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Pathways to Paramedic

I want to pursue a career as a paramedic but my options and ability to get into that career is limited.
I study A-Levels in Politics, History and Psychology and I'm not great at science subjects. I got a 4 in maths and a 55 in combined science at GCSE.

I'm not sure what I should do because in an ideal world I would be able to study Paramedic Science at university, however I just dont think its going to be possible because I won't meet the entry requirements for some unis and its so competitive.

I was wondering if anyone knew any pathways into being a paramedic? The only approach I can think of is continuing with my original plan to do a politics and history degree and pursue some kind of career in that field for stability and then retrain when im older to be a paramedic.

I'm not too sure
Original post by clarevictoriaa
I want to pursue a career as a paramedic but my options and ability to get into that career is limited.
I study A-Levels in Politics, History and Psychology and I'm not great at science subjects. I got a 4 in maths and a 55 in combined science at GCSE.

I'm not sure what I should do because in an ideal world I would be able to study Paramedic Science at university, however I just dont think its going to be possible because I won't meet the entry requirements for some unis and its so competitive.

I was wondering if anyone knew any pathways into being a paramedic? The only approach I can think of is continuing with my original plan to do a politics and history degree and pursue some kind of career in that field for stability and then retrain when im older to be a paramedic.

I'm not too sure

Hi, I do believe there are multiple routes to such degrees, you don’t really need all science subjects at A level to do a science based degree (except degrees like medicine and dentistry of course) what universities are you considering? Some universities have foundation programmes for students who either don’t have the right grades or don’t have a science background. It’s a 1 year course and you can usually progress onto your chosen degree. Have a look at which universities offer this route! Good luck!!
Thank you! I’ll have a look into that.
There’s not many universities that offer paramedic science because i think it’s quite a new course. So i’m not sure if there’s like an alternative degree to take that will still lead me on to a path of paramedic?
Original post by clarevictoriaa
Thank you! I’ll have a look into that.
There’s not many universities that offer paramedic science because i think it’s quite a new course. So i’m not sure if there’s like an alternative degree to take that will still lead me on to a path of paramedic?

You have to do a degree that ends with a HCPC registration. The only degree that provides that is a Paramedic Science degree.

The HCPC has a list of approved courses (link here), there are currently 71 approved programs though a lot of the DipHE/CertHE are being stopped soon as post 2025 (iirc), all paramedics will need to be qualified to a BSc level.

As for actually getting into a course, I think most paramedic courses accept BTECs and other qualifications. One that comes to mind is the Access to Higher Education - Paramedic done at Kingston College that a few people on my course did before getting into my course (Paramed at SGUL).

I am sure there are other routes, but thats the only one I know off the top of my head. I suggest doing some research, looking at entry requirements and having a look at what you can do.
Reply 4
Student paramedic here if you need with any help with application? Looking a your qualifications, you will need at least a science subject A level or BTEC
a lot of unis want at least once science and some of them will accept psychology as a science so just look at entry requirements closely!!
Reply 6
Original post by 0770
Student paramedic here if you need with any help with application? Looking a your qualifications, you will need at least a science subject A level or BTEC

Hi I’m in halfway through year 11 and want to become a paramedic so I applied for college to do health and social care but the more I thought about it I decided to look into six form and the courses their. The courses that really stood out to me were sociology ,criminology but also psychology. I know I’ll feel more comfortable in six form as I know the courses would interest me. During six form I was thinking of volunteering for St John’s ambulance service to gain some experience and then go to university and do a paramedic science course. I was thinking of going to six form and then going to university. Do you think this is a good idea or do you think college would benefit me better and then go into university?
(edited 2 months ago)
Original post by Becca2379
Hi I’m in halfway through year 11 and want to become a paramedic so I applied for college to do health and social care but the more I thought about it I decided to look into six form and the courses their. The courses that really stood out to me were sociology ,criminology but also psychology. I know I’ll feel more comfortable in six form as I know the courses would interest me. During six form I was thinking of volunteering for St John’s ambulance service to gain some experience and then go to university and do a paramedic science course. I was thinking of going to six form and then going to university. Do you think this is a good idea or do you think college would benefit me better and then go into university?

You need to check the entry requirements section on the course pages of uni websites. Check to see if they require an A level (or Btec) in a science and if psychology is accepted as a science. This will vary by uni. Also note that the WJEC criminology course is not an A level and some unis don't accept it.
Reply 8
Paramedic instructional classes differ broadly in extension and time to the end, yet you can commonly finish your preparation in a half year to two years. Factors that influence what amount of time it requires to turn into a paramedic include: The school you pick. The number of preparing hours you complete every semester
Lots of people have spotted your lack of science A-level. It is worth considering doing an access course in healthcare.

You should also look for occupational experience to support this. Some people do part-time work in a care home for example. The main thing to remember is healthcare is about caring its not all driving fast, trauma and flashing lights.

Generally getting onto a Paramedic Science course in the last few years has been easier as there are more universities offering courses and therefore more places.

Good luck!
(edited 2 months ago)
Original post by clarevictoriaa
I want to pursue a career as a paramedic but my options and ability to get into that career is limited.
I study A-Levels in Politics, History and Psychology and I'm not great at science subjects. I got a 4 in maths and a 55 in combined science at GCSE.

I'm not sure what I should do because in an ideal world I would be able to study Paramedic Science at university, however I just dont think its going to be possible because I won't meet the entry requirements for some unis and its so competitive.

I was wondering if anyone knew any pathways into being a paramedic? The only approach I can think of is continuing with my original plan to do a politics and history degree and pursue some kind of career in that field for stability and then retrain when im older to be a paramedic.

I'm not too sure

Go through a service! Say for instance you are located in the West Midlands, they offer a student paramedic program from WMAS which allows you to become a paramedic without going through uni.
Pros: You get paid so there isn't any student debt
You can drive ambulances from when you start unlike uni where you can't drive them on placement
It is also a bit more stuck in
I'm not going to do the cons but watch these videos. There are like 4 of them but it covers absolutely everything!

How to become a Paramedic (UK) Part 1 (youtube.com)
How to become a Paramedic (UK) Part 2 (youtube.com)
How to become a paramedic (UK) Part 3 (youtube.com)
How to become a paramedic (UK) Part 4 (youtube.com)
Original post by clarevictoriaa
I want to pursue a career as a paramedic but my options and ability to get into that career is limited.
I study A-Levels in Politics, History and Psychology and I'm not great at science subjects. I got a 4 in maths and a 55 in combined science at GCSE.

I'm not sure what I should do because in an ideal world I would be able to study Paramedic Science at university, however I just dont think its going to be possible because I won't meet the entry requirements for some unis and its so competitive.

I was wondering if anyone knew any pathways into being a paramedic? The only approach I can think of is continuing with my original plan to do a politics and history degree and pursue some kind of career in that field for stability and then retrain when im older to be a paramedic.

I'm not too sure

Hi,

My name is Ellen and I am a second-year student paramedic at the University of Surrey. There are options when it comes to deciding the right way for each individual, to achieve their dream of becoming a paramedic.
You can become a paramedic through the route of an apprenticeship type scheme with various ambulance services. Also, various universities, including the University of Surrey, offer access courses prior to starting the BSc degree. The entry requirements for access courses differ, so is worth checking and reading. Universities and the Ambulance Service look for the characteristics and qualities that make a good paramedic alongside the grades. By looking on the University of Surrey website you can find more information on these point as well as the details needed to get into contact with out application team.
I hope this helps.

University of Surrey Ambassador
Ellen
Original post by Becca2379
Hi I’m in halfway through year 11 and want to become a paramedic so I applied for college to do health and social care but the more I thought about it I decided to look into six form and the courses their. The courses that really stood out to me were sociology ,criminology but also psychology. I know I’ll feel more comfortable in six form as I know the courses would interest me. During six form I was thinking of volunteering for St John’s ambulance service to gain some experience and then go to university and do a paramedic science course. I was thinking of going to six form and then going to university. Do you think this is a good idea or do you think college would benefit me better and then go into university?

I think if you really want to become a Paramedic you should consider doing a health care course or sciences. If you look at specific university courses online, you will be able to find the entry requirements. Doing science doesn't limit you if you change your mind, you could apply for medicine with the right grades, alternatively sciences provide a good grounding for lots of university courses or career paths.

Generally, if you are doing A-levels, you need Sciences; Sociology is excluded. Alternatives are Healthcare Science T-level, BTECs, or International Baccalaureate.

If you really want to study the subjects you listed, you would need to then to an access course which takes an extra year between 6th form and starting a BSc at University. Whilst you are only in Year 11, it is worth planning ahead and selecting subjects that both interest you and also enable you to pursue the career of your choice.

It is also worth taking your GCSEs seriously now, as you will need 5 GCSEs including Maths, English and Science at grade C or above usually. When I studied Paramedic science there were quite a few people on the course who had to retake GCSEs to meet the entry requirements.

There may be courses at universities who are less fussy, but having lower grades will definitely limit your choice.

If you do find you do not get the grades you require there are other routes such as the FREC or AAP route. Where I work for example, we have a fully funded route starting with FREC3 for non-emergency work, gaining experience on patient transport, high dependency and events and then progressing to 999. This is a slower process but means you can reach FREC5 or AAP without going to university. It also means you have the choice of whether to start your career with a student loan.
(edited 2 months ago)

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