Five careers for a Paramedic Science graduate

A Paramedic Science degree lets you choose from a wide range of exciting careers in healthcare, where you will make a real difference to people’s lives every day.  

Here are five exciting jobs you could move toward after graduating:

Ambulance Paramedic

Deliver frontline emergency care.

Ambulance Paramedics are usually the first healthcare professionals to help patients who need urgent care. You’ll respond to emergency calls, assess patients and provide immediate, lifesaving treatment.

Responsibilities and skills include:

• responding to medical emergencies
• assessing and stabilising patients at the scene
• giving emergency medication
• performing resuscitation and life support
• transporting patients safely to hospital
• communicating with patients and their families

Once you gain experience, you could progress into specialist or leadership roles within the healthcare service, or move into research, training or education.

Primary Care / Specialist Paramedic

Support patients in the community.

Primary Care and Specialist Paramedics work in GP surgeries, urgent care centres, community clinics and care homes. You’ll assess and treat patients with minor illnesses and injuries, long-term conditions and mental health needs.  

Responsibilities and skills include:

• assessing patients in the community
• treating minor illnesses and injuries
• supporting people with long-term health conditions
• carrying out home visits
• working closely with GPs and nurses
• referring patients to the other services

With further experience and training, you could gain extended prescribing rights and move into clinical practice, management, education or research.

Critical Care Paramedic

Provide advanced care in life-threatening situations.

Critical Care Paramedics work with patients who are seriously ill or badly injured. You’ll be part of specialist teams and give advanced treatment in emergencies.

Responsibilities and skills include:

• treating serious injuries and medical emergencies
• carrying out lifesaving procedures
• giving specialist medication
• using advanced monitoring equipment
• helping during major incidents

As you gain experience, you could become an Advanced Paramedic Practitioner or a Critical Care Team Leader, or move into education or research.

Forensic Paramedic

Deliver compassionate care to people in custody.

Forensic Paramedics work in prisons and police stations. You’ll make sure people in custody receive safe and professional healthcare.

Responsibilities and skills include:

• assessing and treating patients in custody
• collecting forensic samples
• referring patients to support services
• helping people with substance misuse problems
• managing existing illnesses
• supporting vulnerable people

With further experience, you could move into a senior forensic healthcare role, a clinical leadership position, or a specialist advisory post. You could also move into education, safeguarding or consultancy.

HEMS Paramedic

Provide emergency care in critical situations.

HEMS Paramedics work on air ambulances and rapid response vehicles. You’ll reach patients quickly in serious emergencies and give urgent lifesaving care.

Responsibilities and skills include:

• working as part of an air ambulance crew
• providing advanced trauma care
• treating patients in challenging environments
• helping with fast evacuations
• supporting major incident responses
• working closely with other emergency services

As your career develops, you could move into a senior HEMS role, an advanced critical care position or a clinical leadership post. You could also move into education, training, research or a specialist advisory role.

Our Paramedic Sciences degree prepares you for the frontline of healthcare from day one. After graduating, you need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council to work as a paramedic in the UK. To move into higher-level roles, you may need to explore extra experience, training, or postgraduate study.