Fleming College

Brady Wills’ interest in first aid, love of helping others, and desire for a fast-paced profession has led him to a rewarding career as a Primary Care Paramedic with Durham Region Paramedic Services.

“If you know me, you’ll know I’m not the kind of person who can sit in one place for an extended period of time,” he says. “This job is perfect for me. Every day is different in terms of the places you go and the people you interact with which makes it so exciting.”

He adds that the job can be very high stress at times.

“You have people’s lives in your hands and at times you need to make split-second decisions that can mean life or death. That said, those decisions can help save and change people’s lives for the better and the job is very rewarding for that reason.” 

Brady is a graduate of Fleming’s Paramedic program (2020) and Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas program (2018). He says both programs prepared him in different ways.

“Pre-Health was a great way to get a glimpse of what college was like. The hands-on labs were great. The content is very relevant and gives you a great baseline for classes like Anatomy that you’ll take in other health programs,” he says.

The program also provided opportunities to connect and interact with students and faculty in the Paramedic program.

“It was amazing to have a year to get a grasp on things before going into a very challenging program. It prepared me and many of my peers well. I believe I wouldn’t have survived the Paramedic program without Pre-Health.” 

Brady emphasized the added benefits of reserved seats in the Paramedic program for eligible Pre-Health grads, as well as transfer credits for courses taken in Pre-Health.

“You do a few courses in Pre-Health that contribute to your Paramedic diploma so you can lessen your workload and focus on the tougher core courses.” 

Brady says his favourite part of the Paramedic program was the whole experience. Faculty members are current or retired medics with decades of experience and stories to share.

“Clinical was also amazing – you get to go to the hospital and assess real people. You do multiple rotations on all sorts of units like the emergency room, respiratory therapy, or obstetrics, as well as many others, which gives you a wealth of knowledge that will apply directly to your career. You finish off doing your consolidation on an ambulance with a working crew and make great connections along the way. The program prepares you exceptionally well to get you on the road.”

Brady adds that the faculty made a significant impact on his Fleming experience.

“Susan Hyndman, the Pre-Health program coordinator, did a great job making labs hands on,” he says. “And a special shout-out to Paramedic program coordinator Mary Osinga. She is well known not only in the program but in the paramedic world for her wealth of knowledge and is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. She worked on Ornge for decades and has all the stories to go along with any lesson she teaches. Anyone who has gone to Fleming knows how lucky we are to have learned from her.” 

Fleming’s Pre-Health Sciences Pathways to Certificates and Diplomas program provides a variety of pathways to competitive health sciences programs such as Practical Nursing, Paramedic, Pharmacy Technician and Health Information Management.

For more information: askus@flemingcollege.ca