G’day from down under!
I am Roosa, a third-year paramedic student from Finland. I study paramedicine at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. I am currently doing my student exchange in Sydney, Australia. There is a university in Sydney that collaborates with Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The university is called Western Sydney University (WSU), and it is one of the four universities in Sydney that teach paramedicine. In Australia, paramedicine is taught at universities, whereas in Finland, it is a degree from a university of applied sciences. Now, I could tell you more about my exchange!
I left for the exchange on February 25, 2024, with another exchange student. Our exchange lasts a total of 10 weeks. During the exchange, we study at the university for four weeks, participating in the classes of second- and third-year students. Additionally, we do a five-week internship with New South Wales Ambulance. For a week, we took a vacation and explored Sydney.
At the university, we attended lectures and simulations. The courses we participated in covered, among other things, out-of-hospital care and the care of mental health patients. In the lectures, we went through endocrinology in detail, and I learned things from the lectures that I had not yet learned in Finland. The paramedicine degree program in Australia includes a lot of simulation training, so we did many simulations during the four weeks. Initially, I observed and acted as a patient in the simulations, but in the final simulations, I also took on the role of a paramedic. The simulations are diverse and a good way to learn interviewing and skills needed in paramedicine. WSU students do only three internships during their studies compared to our 11 internships, so simulations play an even bigger role in practicing skills there than for us. In addition, paramedic studies in Australia last only three years, while in Finland, the paramedicine degree program is four years. However, in Australia, paramedics must complete a one-year trainee period after graduation before they are fully qualified to work.
After the university period, it was time for the ambulance placement. My station was Haberfield Superstation. The superstation is a large station that has combined several small ambulance stations. The station is one of the busiest in Sydney and employs over a hundred paramedics.
During the placement, my shifts followed a specific roster. I had four shifts in a row, three of which were day shifts (6:45-19:00, 7:45-20:00, 10:45-23:00), followed by one night shift (18:45-7:00). The shifts were always followed by five days off. The shifts varied, and I got to see different patient cases also at night. The night shifts were often busy, so there was not much time to rest. Fortunately, the long days off allowed for recovery and leisure time.
The internship was interesting and diverse. I got to do a lot and participate in patient care. During the internship, I learned a lot about Australia’s multiculturalism and their paramedicine system. I had good supervisors in the internship who welcomed me warmly and encouraged me to challenge myself. What particularly stuck with me was the Australian paramedics’ skill in interacting with patients and communicating with them. Their communication skills were excellent, and I hope to use the knowledge I gained in Finland as well.
In addition to the university and internship, we got to work as first aid at an AFL game. We were part of the first aid team and had our own “supervisors” there. Although there wasn’t much to do during the game, we got to watch the game and get to know Australian culture through it.
In my free time, I tried to be active and do as much as possible. I visited the most famous sights and went to the beaches to swim and sunbathe. I also visited different national parks, took long walks, and went shopping. Additionally, I spent a lot of time with the other exchange student from Finland, and we went on a road trip together. During the road trip, we visited, for example, the Royal National Park, which had amazing nature and beautiful scenery. We also visited small towns below Sydney (Kiama, Shellharbour, Jervis Bay…). The other exchange student and I also went surfing! It was fun and a unique experience. During the exchange, we saw a lot of Australian nature and animals. I love animals, so it was amazing to see kangaroos up close in the wild!
During my last days off, I also visited the Gold Coast. In Australia, the distances are so long that you almost have to fly everywhere. Fortunately, I found affordable flights and flew to the Gold Coast for a few days of vacation. The Gold Coast had many surfers, tall buildings, and a beautiful, miles-long sandy beach.
Finally, I could share a few photos from my exchange. I’ll add them at the end of the post. The exchange was an amazing and unique experience. I recommend everyone who has ever considered going on an exchange to do it! I hope to return to Australia someday because I already miss this place. I hope you enjoyed my blog and got something out of it!
Have a good one!
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