Vanguard Magazine

Maj Phillip White Canadian Forces Health Services Military Employment Structure Implementation Lead, Directorate of Health Services Personnel F E AT U R E www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 23 B Y VA N G U A R D S TA F F T he Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is taking steps to re- shape the future of military healthcare. With the retirement of long-standing Medical Technician and Medical Assistant roles, two new occupa- tions, Paramedic and Combat Medic, are being introduced. According to Capt. Gabriel Pitre. Public Affairs Officer, Cana- dian Forces Health Services Headquarters, the move will clarify career paths, sharpen scopes of practice, and provide specialized training designed to keep pace with mod- ern operations and deliver stronger front- line care. We sat down with Capt. Pitre to learn more about the changes and what they mean. Q What is the rationale behind the creation of these two new occupations? The occupations of Medical Technician and Medical Assistant were subject to an occupational analysis in 2020. In the CAF, occupations undergo this process about ev- ery 10 years to ensure they are keeping up with modern needs and to address any oc- cupational issues that have developed over time. The Medical Technician analysis sought to address a couple of key areas, including bringing medics up to date with an ex- panding job scope and determining ways to create more efficient training pathways. Prior to the analysis, Medical Technicians in the Regular Force were seen as being em- ployable across all domains of practice and lines of operations. Medical Technicians would be expected to perform job tasks ranging from operational planning, front- line medical support to operations, phar- macy and medical-stores management, and primary care support to CAF members at bases and wings across Canada. To achieve this, all Medical Technicians were provided training as a Primary Care Paramedic, even though many of the jobs being filled by Medical Technicians did not require this level of training. This training program was conducted over the course of six months and supplemented with an additional 92 days of military medical training. By creating two new occupations, the analysis team determined which job tasks truly required Primary Care Paramedic level training, and which tasks would al- low those trained to this level to regularly use these competencies. Jobs based on the latter were then moved into the smaller Paramedic occupation (approximately 370 Regular Force and 500 Reserve Force members), which will allow these person- nel to practise to their professional scope and maintain their competencies through- out their career. Jobs that were deemed not to require paramedic training, or where the job would not allow personnel to work to a Primary Care Paramedic scope, were moved into the larger Combat Medic occupation (ap- proximately 900 Regular Force members and 800 Reserve Force members). Q How do the new training requirements compare to the previous standards? The new training requirements are tailor- made to support the needs of these new occupations. Compared to previous stan- dards that trained everyone as a Primary Care Paramedic, the new training matches employment requirements and provides the ability to maintain competency for each occupation. Combat Medics will undergo a stream- lined training program consisting of the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) certification and a Military Medicine Training module tailored to operational environments. This adaptable, focused, and shorter training pathway of approxi- mately 90 days allows the CAF to generate personnel more rapidly, a critical enabler in high-intensity or large-scale combat op- erations. Upon promotion to Corporal, Combat Medics will receive additional 30 days of training in primary care, enabling them to work in CAF Health Services Centres and other clinical environments on bases and wings across the CAF. Paramedics will complete a Primary Care Paramedic diploma at a civilian col- lege (fully subsidized by the CAF) and a Military Medicine module of approxi- mately 115 days to ensure they possess the advanced skills necessary to work in a mili- tary environment. Paramedic and Combat Medic New Career Paths in CAF Healthcare: Medical technicians from the Canadian Armed Forces , Operation UNIFIER 2024. Photo: DND

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