This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Paramedic science degree - need some help!

Right, so Im applying to study paramedic science beginning in 2010. I've heard Herts uni offers the best course but that it is really competitive to get in.

Coventry, UWE, UCLAN and St Georges also offer the course and I wondered if anyone knew which ones were better?
Also, do any of the courses include C1 driver training?

And finally, I know I don't have much work experience, except for I am a member of St john and have been on various duties. Do the interviewers expect lots of experience or is St John enough?

Its really hard to get info out of unis right now because of clearing, so I hope someone here can help.

Thanks, Em :smile:

Reply 1

bananacake14

Hey, I'm thinking about doing Paramedic Science :smile:

I've heard you can only apply to one uni though... which doesn't seem very fair.
It depends on the uni if they offer the extra driver training.

How did you get to be a member of St John, I'm more than happy to give up some time and do something useful with it, I've looked on the website but couldn't really find anything.

Reply 2

InArduisFouette

bananacake

http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/volunteer/first-aid.aspx

https://www.sja.org.uk/volunteering/register.asp

https://www.sja.org.uk/sja/about-us/st-john-ambulance-in-your-area.aspx

Reply 3

spudy

I'm gong for paramedical sciences (hopefully in swansea) in 2010, and I'm a st john member too, but I already have training in AED, Med Gasses, Spinal board etc. so will be playing on that a lot since I've heard that they don't take duties as experience in uni! so fingers crossed for both of us! x

Reply 4

InArduisFouette

spudy don't overplay your membership ... remember that many of the 'lecturers' in paramedic science are the same stab-haters that populated service training schools , or in comparison with other fields under qualified for the role they hold .

SJA duties will not count towards your practice placement hours, because AFAIR no university has ever taken the offers from SJA to be accredited as a placement provider for any group of Health Professional students ...

Reply 5

Happy_Holidays

Have to say I have only heard bad things about Coventry (including a lot of students struggling to get jobs) but this may have changed with their new course. As far as I'm aware my uni (Northampton) is pretty well reguarded as all our course tutors are Registered Paramedics and we have specilists to come in and teach some subjects such as midwives teaching obs and an anethatist teaching airways. At Northampton they don't do C1 (you have to get it yourself) but they do give you your blue light training.

As for St John as Zippy said some places don't like this as much as they'd rather teach you from scratch though first aid certificates are always good. Experience wise its good to have a wide range of hobbies and volunteering as its very competitive, plus if you are young then you need to be able to prove you have the maturity to do the job.

Your best bet is to see if you can talk to students at the universities you want to apply to as they can give you a more realistic picture than the uni ever will.

I've made a wiki page on becoming a paramedic (link at top of page) that might help you and if you want to know any more about Northampton or paramedic courses in general then I'm happy to answer questions.

Reply 6

Lisaloop

Anyone know how many places are going in unis for this degree? Im hoping to get in swansea but have no experience apart from my childcare experience placements. :o:

Reply 7

Happy_Holidays

Lisaloop

Anyone know how many places are going in unis for this degree? Im hoping to get in swansea but have no experience apart from my childcare experience placements. :o:

The number of places at each uni varies a lot. Some unis its about 15 places and some about 60. Not sure about Swansea.

Reply 8

spudy

Lisaloop

Anyone know how many places are going in unis for this degree? Im hoping to get in swansea but have no experience apart from my childcare experience placements. :o:

I'm hoping to get into Swansea too :smile:

and coming from a childcare background! :biggrin:

any idea how to apply there? i know you can't apply through ucas but dunno wat to send them? :confused:

Reply 9

Happy_Holidays

spudy

I'm hoping to get into Swansea too :smile:

and coming from a childcare background! :biggrin:

any idea how to apply there? i know you can't apply through ucas but dunno wat to send them? :confused:

If you email them they send you an application form.

Reply 10

spudy

Happy_Holidays

If you email them they send you an application form.

has anyone else had a problem e-mailing them? i just tried and the e-mail got returned :s-smilie:

and i can't ring them at the mo since i've had the flu and still not got my voice back :frown:

Reply 11

pauljb

hey, I am hoping to study paramedic practice at Unis in Liverpool were I live. Does anybody know who if not the student, funds the course?! whether it be the NHS?

The problem I have is that I did two years of another degree before I decided what I really wanted to do, meaning I have had two years of pervious student loans. So if I have to fund them, would my chances of getting my local education to give me more loans slim?!

Reply 12

Happy_Holidays

pauljb

If its a bursary'd course it'll be by the ambulance service so not technically an NHS bursary. And you can get up to 5 years of government student loan.

Otherwise you might want to look at the trust run student paramedic courses. That way you get properly paid.

Reply 13

jim clancy

hey, iam planning on taking paramedic science.. but my family think m not fit enuf 4 dat.. so dey want me 2 do nursing instead.. could any1 tell me wats betta... n wat do i have 2 hav 4 paramedic science....

P.S. i live jersey sooo tell me wats betta in jersey....

Reply 14

InArduisFouette

jim clancy

try speaking english first ...

Reply 15

MartinH 123

hey JIM CLANCY - i was applying for the paramedic science degree at UCLAN (Preston Uni) but found out , after i sent of the applicaton of course, that they decided to discontinue that particular course and downgraded it to a diploma. So am now doing the adult nursing at UCLAN instead. its pretty good, although much of it depends on the placements you are sent to. You get an email at the start of the course to tell you which are your 3 placements for that year. Ive just finished my first placement and it was pretty sweet. But still have that acheing to do the paramedic degree

Reply 16

InArduisFouette

'down graded' to a diploma

what a numpty , most serving paramedics have a very approximately equivalent to Level 4 qualification and their registration, so a level 5 qualification and your registration all ready puts you ahead of those who trained 'traditionally ' it has taken Nursing and midwifery nearly 20 years at levle 5 to move to all level 6

also whether you have a level 5 or level 6 academic award you are still newly qualified if you successfully complete your course and still need to consolidate as a practitioner before considering management or advanced practice roles with the consequent additional study at your current or next higher NQF level