Mature student wants train to become a paramedic financial & medical info please

womble36

Im 37 in two weeks, married, female, 3 children. What medical do you go through to get into paramedics? Anyone any idea about how i go about getting funding for this course? I feel it would be impossible for me to give up my work.
Anyone out there that has any idea's?????

tanith

You could try applying to one of the Ambulance Services, not sure about others but London Ambulance does in house training AFAIK, not easy to get into but worth taking a look..

Pssst

Have you checked the pay scales?

MrsManda

The NHS Careers website says:
'Anyone wishing to work as a paramedic will now need to either secure a student paramedic position with an ambulance service trust, or attend an approved full-time course in paramedic science at a university.'

If you go to a university you will be entitled to student loans and grants (dependent on hosuehold income) to cover tuition fees and maintanence. May also get other benefits, e.g. to cover cost of childcare. Studentships/Trainees are often paid on the job but depends on the individual ambulance service.

For more information about becoming a paramedic and links to training opportunities go to NHS Careers
For other careers in the Ambulance Service and pay scales go to HERE

Taiko

Just a note, I'm finding a few of the paramedic courses aren't designated by the DIUS because of how they are set up. Make sure the course is eligible for finance before applying.

Ytaya

A friend of mine very recently started her student paramedic course. She applied through the ambulance trust. The trust pay for her course (in-house, 16 weeks) and pay her a percentage of the paramedic wage. This is followed by 3 years of on-the-job training, at increasing percentages of the paramedic wage, until she's fully qualified. The local ambulance trust no longer accept student paramedics through any other means (ie university courses).

However. Competition for student paramedic placements was very fierce. It took her a year to get through the application, start to finish - and she was accepted first time around (many people aren't). As part of her physical, she was required to lift 117 kg and I know there were other fitness criteria, too. She was also required to get her Category C driving licence - the trust do NOT pay for this and she had to get it before they would offer her a student place.

I would recommend talking to your local ambulance trust about their recruitment methods for students. Also see if you can go out on some ride-alongs as an observer. Most trusts allow this, subject to paperwork. Then you can make sure that the job is for you, and it also demonstrates definite interest in the role - it will help you in the recruitment process.

If you can, also look into local community responder schemes. These are schemes where the ambulance trust trains volunteers in basic life-saving techniques (use of oxygen and defibrilators), and those volunteers then attend certain kinds of 999 calls to hold the fort until an ambulance crew arrives. It can give you an 'in' with local paramedics (you can get to know them, talk to them, arrange to ride out with them) and it will also help your application.

Oldernotwiser

Ytaya wrote: »

A friend of mine very recently started her student paramedic course. She applied through the ambulance trust. The trust pay for her course (in-house, 16 weeks) and pay her a percentage of the paramedic wage. This is followed by 3 years of on-the-job training, at increasing percentages of the paramedic wage, until she's fully qualified. The local ambulance trust no longer accept student paramedics through any other means (ie university courses).

However. Competition for student paramedic placements was very fierce. It took her a year to get through the application, start to finish - and she was accepted first time around (many people aren't). As part of her physical, she was required to lift 117 kg and I know there were other fitness criteria, too. She was also required to get her Category C driving licence - the trust do NOT pay for this and she had to get it before they would offer her a student place.

I would recommend talking to your local ambulance trust about their recruitment methods for students. Also see if you can go out on some ride-alongs as an observer. Most trusts allow this, subject to paperwork. Then you can make sure that the job is for you, and it also demonstrates definite interest in the role - it will help you in the recruitment process.

If you can, also look into local community responder schemes. These are schemes where the ambulance trust trains volunteers in basic life-saving techniques (use of oxygen and defibrilators), and those volunteers then attend certain kinds of 999 calls to hold the fort until an ambulance crew arrives. It can give you an 'in' with local paramedics (you can get to know them, talk to them, arrange to ride out with them) and it will also help your application.

I would thoroughly agree with this excellent advice.

phlash

Where do you live? Some info on Uni routes in the Midlands: (My wife is on a course)

Northampton & Sheffield Hallam university courses (Paramedic studies) come with an NHS bursary and tuition fees paid. I should imagine the Sep 2009 intake is sorted, so you'll have to look at Sep 2010. You apply through UCAS and qualify after 2 years. It consists of a mixture of periods in University, periods with university and road, and solid periods on the road.

You need a strong CV but not necessarily in the academic sense, previous experience is essential and it will definitely get you further in the interviews. My wife's colleagues on the course all did St Johns/First responding/Auxiallary nursing etc.

It is competitive, I believe Liverpool had 1800 applicants for 60 places.

My wife recommends trying to join PTS - Patient Transport Service, in order to gain experience of patient care which would help tremendously in interview, and then becoming a clinical student. (This is the trust's route as talked about above)

Different courses have different fitness requirements, sheffield does not have one, whereas Coventry/Liverpool do.

Before commencing employment you prove job fitness by demonstrating carrying people upstairs for instance. Insulin dependant diabetics will not be able to start the course, due to being denied the licence to drive ambulances.

MarzipanFish

This blog by a paramedic is really interesting http://theparamedicsdiary.blogspot.com/

womble36

Thanks to everyboby for the advise, i am going to follow this up. :beer: