Thinking about doing the same?

Right so this is the section for people/paramedics who might want to follow me over and try it out, if that’s not for you, don’t bother reading this.

Basically I went the long way around this journey because I initially wanted to work in Toronto. But we’ll get to that later.

First of all if you’re thinking of going to Canada you need to complete the COPR self assessment form. At first it looks super daunting but actually it’s not too bad. It has columns for the different skill levels and then pages and pages of competencies. You put either a 0 or a 1 in the box as to whether you are or are not at that level, you’ll only be looking at the scope of the skill level you’re challenging. You will also quickly realise Canadian paramedics do some wild stuff, you’ll then need to find courses to upskill to this level.

For example I had to do the resus council ALS course and go on a one day catheter training course alongside other stuff. I also did multiple online CPD courses as well, if you really want the full list drop me a message or tweet me I think all that’s linked on here somewhere. I should probably also mention I do have a BSc in Paramedic science that covers a whole bunch of the competencies.

Once you do the self assessment you have to attach some documents.

1. Education credentials, they use the GPA score over there so I used a company called WES to do this (for a small fee).

2. You also need a letter from the HCPC to say you’re a real registered adult, I emailed them for this.

3. Grab a letter from your HR team to confirm you’re employed.

4. You’ll also need a document containing your course curriculum, I got this emailed over but it also was given to us after graduation (apparently).

5. Dust that CV off and attach it

I think that’s all of them? The only one that cost me money was the WES conversion but it’s worth it. To submit this application it’s something like $600 (£360). You have to select the skill you’re challenging and then the province you want to work in - this is where it got sticky for me.

Basically originally I wanted to work in Toronto, Ontario. They are different to other provinces as paramedics aren’t registered clinicians, you are governed by a base hospital and a physician there. Long story short they require you to do online modules and then fly out to sit OSCEs, which I did and I was successful in. However I then had a change of heart and decided I wanted to work in Alberta and here we are (my bank balance didn’t appreciate my spontaneity).

They required me to obtain liability insurance and then complete 2 online modules. After this I paid my registration fee and I’m now ‘provisionally’ registered as an ACP. The next step is to sit the COPR ACP exam, they only run a few times a year so I’m waiting until November. After this I’ll be on the general register (basically means I don’t need other ACPs to hold my hand and I can work alone).

As a whole the COPR process can take a few months, especially as you need to gain the skills before you submit the application and some courses book up far in advance.

The next thing you want to be thinking about is the visa. I can only really advise people based on what I did. So if you’re over 31 this won’t apply (sorry). I applied for the IEC working visa, anyone under 31 can apply and you basically get placed in a ‘pool’ and get randomly selected. I was advised to enter it early as it may be months before getting selected, as luck would have it I was selected within a matter of weeks, this just means you have a year to get there before it expires. The things you need for this type of visa include:

1. A police certificate, I used ACRO it is fairly cheap.

2. Notarisation of your passport (I thought this meant when you get your doctor to sign it but no, it’s actually an official lawyer thing. Google it and it’ll show where and who can do it, cost around £100).

3. Medical exam - only a couple places offer the Canadian one required, quite expensive at around £300 but very thorough.

The rest you should already have or know (passport details and family info).

Pretty much once you’ve got all that sorted, you’re ready to go! I’m no expert but this is how I did it. I don’t actually land until this Friday (July 7th) but fingers crossed all goes well.

I’m not looking to start work straight away I want to travel a little first but I’ll keep you updated don’t worry. Also apologies for any spelling mistakes I’m currently on the train back to London from Portsmouth after saying goodbye to my family and I can’t be bothered to proof read!

ALSO ONE LAST THING. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone along the way on Twitter and beyond who has put me in touch and offered their time to get this ball rolling. That's Corey, Leon, Cody, Cheryl and everyone else. I'm beyond grateful.

Em x