Jo

Why I wanted to be a paramedic

The journey to me becoming a paramedic started 15 years ago. I was working for a law firm and had taken a first aid course as part of my training. Whilst on maternity leave, I encountered a man who had collapsed in the street. I stopped to help, and it became clear that the man wasn’t breathing and had had a cardiac arrest. I gave CPR and breaths for around 15 minutes until the ambulance arrived. The man, Keith Aston, made a full recovery. That incident entirely changed my life. We became great friends and set up a CPR training group to pay it forward and teach other people what to do, and teaching CPR still remains a passion. I was inspired by what the ambulance crew did when they arrived and wanted to extend my knowledge. I became a first aid trainer, then a volunteer community first responder, and when Covid came along and my husband spent more time at home, I decided to go for it and train as a paramedic. 

My course

I loved the excellent mix of theory and practical elements. The classroom sessions really prepared us for our time in practice and were delivered by extremely knowledgeable lecturers who had worked in or were currently working in our field. The Clinical Simulation Centre is state-of-the-art and was essential in helping us practise our skills in a safe learning environment. 

In the third year, we undertook a real-time simulation event, where the Health Sciences building was turned into a hospital and ambulance receiving bay. There were simulated incidents with actors that took place around the campus, and we attended patients in public and private scenarios as we would in real life. This was an incredible confidence boost and gave us a flavour of what it would be like to practise autonomously. The day was superbly run to make it as realistic as possible and it was a wonderful culmination of three years of study. I’m really grateful to have had that opportunity before I start my role with the ambulance service. 

I enjoyed my clinical placements, both the ambulance placements and the short placements which gave a flavour of working in other areas of healthcare. This helped us understand the patient’s onward journey and what other employment opportunities may be available to us. I really enjoyed my hospice placement and would think about this as a career path at a later time, which wasn’t something I’d considered before. I have already secured a role in the ambulance trust I undertook my placements with.

The pastoral support from my course leaders was excellent. I was a rep for my year which was very rewarding and I made some great friends. 

My advice

Go for it! The course is brilliant and you will get a lot from it. Overall, I loved my time at Surrey. 

And for mature students with children wondering if it’s possible - it is! There’s excellent support available and it’s rewarding and exciting. Good luck!

Find out more about our Paramedic Science BSc.