Are you preparing to pass the paramedic selection process? If so, then you’ll need to pass the paramedic science degree interview. Here, we’re going to teach you how to pass the paramedic science degree interview. To do this, we’ll give you some sample interview questions, responses, and some useful tips to help you prepare fully.
We’ve been helping many people over the last 14 years to prepare for paramedic interviews and these questions are certainly going to help you.
1. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 1: “Why do you want to become a paramedic?”
This question is important because it is a safety-critical role. Not everybody has the skills and attributes to manage the pressure and to carry out the job competently.
Okay, so they want to know why you want to become a paramedic. Now here are some positive things to say about the role that you should include in your response.
You basically have the chance to make a difference to the community and to society in this kind of role, similar to roles such as police, fire service, and so on. You have a chance to make a difference. And if you’re the kind of person who wants to make a difference then you should mention that. So it’s a chance for you to make a difference to the community in society.
You also get to work alongside a number of highly professional people. Perhaps you like working as part of a team which being a paramedic is very much required. So, with regards to working with highly professional people the other paramedics will be highly professional but it’s not just those it’s the call handlers and the other people that form part of this massive team that is the ambulance service.
But there are also other stakeholders you’ll get to work with the police the fire service the council et cetera. OK. This is another positive aspect to mention: the opportunity to work within a diverse workforce and a diverse community working within a diverse workforce is brilliant.
Also, working in a diverse community is much more fun. It’s much more interesting and satisfying and enjoyable. Another thing is you get as a paramedic to learn new skills and also obtain qualifications so you get to learn new skills. You won’t be able to get anywhere else but also you get to work in a job as a paramedic where no two days are the same. So, there is a lot of variety with regards to it. Yes, there are some mundane tasks that will have to carry out such as patient transport services at times, but no two days are going to be the same. So those are the positive aspects to mention when responding during a paramedic size to being to be why you want to become a paramedic.
Sample Answer to Question 1: Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers
I feel that I have the necessary qualities that are required to become a paramedic. This is due to my previous roles as a community first responder first data in the workplace and also as a plumber. I also have first-hand experience of working in a diverse community through hands on experience reading books and talking to operational frontline staff. So, I know that there is a high level of job satisfaction. I like helping make a difference to the people in the community at a time of need. In addition, I enjoy interacting with the public and working in a customer service based role. I am an enthusiastic punctual well-disciplined and always strive for personal development. I will enjoy undertaking a diverse role in a well disciplined and uniform service working closely with other emergency services and support agencies such as St. John’s Ambulance.
2. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 2: “Why Do You Want to Come to This University?”
I can again almost guarantee you will get asked this question. The reason why they will ask you this is because they want the top students who they know are going to pass or more importantly they are going to be role model students. They want really good students.
So universities want the best students to come along: not just people who want to become a paramedic. Why do you want to go along to that university? You have to demonstrate you are a model student and you are determined to work hard and not let them down and pass.
So, if you can give evidence of where you’ve already studied hard before and past exams or whatever then that will help. My advice is to go along to the University open days so you can find out as much as possible about their university.
Now this will demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and you genuinely want to attend their university. And this is not just because you want to become a paramedic that’s really important. So do your homework.
You need to know things of interest. What the university is like, what the prospectus is like, as well as what the course is like, and which parts of the paramedic science degree you think you will find the toughest.
3. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 3: “How do you think you’d react at incidents as thoroughly as incident as a paramedic?”
It is important that paramedics remain calm at all times whilst attending emergency incidents. If they are calm, then they are in control and they will therefore be able to perform their duties competently and professionally.
Whilst attending road traffic collisions, paramedics and other members of the emergency services need to carry out a “dynamic risk assessment” (DRA). In basic terms, the DRA is the management of risk through a continuous process of identifying hazards, assessing risks, taking action to eliminate or reduce risk, monitoring and reviewing all in the rapidly changing circumstances of the operational incident. It is their responsibility to ensure that they and other people at the scene are safe.
Patient care is vitally important. Assessing the needs of each of the casualties and providing the appropriate level of car is the paramedic’s task.
Sample Answer to Question 3: Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers
First and foremost, I would remain calm at all times and remember to follow my training and operational procedures. I would always conduct a risk assessment to assess the situation and the safety of myself my colleagues the patient and the public would always be a priority. I feel confident that by following my training learning the operational procedures and working with other stakeholders such as police fire service and the control centre, I would be able to handle any incident competently and professionally.
So that’s a short answer but it covers all of those different things that I’ve just gone through about carrying out a dynamic risk assessment. Now you don’t have to know what a dynamic risk assessment is but you just have to be aware of what the risk assessment actually exists.
4. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 4: “Give an example of where you have had to deal with someone in a potential conflict situation. How did you attempt to take control of the situation?”
For this situation, you need to use the STAR system to effectively demonstrate your experience:
- Situation – What was the situation?
- Task – What was the task that you had to accomplish?
- Action – What steps did you take to accomplish your task?
- Result – What consequences were the direct result of your actions? Try to find the best positive results.
As a paramedic, you’re probably going to end up in circumstances where members of the public are in a state where they might be confrontational or even violent. While the safety of the public is extremely important, so is your own safety. You need to demonstrate that you can keep yourself safe, whilst also trying to maximise the safety of others.
Sample Answer to Question 4:
Whilst working in my current role as a customer service manager I was faced with an angry customer who was dissatisfied with the level of service he had received from our shop it purchased a pair of shoes from his daughter’s birthday. Sorry for his daughter’s birthday but when she went to open the shoe she found that they were both of a different size. The shop assistant had made a mistake and should have checked the shoe sizes before selling them to the gentleman.
Now unfortunately, when I tried to apologise for our error on offer a full refund along with a new pair of shoes for his daughter he refused to calm down and continue to act in an angry manner. I knew that it was important for me to remain calm and not respond to his aggression. If I had responded in a similar aggressive manner I would have been making the situation worse. So I decided to stay calm. Talk to him in a mild mannered voice asking him politely not to shout at me.
Unfortunately he did not calm down and instead he began to swear and threatened me suggesting that the member of staff who had made a mistake should be sacked immediately and if I didn’t do this I would be in trouble. I then decided to give him a warning that if he didn’t calm down and stop swearing the police would be called. He did not listen to me. So, I walked away from the confrontational situation and telephone the police as soon as he saw me calling the police. The man left the shop now although he had left the shop.
I still asked for the police to attend due to the threatening behaviour. Now when the police arrived I gave a statement or requested that the matter be investigated. I believe it is important to broaden an excellent level of service to our customers but that does not mean that you should accept any form of verbal or physical abuse. I’d never respond aggressively to any such situation.
Instead, I would always walk away from a situation like this and inform the relevant authorities.
So even though this isn’t relevant directly to the role of a paramedic you showing that you are able to try and calm somebody down. Follow your training but also remain calm at all times and you also know when to walk away from a situation.
5. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 5: Why Do You Think You Can Successfully Pass the Course?
The candidates who can demonstrate previous experience with successfully completing difficult tasks and training courses are far more likely to stick with the degree course and pass it.
During the interview, the panel may ask you to explain why you think you can successfully pass the paramedic science degree course.
During your response, it is important that can provide details of where you have previously worked hard in order to gain a qualification or complete a training course. You will most probably have studied hard previously to pass your GCSEs or A-Levels. This evidence should form the basis of your response.
The panel will also want to see a demonstration of enthusiasm and passion from you, as this will provide further evidence of your commitment to successfully completing the course.
Questions of this nature are usually designed to separate those candidates who are genuinely interested and passionate about becoming a paramedic, from those who are not.
Further Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers:
Q. When have you reflected on your own performance and made improvements?
Q. When have you worked as part of a team to achieve a difficult task or goal?
