Personal Statement:Paramedic Science 3

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Paramedicine is a rapidly evolving area of healthcare and I want to be at the forefront of this. From a young age I have wanted to work in health care and when I joined the Army Cadet Force I found a love of first aid. This has led me to join St John Ambulance to expand my knowledge of pre-hospital care. I am now an Emergency Transport Attendant allowing me to work on ambulances. I believe doing this gives me an excellent knowledge of the pressures involved in working on an ambulance as part of a 2 person crew. It has also allowed me to work on my communication and basic clinical skills. To expand my knowledge of regular ambulance work I have done cover shifts with North West Ambulance Service where I attended Doctors Urgent and Category C calls. As part of this it is very important I am able to recognise the limits of my abilities and ask for help when needed.

After qualifying and gaining on-the-road experience I would be looking towards partaking in research as I believe that UK Paramedics need to start building their own research base instead of relying on that undertaken in hospitals or overseas. I hope that by doing this Paramedics will be able to stand their ground in the medical community whilst having a strong base of evidence to work to.

With my knowledge and enthusiasm for the job I believe I would make an excellent Paramedic who will help progress the profession long into the future.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Although I work full time I am currently studying two Open University modules; Introduction to Counselling and Human Biology. This has meant I have had to ensure my time is well scheduled so that I don’t fall behind on my studies. This will also be essential as a paramedic student due to the time pressures of the course. I have chosen to study Introduction to Counselling so that I can develop my communication skills by looking at different ways of communicating with individuals. This is especially important as a paramedic due to the wide range of people encountered. I have chosen to study Human Biology as I believe a good knowledge of anatomy and physiology is essential to being a good paramedic and I hope it will allow me to learn the pathophysiology of illness more easily.

An important part of this role is the ability to reflect on my practice to ensure I continue to develop. I am also required to complete a yearly Continuing Professional Development folder and reassessment of my skills.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I have recently started working as a Support Worker in the home-care environment. Currently I work as part of a doubles team attending to people with more advanced support needs. The work I do for them varies from making meals, to keeping their home tidy, to attending to their personal needs. I have found that through doing this work I am gaining invaluable insight into the daily lives of one of the groups of people the ambulance service regularly attends. It has also taught me about some of the communication difficulties that can be encountered when working with this client group. As part of this job I have to be able to work both by myself and as part of a team. When attending to clients we often only have a very short time to do a number of tasks. This means I have to know my role in that clients care so that together we can complete the required tasks whilst ensuring we give the client enough attention as we may be the only people they see each day. It also means I am used to working to a strict deadline which can be vital in some emergency cases.

In Saint John Ambulance I am allowed to drive their vehicles under none emergency conditions. Through doing this I know the importance of smooth and progressive driving and how bad driving can affect both the patient and your colleague in the back. I have also had a full manual driving licence for over 2 years and my C1 licence for over 1 year.

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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