Studying Postgraduate Paramedic Science - Testimonial from Kirsty Berger

Transcript

My name is Kirsty Berger and I studied the Graduate Diploma of Paramedic Science (Critical Care).

So I decided to do the paramedic Science graduate diploma because I aim to become a critical care paramedic and it was a requirement or prerequisite for the application process.

So I was working as an advanced care paramedic at the time and aiming to increase my skill set to being a critical care paramedic. And this was very much based around the critical care paramedic skill set, so it gave me the practical skills up to be comfortable as a critical care paramedic,

I chose to do it through CQUni because of the flexible delivery options.

Because I was working and eight on six off roster out West the flexibility of learning online was what I needed. I could work it around my work shifts during my work shifts and also around my children and being back at home so it enabled me to continue studying full time while working full time.

It was also good to have a residential component, allowing me to sort of hone in on some practical skills that would be required as well, and also to get to know people who are actually in my cohort as opposed to it only being for distance only.

I found that the CQUni lecturing staff were very approachable. They always tended to respond quickly to any queries, and we also had some phone contact as well and they were more than happy to be contacted by me so it made it really really easy to get any queries that I had or concerns that I had addressed quickly.

So on completion of the course I applied successfully to get on the Queensland Ambulance Service program for Critical Care Paramedicine, which I've since completed.

I've been a qualified critical care paramedic for just over 18 months, and now I'm working on road as a critical care paramedic and also relieving in a relieving capacity as a critical care flight paramedic on the rescue 300 Capricorn Rescue chopper.

It had been a goal of mine since I was an undergraduate paramedic student. Yes, I love working on the chopper because I like every day to be different, which it is.

I also really enjoy working in remote regional areas and interacting with a variety of different people from hospitals all the way through to some sort of primary jobs in sort of remote areas. It gets my brain thinking and helps me think outside the box in regards to my critical care practice.