What is paramedicine?
Paramedicine is the area of medicine that covers emergency medical treatment of people before they get transported to a hospital or medical facility for further care. Paramedics are trained first responders that arrive on the scene and must quickly evaluate the situation, make decisions, administer medical care, and in some cases transport the patient to a hospital.
Most paramedics works in ambulances, but can also work as a firefighter paramedic, flight paramedic, or work as part of a team to rescue people out of the sea.
Why study a Bachelor of Paramedicine?
If you are passionate about helping people in the community, and seeking a diverse and thrilling health care career, then studying a Bachelor of Paramedicine in Australia can be the start of a new lifestyle for you.
If you’re not sure if you want to work on the frontline, there are plenty of behind-the-scenes medic roles available. You can work in a control centre responding to incoming emergency calls, transport non-critical hospital patients to appointments and treatments, work with training and assessment, or as a medical technician.
You can compare this degree with other Nursing and Allied Health degrees to ensure you embark on the right heath care career path for you.
How to become a paramedic in Australia
To be able to respond to triple zero calls and become an ambulance paramedic in Australia, you need to complete a three-year bachelor degree in paramedicine or paramedic science at a recognised university.
What ATAR do you need for paramedicine?
To enter a Bachelor of Paramedicine at USQ, you’ll need an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 65.60. If you for any reason do not have an ATAR, we can derive a Selection Rank based on your prior study, work experience or professional qualifications.
Please view the 'Entry requirements' section of this page for further details.
How long does a Bachelor of Paramedicine take?
A paramedicine degree takes three years complete if you’re studying a full-time load. Please note that USQ’s Bachelor of Paramedicine only has one intake per year (commencing in February) so depending on when you decide to apply, you may need to plan ahead before starting this degree. Some students choose to study part-time which increases the time it takes to finish the required courses.
How do I know if paramedicine is the right career for me?
Paramedics are often the first people on the scene in traumatic situations and are exposed to confronting circumstances on the job. But despite the challenges, and not being your typical 9-5 profession, being a paramedic or medic in Australia can be a very rewarding allied health career. You can change and save people lives, prevent further injury or illness, and make these meaningful differences in your everyday work.
Abilities and qualities that suit a paramedic career include (but are not limited to):
- listen and communicate clearly and calmly with a diverse range of people
- identify problems and consider different ways to solve them
- being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
Before you start studying, you must meet the inherent requirements for the Bachelor of Paramedicine. Due to the nature of the paramedicine profession, you will need to ensure that you understand the consistent and sustained level of communication, ethical behaviour, physical and mental performance required in paramedic practice. If you think you may experience any problems meeting inherent requirements, you can talk to a Student Equity Officer about reasonable adjustments that may be put in place to assist you.
Are flexible study options available?
You can study the Bachelor of Paramedicine part-time to fit your learning around family or work commitments. A part-time study load means that you undertake two subjects per semester instead of four courses in a full-time load.
Please note that one course, consisting of four weeks full-time placement, must be taken in Semester 3 of the first year of study.
Discover more about the different ways to study at USQ.
What pathways are available?
We understand that everyone has a different pathway to university. That’s why we offer options for you if you don’t meet the entry requirements of a Bachelor of Paramedicine in Queensland. You might want to consider our Tertiary Preparation Program which is a bridging course to university allowing you to develop your writing, maths and study skills to build your confidence for further study.
Why study a Bachelor of Paramedicine with USQ?
- Our simulated education practices involves creating accident scenes and providing opportunities for intervention, which allows you to become prepared for real emergency scenarios. The mobile simulation ambulance adds another layer to the quality learning experience at USQ.
- Apply your knowledge using emergency equipment used by paramedics world-wide.
- You’ll learn from expert academics and develop skills in clinical decision-making, situational awareness, conflict resolution, communication, and leadership in a dynamic applied context.