Care experience
You must have some experience of delivering care . This can be in a professional or voluntary capacity. This can include:
- Caring for family members
- Volunteering with youth groups
- Being part of the army/navy/air cadets or St John’s Ambulance.
To be selected for interview, your personal statement must explicitly show:
- Evidence of the experience gained
- Understanding of the profession
- A genuine, reasoned commitment to studying a professional course.
Personal statement
Your personal statement gives you the chance to show your qualities and strengths for a career as a paramedic. The statement should include a clear articulation of:
- Rationale for your choice of career
- How your personality lends itself to a career as a paramedic
- Evidence of investigation into the career of a paramedic. This should show insight of the role
- What attracts you to the profession
- Personal qualities and transferable skills. How these may contribute to success in the course and profession should be explained
- What sports/activities you enjoy and what skills you've developed.
Interview
All applicants must attend an interview as part of the selection process. This includes a group activity and an individual interview. Your values, problem solving, and communication skills will be assessed.
Personal qualities
We select students based on a range of factors, not just academic ability. This includes their knowledge, motivation, experience, values, and behaviours.
You need to demonstrate an ability to:
- Study academic subjects at the level of the course
- Debate topics and issues
- Draw on conclusions from written material
- Study independently and as part of a group
- Use computers and technology associated with teaching, learning, and assessment
- Interact with patients and colleagues in a caring and compassionate manner
- Demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, the course.
Fitness to practise
All paramedic courses need medical checks of your physical and mental health. You must also declare any criminal convictions. These are based on current HCPC requirements. Paramedics are registered healthcare professionals. You must be able to practise safely, effectively, and professionally. All applicants must follow our fitness to practise procedures. This means you're required to complete the following:
This means you're required to complete the following:
- A health declaration form. You must demonstrate that you're of good health and good character. You must also be able to satisfactorily pass an occupational health screening. Also, you'll be required to attend an Occupational Health Assessment with an NHS Trust. In line with HCPC regulations, the University can make reasonable adjustments. This support is available for students with a specific learning difficulty, long-term health condition or disability. Please refer to the HEOPS paramedic student fitness standards(opens in new tab).
- A self-declaration form about your conduct
- Obtain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost of the DBS check is covered by the University.
Instructions on how you complete these checks will be sent to you once you hold a conditional firm offer with us. These forms are then reviewed alongside your application. You must meet both the academic and fitness to practise requirements before you'll be given an unconditional offer. If you're successful, you'll also need to complete an annual declaration form. This is to confirm you're fit and there are no changes to your DBS.
Driving
A driving licence isn't a mandatory requirement, however, you'll be expected to travel. This is to placements, as shift patterns may not always fit with the availability of public transport. Where possible, we do try to arrange placements near to term-time addresses. We strongly encourage you to try to gain a full driving licence by the end of the course. This will enhance your job opportunities and employability. A C1 driving classification is not an entry requirement for the course.
