The Student Room Group

Paramedic Science

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Reply 360
Hi, Im new to this forum. I have applied to study paramedic science at

UWE
Oxford Brokes
Plymouth
Bournmouth
Worcester

Have a selection day at Worcs on the 25th March
Have a questionnaire from UWE to fill out
Plymouth wants a second reference
Bournmouth wants more previous employment history
Nothing so far from Oxford Brokes

UWE would be my first choice and dont want to screw it up on this questionnaire. Any pointers that anyone can give? Also does anybody think that I am too old trying to do this at the age of 38?

At college at the mo doing an access course, I need 45 credits at Level 3 which I seem to be doing fine with. Really worried about this selection day at Worcs as there is a numercy test, essay, tasks and interview.
Thank you happy holidays. Thats a relief. Are the interviews really that short notice? I've had to move my Plymouth one otherwise i would have to drive through the night and only have 3 hours sleep due to an St John AED course. At least Northampton is fairly close :smile:.
Just out of interest has anyone else sent off the second reference/got an interview for Plymouth?
chrislove007
Thank you happy holidays. Thats a relief. Are the interviews really that short notice? I've had to move my Plymouth one otherwise i would have to drive through the night and only have 3 hours sleep due to an St John AED course. At least Northampton is fairly close :smile:.
Just out of interest has anyone else sent off the second reference/got an interview for Plymouth?

And yeah they usually give you about one and a half weeks notice.
Porsche
Also does anybody think that I am too old trying to do this at the age of 38?

No. I think one of our 3rd years is in his 40's.
Reply 364
Thanks, thats reassuring to know. Been told today that UWE only has 17 places (three taken over from last year) and over 650 applicants ! Its so tough. I cant understand if there is such a shortage of paramedics why they make it so difficult.
Porsche
Thanks, thats reassuring to know. Been told today that UWE only has 17 places (three taken over from last year) and over 650 applicants ! Its so tough. I cant understand if there is such a shortage of paramedics why they make it so difficult.

Exactly. I went to my local station for an observation and was chatting to a mixture of paramedics and patient transport guys... on one hand the patient transport guys are saying there's no route for them to progress without university anymore, on the other hand the paramedics were saying there is a huge shortage of paramedics in my county. Then I'm sitting there saying how few places are available compared to the amount of applicants. It seems to me that making university the main route in simply will not work, there isn't enough capacity to fill all the jobs available from what I was being told.

Although of course, for those people that get on a course it makes it a great job market.

I think in the next few years many many more universities will open paramedic science courses and offer more places, much more like nursing or psychology for example.
You have to remember that even though there is a shortage of people there is also a shortage of money. A lot of counties have cut back on the amount of overtime staff can do because they can't afford to pay it. Also there will be some sort of prediction on how many people will be needed in 2 or 3 years time and this will be how many places the uni is allowed to offer. Also internal staff can now be trained up through the Open University which is what some trusts are starting to look at doing so there is still internal training.
Reply 367
hey ive got an interveiw at uwe next week, kinda worried about the sort of questions they are going to ask, anyone already had an interview there?
Smithy27
EMD: Call Handling. Wouldn't go over to Dispatch if it was ÂŁ1million p/a.


Im multi-skilled for the police so do both call handling and dispatch, normally on a months rolling rota on each! I prefer the dispatch side though because your more involved with the officers and you get to take "control" lol. :biggrin:
I would love to do dispatch.
I did work experience at my local police station, and for an afternoon me and this other lad swapped between call handling and dispatch, and dispatch looked great.
But thats as far as my knowledge and experience goes. You obviously do it as proper jobs so you know what its really like!
Smithy27
Swansea isn't done through the UCAS system so it's possible to apply to that one as well. The only problem is that if Swansea and Say UWE were to offer him a place, he wouldn't be able to say Swansea is the firm and UWE is the insurance choice. The UCAS system is classed as a legally binding form to say that if you agree and meet all terms and conditions you will enrol at that University. If he then doesn't after putting it down UWE, legally, has the right to prosecute. Although it has never been done.

Sorry to make it personal benking and use you as the example, not intended to cause any offence. It was just an easy example to use.


Ok Smithy, no offence taken!

TBH I didnt know that, its not something which is publicised anywhere is it??

I just applied to as many as I could, as I really want to do this, but got a few things not standing for me (points)
Reply 371
Alot of people seem to be stuck on the fact that there's hardly any Paramedics and yet there's hardly any University spaces. Unfortunately there's not enough Paramedics on the road, but there's two major points that come to mind in this discussion. The first being that there's only a limited number of Paramedic Mentors out there, so the university could accomodate about 1000 students with the size of some lecture halls, there is just unfortunately not enough Paramedic Mentors out there to over see the work being undertaken by these students, patient care comes paramount all the time to anything. I wouldn't like to be the Ambulance Service official to be the one who has to tell a family that they sent a Student Paramedic and Technician to somebody suffering from a MI and that they could have been saved if either of them had authorisation to deliver drugs. The second one and this is going to be the brutally harsh one is that there's 600 applicants, and 20 places. The Universities have the luxary to pick the Extra Special (yeh I used to work for ASDA) cream of the crop. Unlike a lot of other HCP Paramedics work autonomous to Dr's so they have to be the very best they can be. It's a harsh world, especially when you get rejected, you've just got to make yourself better for next time and prove to them that you do have the ability to become a Paramedic. There's no career like one in the Ambulance Service let me assure you, if you get knocked down just get up and brush yourself off, those that don't aren't meant to be Paramedics.
Reply 372
If you take a look through the terms and conditions of the ucas site then you will find it there. I may sound like a geek but unfortunately I tried to see where I stood last year when I was rejected from my University choice.
To be honest would you really want 1000 Paramedic students? I personally think the fewer the better per course as it means the tutors have more time to concentrate on the individual performace of each student and can more easily pick up on any mistakes they make.
Happy_Holidays
To be honest would you really want 1000 Paramedic students? I personally think the fewer the better per course as it means the tutors have more time to concentrate on the individual performace of each student and can more easily pick up on any mistakes they make.

Just had my Hertfordshire interview date come in the post. Friday 6th February :smile:.
Just been knocked by UWE, dont know reason yet.
Reply 376
chrislove007
Thank you happy holidays. Thats a relief. Are the interviews really that short notice? I've had to move my Plymouth one otherwise i would have to drive through the night and only have 3 hours sleep due to an St John AED course. At least Northampton is fairly close :smile:.
Just out of interest has anyone else sent off the second reference/got an interview for Plymouth?


When is your Plymouth interview? I'm on the Plymouth course but we're on placement now until after easter so haven't spoken to any of our lecturers recently to ask them! Good luck anyway, if it's anything like the interview I had last year, it's very friendly and relaxed! :smile:
Reply 377
Just got Herts date - 13th Feb, but I'm in Coventry day before so going to try and change it, they've also got the wrong course ... I'm going for Fnd not Bsc :s

Can anyone give me a rough finish time, it starts at 9:00 - just so I have an idea for trains getting back!
Reply 378
Laurence753
Just had my Hertfordshire interview date come in the post. Friday 6th February :smile:.

are you for Foundation or Bsc Degree?
Pinkling
are you for Foundation or Bsc Degree?

Foundation, you?

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