For David Goodman, a career in healthcare and emergency medicine was always the goal. When that wasn’t enough, he built his own company from the ground up.
A graduate of the Centennial College Paramedic program, David Goodman is now the CEO of Heaven Can Wait First Aid, a nationally recognized, award-winning first aid and CPR training company. His path from student to entrepreneur shows how the hands-on training and real-world pressure of paramedicine can open doors beyond the ambulance, including business ownership.
Getting into Medicine and Choosing Paramedic Training
“I always wanted to become a physician, and I took the courses I needed to write the MCAT,” Goodman says. But as his undergraduate studies progressed, he started to reassess.
“I took molecular immunology, did a neuropsychology degree,” he says. “It was fascinating, but I didn't want to do a masters.”
“I was at a campus event speaking to someone who came back for a reunion,” he says. “He went to Centennial College for paramedicine, and said the program is awesome.” That conversation changed everything.
“I loved emergency medicine, because you can make an impact quickly, and you can see the results,” Goodman says. “So I applied, and that’s what got me into Centennial from 2002 to 2004.”
Hard-Earned Skills Learned in the Centennial College Paramedic Program
Goodman describes his time in the program as rewarding, but also intense.
“I loved it, though it was really stressful,” he says. “I have very vivid and crystal memories of the time. I remember the instructors, they prepared us more than we needed. There's a lot of hands-on paramedic training, and those instructors were always there to help out.”
A major part of that intensity came from real-world paramedic training.
“In the third semester, you have to do 600 hours in the ambulance with a preceptor,” Goodman explains. “They're field training officer, paramedics train students. You follow their shifts while you're in school, completing labs. That means you're doing nights, days, it's very stressful and intense, you're sleep deprived.” That experience pushed him to the next level.
“We have to do hundreds and hundreds of hours precepting, and I had a really lovely preceptor, Sandra Dixon,” he says. “After my first couple of shifts with her, she said, you're ready to be on the road right now. I would actually be your partner. And she's an advanced care paramedic, so it was a nice thing to hear.”
Because the expectations of the program were high, not everyone made it through.
“It was competitive,” Goodman says. “We started with maybe 190 students, and at the end, 20 of us graduated. Those 20 actually got hired by services even before we wrote the provincial exam, because we were highly skilled, and Centennial was highly touted.”
From Paramedic School to Working in an Ambulance
Graduating was just the first step in a long process to become a Paramedic, which is appropriate for a career where lives are on the line.
“You graduate, and then you have to write a provincial exam, called the EMCA [Emergency Medical Care Assistant Exam],” David explains. “You have to pass that, then you go through a whole bunch of EMS services. There's an introduction where you had to do 150-question test. If you were successful on that, you come in for a whole bunch of skills and scenarios that you got evaluated on. Then you had to interview. Then you had to do a physical! And if you passed all that, they would hire you…but you still needed to pass the provincial exam.”
It was a competitive process, but Goodman stood out, thanks to his Centennial College training.
“Back then, 1200 people applied for the centralized testing,” he says. “After everything was said and done, I scored 89% on everything. Three people out of 1000 people scored 89%. The one who had the highest was 91%. So, I had interviews everywhere. And again, Centennial prepped me.”
From Paramedic, to Instructor, to Entrepreneur
Goodman then began his career with Toronto EMS (Toronto Paramedic Services), but soon an unexpected setback changed his direction.
“I worked for Toronto EMS for a while, but then, I suffered a very bad back injury,” he says. “So, I was on modified duties for a long time. During that time, I started working part-time at a paramedic college in Burlington. I was the lead instructor teaching lab classes.” That transition built on something he had already been doing.
“While I was a paramedic, I was teaching for another first aid company,” he says. “When I got injured, I knew deep down that back injury was significant, and I wouldn't have been able, even after all the rehab, to go back on the road with Toronto EMS.” Rather than step into a desk job, Goodman chose to build something of his own.
Building Heaven Can Wait First Aid Training Company
“I had the skills from Centennial College, plus the medical skills I learned on the road, to be able to start a company,” Goodman says. He also chose a more challenging route to get there, opting to develop his own curriculum.
“If you want to start a [First Aid] company, you have to register with Red Cross, and you’re teaching the Red Cross program,” he explains. “I don't like to take things the easy way. It took me two years, but I actually wrote an entire first aid program based on my medical knowledge and experience to then submit to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), and we were approved.” That work became the foundation of his company.
“My company is called Heaven Can Wait First Aid,” Goodman explains. “I started it back in 2004. We're not Red Cross, we're not associated with the big ones. We're a fully autonomous first aid training company.”
It’s that independence that sets Heaven Can Wait apart.
“When you take my course, it's the Heaven Can Wait Certification. It's the Heaven Can Wait Book. It's no one else,” he says. “I spent two years creating the program. I wrote a whole medical book for the students. Centennial, they gave me a really good background with the medical stuff.”
That autonomy is something David values deeply.
“I don't like people telling me what to do. I don't like working for people,” he says. “And the thing is, when you're a paramedic, they tell you what to do, where to go, and you only have limited skillsets. You can't go outside of the box. You follow strict protocols.”
What It’s Like Being a First Aid Company CEO
Building Heaven Can Wait took time and persistence. “I started the company by myself in 2004, and I was doing everything,” Goodman says. “It takes time. Most small businesses do not succeed after five years. After seven years, I hired staff to teach. Then I brought on a director of operations. Now, we are in our 22nd year. I have a full-time admin, a director of education, a director of business development, and 18 part-time instructors.”
As things expanded, David’s role evolved along with the company.
“Back in the day when I started, I was doing everything,” he says. “Today, I'm a big picture guy. I'm coming up with new ideas, trying to expand the company while the rest of the team is progressing.” And the results speak for themselves.
“My company is the highest rated Google-reviewed first aid training company in Canada,” he says, proudly.
“We have nearly 16,000 five-star Google reviews. We've won the best first aid company award from the Consumer's Choice Award for four years in a row.”
How Centennial College’s Paramedic Program Prepared Him for Success
Looking back, Goodman credits Centennial with giving him more than just technical knowledge. “At Centennial, they taught you to think outside of the box, to be a leader,” he says.
“You had to be receptive to that. Not everyone's going to pick up on those skills. It also taught me therapeutics, how to speak to people.” That mindset carried into both his clinical and business work.
“Centennial taught me how to problem-solve and how to be autonomous, because it's literally you and a partner on an ambulance,” he says. “You're making the decisions.” The environment also shaped how he approached learning.
“A lot of it had to do with the staff, and a lot of it had to do with the people that I was training with,” he says about his time in the Paramedic program. “I practiced scenarios with a small group of five people, and I stuck with them. And we all got hired immediately. So, it taught me autonomy, how to problem solve, how to be a leader. Being on the ambulance was less stressful than school.” And those connections with his peers have lasted.
“I'm still friends with some of the people I graduated with,” he says. “They're all still working as paramedics. Some have moved on to more advanced roles, because they had really good training at the beginning.”
Advice for Future Paramedic Students
For prospective paramedic students, Goodman is clear about what it takes to succeed in Centennial’s Paramedic program.
“This is something you can't fast track,” he says. “You need to take time and learn and integrate the skills, and practice a ton. That's another reason why I went to Centennial. Their graduates are very successful. When people want to apply to paramedic services, when they see Centennial, they know they're top-notch grads.”
Another important element: Commitment is non-negotiable.
“You must take it seriously,” he says. “You're going to be dealing with people's lives. You need to pick a group of individuals that are going to be successful that you train with. You will be set up properly if you graduate through Centennial.”
Beyond school, he points to his mindset as the source of his own success. “Some people are just happy going to work. Me, I'm just not like that,” he explains. “So, to succeed, I worked hard I surrounded myself with good people, didn’t burn bridges, and pushed myself toward perfection. That got me where I needed to go.” And when plans change, adaptability matters.
“If you get injured, or your path doesn't take you where it's supposed to, because mine did not, it was a blessing in disguise,” he says. “Then you pivot and find something else that will be beneficial to you based on your paramedic training.”
Above all, he emphasizes continuous growth.
“If they want to succeed, especially in paramedicine, take it seriously, don't mess around,” he says. “Learn how to talk to people. Because therapeutics are gigantic in the business. And never stop learning. I was always studying. If I had forgotten something, I refreshed it.” From the ambulance to his own business, David Goodman’s path shows how the right training, combined with persistence and adaptability, can open doors to careers in paramedicine, healthcare and entrepreneurship. By Anthony Geremia
Centennial College Alumni First Aid and CPR Discount
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Train with one of Ontario’s most trusted providers and get certified quickly, professionally, and without wasted time. We also train at your office. If you are interested in learning more, you can contact us at david@heavencanwait.biz, or 416-331-8855