Students from the Department of Health’s new Paramedic Science BSc course ventured out on placement for the first time this week.

The 12-week block sees students working on the front lines with West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS), attending emergency calls and gaining hands-on experience of patient care.

After a demanding first semester encompassing both theoretical and practical work, students were equipped with the competencies needed to match the rigorous demands of their first experience out on the road: “The first three months of the course are very intense,” said Claire McCullagh, Course Lead for the Paramedic Science BSc course.

“West Midlands Ambulance Service have very high expectations of the trainees so they need to be quickly up-to-speed across a variety of skills, from basic life support to manual handling.”

Claire spent several years working as a paramedic before switching to higher education.  After three years at Staffordshire University, she was excited to take on the challenge of building the new course at University College Birmingham. With a specification that took 18 months to bring together, she is already seeing the value of the work with the first cohort of students: “The group is really small; there are only 20 students so it means they and the staff all get to know each other really well,” she said. "

We formed a tight-knit bond early on, and our open-door policy means students know they can always come and speak to us if they need to. We are a paramedic community.”

The nature of the work means that placement students will very soon work in demanding situations, dealing with real-life emergencies. For this reason, they have access to University College Birmingham’s student support services, and have benefitted from visits organised by the School from organisations such as Mind and The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC), in addition to support from WMAS themselves.

“Building resilience, people skills, and empathy are crucial for this job. Getting out onto placement early on gives students a feel for what it’s really like out there, and what they can expect to deal with on a daily basis. Between the University and WMAS we want to make sure they have all the support they need to deal with those demands,” Claire emphasised.

The placement is the first of three that students will undertake throughout the year, with the next two blocks of three weeks reflecting the range of professional opportunities they may not ordinarily associate with the role of a paramedic.

Over the three-year duration of their course they can expect to go on placement in such varied locations as care homes, paediatric settings, and GP and Urgent Treatment Centres, and Claire feels that exploring the full range of potential workplaces will allow the cohort to better assess which path is for them:

“It’s important for students to recognise that paramedics now undertake a variety of different healthcare roles in line with evolving service provision, including primary care settings and hospital work. University College Birmingham’s location and experienced staff leave us well-placed to make that happen,” she said.

“As paramedics, we have the chance to make a difference in all kinds of different settings, from mental health, to forensics, to research. We always say: not all paramedics wear green.”

On their return from placement, the students will benefit from training in a real, ex-service ambulance – called Nina – acquired by the University and containing all the tools and equipment a paramedic will need when they’re out on the road.

It is also hoped that moving forward, Paramedic Science students will be able to support students from other healthcare courses in areas such as Basic Life Support and manual handling, helping early on to foster good relationships across the Department and within the multidisciplinary team.