A chance encounter at a bus stop led Charles Sturt University (CSU) student to take on a career in paramedics and complete a Bachelor of Paramedicine.
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While sitting at a bus stop, the then 15 year-old student Sam Ross noticed a man was behaving strangely and looked to be in need of help.
Sam then wasted no time and ran to the local medical centre for help.
As he drew toward finishing high school Sam began looking at the universities and programs that were available for him before settling on CSU.
“My careers advisor suggested Charles Sturt University because it had a strong reputation for teaching and graduate job prospects,” Mr Ross said.
“They also told me the University was building a campus in Port Macquarie so I pretty much moved up there straight out of high school.”
Mr Ross said he was impressed with CSU’s facilities in Port Macquarie and also the small size of the campus meant he “didn’t feel like a number”.
“Lecturers knew students by their names and would also put on extra classes and sessions to help us,” he said.
“We felt like they put in the extra effort to help us succeed, especially for subjects there were harder and more technical.”
At the suggestion of a first-year lecturer, Mr Ross got involved in CSU Student Paramedics Australasia (SPA) a group that provides first aid services to community events and hosts guest speakers to share knowledge.
Eventually Mr Ross became President of the SPA, a position he said allowed him to further gain experience that would help with his job prospects following graduation.
“It was also a useful way to revise what I’d learnt and to pass knowledge to first- and second-year students.”
Leaving SPA, Mr Ross said the group had raised $5,000 that would be donated to local charities to support the Port Macquarie community.
In early January 2019 Mr Ross will take-up a role with the NSW Ambulance Service and is excited for the next chapter in his life to begin.
“It was my first preference and in January I head to Sydney for some training and then on to my assignment.”
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