to anyone working on an ambulance on a national level now, perhaps this battle has already been fought and lost. I'm not sure if it's made the current situation simpler for the public, or just made it easier for communities to accept a BLS level of care.

 

[Medic Tim]

Maybe they should, if the rest of the country is doing it. But I also don't understand the push from a lot of EMTs to be able to call themselves paramedics.

One of the advantages to restricting the term "paramedic" for an advanced level provider, is that it makes lobbying for an extension of ALS care much easier. A community can't claim to have paramedics unless it has ALS. It also means that police and fire and other allied agencies know that they're getting the highest level of care when they ask for paramedics.

But given the title paramedic is being given to anyone working on an ambulance on a national level now, perhaps this battle has already been fought and lost. I'm not sure if it's made the current situation simpler for the public, or just made it easier for communities to accept a BLS level of care.

I don't think first responders should call themselves medics or even work on the trucks. I understand in some very rural areas this has to be done though. For the most part an EMT or PCP in canada goes for 1 to 2 years of training. I have no problem with them calling themselves paramedics. In most cases pcps are more ils than bls in many areas.
Where I live the term Paramedic was not an official level of training but rather a title up until 2000 or so. If you saw ALS on the side of a truck it meant they could do ivs. Alot has changed since then.

 

[systemet]

I don't think first responders should call themselves medics or even work on the trucks. I understand in some very rural areas this has to be done though.

I agree that this is generally undesirable, but a better alternative than having no transport capability in some remote areas.

For the most part an EMT or PCP in canada goes for 1 to 2 years of training. I have no problem with them calling themselves paramedics.

This varies a lot though, right? And if your region's idea of what makes a paramedic is someone who already has an EMT licence, then has done another couple of years of education, and can give analgesia, RSI, use pressors, maybe has access to IV nitroglycerin, or thrombolytics, the perception might be that this makes a paramedic.

In most cases pcps are more ils than bls in many areas.

Depending on what you might consider to be ILS, and given that many people can't agree on what the distinction between "BLS" and "ALS" skills are, this might not be that meaningful.

Where I live the term Paramedic was not an official level of training but rather a title up until 2000 or so.

And in another part of Canada, it might be a protected title that dates back to ALS programs established in the 1970s. I agree that if the rest of the country is moving toward the term "paramedic" as meaning "almost everyone who works on an ambulance", then maybe AB should as well. But that's a change that's going to have to overcome some resistance.

The question to me, is whether this is a good thing? Does describing everyone as a paramedic help simplify things for the public? Does this help generate more recognition for the field? Will this help it become a profession? Are a few paramedics resisting change because they thing it decreases their perceived status?

Or, does using the term "paramedic" for everyone blur or remove an already unclear distinction between ALS and BLS, and possibly reduce the demand for ALS level care? Maybe this is a good thing, e.g. fewer, more experienced ALS providers. Or is it a step backwards? Is it the result of a group of EMTs wanting to claim a title or a status that they haven't deserved?

I'm not sure what I think about this, really.

If you saw ALS on the side of a truck it meant they could do ivs. Alot has changed since then.

It certainly has, and hopefully for the better. All the best.

 

[hippocratical]

I agree that if the rest of the country is moving toward the term "paramedic" as meaning "almost everyone who works on an ambulance", then maybe AB should as well.

I hear that often from lay people I speak to here in Calgary. "EMT, what like a Paramedic?"

Or, does using the term "paramedic" for everyone blur or remove an already unclear distinction between ALS and BLS, and possibly reduce the demand for ALS level care?

Really though, does nomenclature really have this effect? It would be nice if the public knew about the training levels within EMS, but realistically their primary experience with EMS may be along the lines of "Holy Crap there's blood spurting out of my body! Please fix it!" - They don't give a toss what letters we are, just that we get the job done.

I don't think this is an EMS specific thing either. I can think of many workers that have training levels that they public may not be able to differentiate from, yet appreciate their profession as a whole:

• Are you a Police Constable Senior Level 2 or Senior Level 1? I don't know, just catch the bad guy!
• Are you a Firefighter or Senior Firefighter? I don't know, just put out my house fire!
• Are you a Corporal or a Lieutenant? I don't know, just go shoot those foreign dudes!

Would it be nice if the public knew the difference between BLS and ALS? For sure.

I bet you though, that most of the public don't even know that there even is a distinction! They just see an ambulance with trained medical professionals inside.

 

[systemet]

Really though, does nomenclature really have this effect?

Honestly, I'm not sure. As you suggest, the general public doesn't really care about the level of service they're receiving. They just remember whether you appeared professional and were nice.

I don't think this is an EMS specific thing either. I can think of many workers that have training levels that they public may not be able to differentiate from, yet appreciate their profession as a whole:

• Are you a Police Constable Senior Level 2 or Senior Level 1? I don't know, just catch the bad guy!
• Are you a Firefighter or Senior Firefighter? I don't know, just put out my house fire!
• Are you a Corporal or a Lieutenant? I don't know, just go shoot those foreign dudes!

On the other hand, if you had police officers without guns, or firefighters without the ability to access a fire hydrant, etc., you might see people caring about the difference. Does it confuse matters if suddenly everyone's a paramedic? Maybe the ignorance is so great, that it doesn't make a difference.

I'm not sure how much we gain from calling everyone a paramedic. It might be good for keeping down some of the egos amongst advanced level providers, although I think you'd have a hard time doing that with a baseball bat. What are the advantages to doing this?

Would it be nice if the public knew the difference between BLS and ALS? For sure.

I bet you though, that most of the public don't even know that there even is a distinction! They just see an ambulance with trained medical professionals inside.

I'm not sure that we can really call ourselves professionals, but this is another thread, perhaps. I would argue that in most reasonably populated areas the public expectation is ALS, and this has been fed by watching television. But this perception comes from my personal experience and may not be true in other areas.

 

[Bosco578]

I thought we all had a national title already..........Ambulance Driver:beerchug:

 

[Medic Tim]

I thought we all had a national title already..........Ambulance Driver:beerchug:

now that EMT no longer exists around my area we are often called EMT's.

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