Hometown: Truro
Course: BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practitioner
Next Steps: ODP at Treliske Hospital
After enrolling onto the University Centre’s BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practitioner degree three years ago, Poppy, from Truro, is about to graduate as part of the very first cohort of students to complete the course, making her one of the first Operating Department Practitioners to gain their qualification right here in Cornwall.
“My favourite part of the course was the fact that it’s 80% placement, so you really get hands-on experience,” Poppy explained.
During Poppy’s career-focused course, she completed work placement at Treliske Hospital in Truro, which has benefitted her in securing a graduate role close to home on completion of her studies: “It was nice to stay local and train in a hospital I already knew. I’ve now applied for a job in Treliske Hospital to do Operating Department Practitioning. In that role, I will be doing anaesthetics, assisting the anaesthetist.”
The University Centre’s close links with local employers gives students the chance to access these job opportunities: “The careers support was really good; I think the fact that we have support from placement as well, and they communicate with the University Centre, really helps.”
Poppy initially decided to stay and study locally after previously having moved away to attend college: “I had a few gap years and now I’m settled down and I have family here. I went away for college and felt I’d already had a ‘university experience’, so I thought it might be nice to stay and study here for university and stay around family.”
Praising the support she received throughout her degree, Poppy explains how the help from her lecturers boosted her self-confidence and allowed her to go further: “The lecturing staff have been so helpful; even when I had things going on at home and in the rest of my life, they were so supportive, so understanding. They took the time to listen to us, hear everything we had to say – I really couldn’t have got through it without them.
“My lecturer Tom especially helped me through my dissertation.”
The University Centre’s smaller class sizes also meant Poppy felt she was able to access more personal one-to-one support: “The class sizes being smaller is so helpful. That hands on, one-to-one experience that you get – I’ve got friends that have gone away for university and have said they don’t get face-to-face time with their lecturer, so I really appreciated that.”
Poppy has future plans to join the Navy as an Operating Department Practitioner, after gaining experience in the field: “Now I know what I want to do, I can take that and travel.”
Poppy’s advice for students looking to discover the options available to them at the University Centre is to: “Come in and speak to the staff; everyone here is so knowledgeable. You could also look online, everything’s there. I heard about it from word of mouth, and I think if you talk to the students that have already been here, they’ll recommend it enough.”
