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“It’s an opportunity you wouldn’t really get anywhere else. You can keep your lifestyle in Cornwall and still open yourself up to so many more opportunities.”
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Names: Magdalena, Elysha, Aaron
Course: BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practitioner
Next Steps: Anaesthetic Practitioners at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Three students, one life-changing course, and a shared passion for patient care: meet Magda, Elysha, and Aaron, soon-to-be graduates of the BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practitioner degree at the University Centre Truro and Penwith, who are now heading into careers as registered ODPs with Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust.
For each of them, choosing to study at the University Centre Truro & Penwith was a decision shaped by practicality and a keen desire to stay local to develop in their career.
Whilst Elysha and Aaron applied through UCAS, Magda was drawn to the financial benefits of an apprenticeship route, allowing her to earn while training for a role she had always aspired to: “For me it was more the financial aspect, being an apprentice meant I could earn money and learn at the same time for a role I’ve always wanted to do.”
Elysha, having previously studied Health and Social Care at Truro College, didn’t feel the need to move away from a place where she was already content. “The Higher Education team came to speak to us at college, and when they talked about this course, I thought, ‘That’s a bit of me, I want to do that!’”
Aaron, inspired by a friend who had studied ODP in Cardiff, was eager to join the course as soon as it became available locally.
Reflecting on their time at the University Centre, all three agreed that the hands-on, practical elements of the degree were what made it truly stand out. For Magda, working with a variety of specialities and teams was particularly rewarding. Elysha explained how the course opened her eyes to a whole new world, and how the people she met along the way made the experience even more special. Aaron especially enjoyed exploring the vascular scrub speciality, which left a lasting impression.
All three students will now begin their career journeys with roles as anaesthetic practitioners at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske.
As they move into full-time employment, their experiences on placement have made the transition into employment a natural next step. Magda, who had already been working at Treliske during her studies, said: “It was relatively easy to get a job because in my case I already worked there, so they already knew me and what I could do.”
Elysha, despite not having any prior hospital experience before the course, explained how the relationships she built on placement made the job interview process easier: “I’d never worked in a hospital before, until we started placement. You really build up a relationship with all your colleagues. We were interviewed by our managers who we’d been working with the last few years on placement.”
For Aaron, the support available at the University Centre was instrumental to him in securing both his Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) and a Higher Education bursary: “I used Student support for DSA and my bursary, and they were really good. They were very professional and informative.”
Elysha praised the dedication of the tutors and lecturers, who were always on hand to help, saying: “our tutors and lecturers were just phenomenal, they were there at every beck and call.”
They each had a clear message for future students considering the course. “Go for it – it’s worth it,” said Magda. Elysha added, “It’s an opportunity you wouldn’t really get anywhere else. You can keep your lifestyle in Cornwall and still open yourself up to so many more opportunities. And if you have a big essay due, do it straight away and don’t leave it to the last minute!” Aaron summed it up with simple but powerful advice: “Those three years are going to pass anyway, so at least in three years’ time you’ll have a degree.”
All three student’s journey is a clear testament to the strength of local training opportunities and the value of practical, workplace-focused education in adding home-grown talent to the local workforce.
Learn more about the BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practitioner course as well as our various Nursing and Allied Health courses online, and discover how you can launch your healthcare career without leaving Cornwall.
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