Ben C-E

What do you like about your course and why?

The Paramedic Science course helped me feel prepared for placement. With the simulation facilities, we had the opportunity to get hands-on with equipment early on. We are able to get comfortable practising scenarios with actors, mannequins and kit in a safe environment. This means placement can be all about maximising your learning and skills as you hit the ground running.

The lecturers take feedback and improve the course for the rest of our time there, as well as for future years. In the context of healthcare, the course has been great at encouraging me to develop my clinical judgement based on the teaching provided and our own knowledge. 

We have opportunities to get involved with simulation and development opportunities with the Surrey Paramedic Society and with SECAmb. These help prepare us for real life, and for the ‘Real Time Sim’ event in Year 3.

What do you enjoy most about Surrey?

The Uni has a big range of societies for everyone to get involved in, and Surrey Sports Park is right next to the student accommodation which has great outdoor and indoor sports facilities. 

Guildford has some nice scenery for walks/runs which helps if you need the outdoors to balance uni work/life. Guildford isn’t far from London by train or car, meaning it’s easy to get there for a day or evening out. 

"There are a huge amount of opportunities and pathways available for Paramedic Science graduates outside of immediately working for an NHS trust." 

If you’ve completed a clinical placement, what did this involve? What were the highlights?

Our placements as part of the course are quite varied, with the aim of having completed roughly 1,500 placement hours by the end of Year 3.

We have a mix of ambulance placements at an assigned station. We also have short placements in settings such as intensive care units (ICU), coronary care, A&E, operating theatres, and maternity. 

At the end of our second year, we have the opportunity to organise a four-week elective placement of our choosing. I spent four weeks with SECAmb’s Critical Care team which provided me with some great clinical exposure. Some of my friends and course mates went abroad to locations such as Tanzania, Texas, and the Philippines. You can tailor the experience to your learning and do something awesome. 

What do you want to do when you graduate?

When I graduate I’d love to get a job with the ambulance service I have been on placement with. This would allow me to start immediately working on my Newly Qualified Paramedic portfolio with aspirations for eventual further study. 

I’d also like to do more work in the events sector. This gives you opportunities to work as part of the team providing medical cover for festivals, sporting events and more. 

There are a huge amount of opportunities and pathways available for Paramedic Science graduates outside of immediately working for an NHS trust. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to study this course?

If you are set on studying paramedic science, consider what you are looking for in a university. Go to lots of open days and find a campus that suits what you would like as you are going to spend a lot of your life there!

Ask lots of questions about the course; some paramedic science courses are more practical assessment (OSCE)-based than others, while other are more essay-based assessment. This is one of many things to consider as everyone learns and applies learning differently. 

The years fly by, so make the most of it and get stuck in while making sure you enjoy your uni life to the fullest extent.

Find out more about our Paramedic Science BSc