Saving lives with emergency medicine
Tegwyn Bath
Being an ambulance paramedic can be a demanding job, but for Tegwyn Bath it is a rewarding and interesting career.
Originally offered a place in medicine at the University of New South Wales following year 12, Tegwyn decided this was not the career for her.
"After Year 12, I worked overseas for twelve months then completed a course in outdoor recreation which had a wilderness first aid component, and loved it. I found it very hands-on and practical, and decided that this suited me very well. So I started looking for options where I could do pre-hospital emergency work, but in a broader context than just wilderness, and found this course in emergency medicine.”
Tegwyn chose the Monash course in preference to other similar courses, because she felt that the Monash degree was more structured and had a significant amount of interactive and practical content.
“My favourite things are the practical, clinical classes. We spend a block of time with a paramedic, who teaches us about putting an airway in, or giving a certain type of drug. We’ve also had excursions to different hospitals and to the Country Fire Authority to observe how they do extrications from cars at an accident – lots of hands-on stuff.”
Student placements are an integral part of the course, and Tegwyn was sent on placement in New South Wales and at Metropolitan and Rural Ambulance Service branches in Victoria. She also spent two weeks in Tasmania with the Tasmanian Ambulance and Health Transport Service.
“I’ve had very positive experiences with all of my placements,” said Tegwyn.
“When I went to NSW the ambulance station was overjoyed to have me there – their first Victorian student - and in Shepparton, the paramedics are used to having students on the road with them, and were happy to teach us and let us have a go at doing things.”
Tegwyn also enjoyed the second year trauma unit.
“I did well with an assignment on the risks and benefits of paramedic-initiated shoulder reduction. I was then asked if I’d like to do further research on the topic, agreed, and wrote a paper under the guidance of Bill Lord, who lectures in the subject.”
In something of a coup for an undergraduate student, Tegwyn’s paper was accepted for publication in the United Kingdom Journal of Paramedic Practice.
Tegwyn has now been employed for a year now with Ambulance Victoria. She is now a fully qualified ALS (Advanced Life Support) Paramedic. She is also undertaking Honours in Emergency Health (Paramedic) through Monash University, and expects to complete that degree at the end of this year.