Over the course of the last few years, we have been sent on some very interesting and varied placements as part of the MSci here at Keele. I assume that we have been given these opportunities so that we can start to think beyond the ambulance service and experience the vast arena of healthcare in which a paramedic could practice.
As is common with many university paramedic courses, in our fourth and final year at Keele, we are allowed to organise our own elective placement. An elective placement is a placement that is largely decided on and organised by the student. It has its origins in the study of medicine, and has now spread to be an element of many differing healthcare degrees, such as nursing, physiotherapy and paramedicine.
Over the last few months, I have been planning and organising my own elective placement for my final year. Several years ago, while I was still a humble army medic, I had the opportunity to assist in a critical care ward during the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience had a profound impact on me. It educated and humbled me at the same time. I was amazed by both the fragility and the resilience of the human body, and how it can recover from critical illness, be it of a traumatic or medical origin. In addition, I was greatly impressed by the compassion and skill of those involved in the care of patients. The nursing staff, the consultants, the doctors and the advanced critical care practitioners (ACCPs) worked tirelessly and with great skill, compassion and knowledge to provide the best care to individuals at the most critical time in their lives.
As a consequence of this experience, it has been my aim to work within critical care and my long-term goal (should I first be lucky enough to complete my degree successfully) to work towards becoming an ACCP. This being the case, the focus of my efforts over the last few months has been to arrange an elective placement within my local critical care unit – and I am pleased to report that I have done so.
An elective placement can expand clinical knowledge, and allow you the opportunity to learn more about yourself and develop your skills. If one chooses to organise an international elective, it could increase employability, confidence and resourcefulness, as well as facilitate networking with international contacts and refresh one's views on the NHS. An international elective may also allow for the development of communication and language proficiency, and provide the opportunity to do some decent travelling.
The reasoning for my specific elective is to learn more about a field of medicine that I would like to develop a career in, and to develop my network within that area. Being an older student, I have fortunately travelled extensively in the past. However, if you are working towards becoming a paramedic, do not limit your dreams for your career. As a paramedic of the future, it will be your responsibility to shape the profession and take in new and exciting directions. You could find yourselves anywhere from sitting in the back of an ambulance, rushing around a busy emergency department, working on a private yacht in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, or looking after celebrities in a remote jungle location. Work hard now and dream big for the future!