at the front line of medical care

At the front line of medical care in the community, a paramedic must be able to provide expert, skilled medical care before someone can be taken to hospital. Paramedics often work in remote or difficult environments, away from the support of other health professionals. The critical and complex decision-making required of them is developed in these degrees. A significant amount of time during study is spent on clinical placement – at AUT in New Zealand, as much as a third of the degree is based on practical experience gained in varied settings including ambulance services, hospitals, mental health institutions, ski fields, and community or primary health centres. This is a three year specialist undergraduate degree available at Monash University in Melbourne, Flinders University in Adelaide and AUT in Auckland. La Trobe University in Melbourne offers paramedicine as part of a 4-year double degree, the Bachelor of Paramedic Practice and Bachelor of Public Health Promotion.