Why I Chose Paramedic Science at BCU!

I’m currently a third-year Paramedic Science student at BCU. I know how difficult it can be to decide where you want to spend the next few years, so I wanted to share my reasons for choosing this course and university — especially for anyone thinking of applying!

Why Paramedic Science?
I had always been drawn to a healthcare career, but I knew that working in a hospital didn’t suit me. So that narrowed down my options a lot!
I enjoyed the idea of no two days being the same and getting to see a diverse range of patients daily, and so Paramedic Science seemed like the perfect course for me!

Why did I choose BCU?

Firstly, I would highly recommend reading the course page online to get a better feel for the layout of the course and how you will be assessed. Secondly, one of the main things that drew me to BCU was coming to an open day! This gave me a real feel for what student life would be like if I were to come to BCU.

Assessments
How I would be assessed was something I had really looked into before applying. I had done mostly science subjects at A-Level, meaning I didn’t have much experience with academic writing. In the first year, I found the split between exams and assignments to be mostly equal, meaning I wasn’t thrown straight in the deep end with assignment writing, giving me more time to find my feet first.

Simulation facilities
I know that I am the type of person who learns best by actually doing things, so BCU’s simulation facilities stood out to me. When I applied, the simbulance hadn’t yet been built, but since starting the course I’ve used it lots to practice realistic scenarios with friends in preparation for placements!

City South Campus
As a Paramedic Science student, I am based at the City South campus, which is also where I visited for my open day. One of the main selling points for me was this campus being mostly exclusive to HELS students (Healthcare, Education and Life Sciences), meaning that I would be surrounded by like-minded people daily.

All the great food options on campus were a bonus, too! With Starbucks or Costa for mid-lecture break coffee, or the Campus shop for revision snacks. The affordable but tasty cafeteria or the Social kitchen for a lunchtime pizza!

Birmingham
As I came from a smaller town, I had always wanted to experience city life! There’s always something to do, plenty of food (and coffee!) spots, going out with friends, or just exploring the city on foot. It just felt really student-friendly and easy to get around when O came to visit.

I also wanted the experience of moving away from home, but not too far for when I need my washing done 😆. As you may have seen if you have visited, Birmingham has many train stations, making it easy to go home whenever (I would recommend investing in a rail card!)

If you are interested in what my timetable has looked like as a BCU Paramedic Science student: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7633540&p=100921514
Come and visit us for an open day:
https://bit.ly/4aHFLz5

If you have any questions about the course or Birmingham student life, comment below!

-Molly
BCU Student rep