Returning to university

I have come back to normal university lectures and skills sessions after a successful placement in central London. There’s always post-placement blues as the reality of the course settles in with essays and deadlines here and there. However, a new year means a few steps closer to becoming a registered paramedic and, in fact, I will hopefully be graduating next year.

In January, I submitted an applied anatomy and physiology essay that was 4,500 words, which certainly took a long time to write and reference! I’m glad to say I received a good mark for it and one of the senior lecturers even rang me on a Saturday to talk through the marking! It’s gestures such as this that remind me why I’m studying at Anglia Ruskin University. As well as what seems like essay after essay, we have been learning about Advanced Life Support (ALS) and pharmacology (the study of the effects of drugs in the body) in our practical skills sessions. These have been going really well and we alternate between each other, to take the leadership role in ALS cardiac arrest scenarios in simulated environments on campus.

Alongside my studies at ARU, I have thoroughly been involved in the charitable operations at London’s Air Ambulance, where I volunteer as a photographer and speaker. I have worked for the charity since I started my Paramedic Science degree and just in the last few weeks I have led three evening talks for institutes across London, including the London Freemasons in the City. The London Freemasons have donated a staggering £2 million towards the purchase of a second helicopter (call sign G-LNDN). It was a privilege to stand in front of the head of the Freemasons, but all the more nerve-racking! I am pleased to say that once my presentation was finished they presented myself (representing London’s Air Ambulance) with a £500 cheque for the charity. It’s for this reason why I chose to volunteer in the first place, as every donation really does count.