Ten paramedic students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will attend two paramedic conferences and visit three ambulance services in the United States during August to observe how their American counterparts undertake their vital roles in the provision of emergency medical services.

 

Professor of Paramedic Practice and Leadership at the School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, Peter O’Meara, will lead the study tour by final year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Clinical Practice and the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Clinical Practice (Paramedic).

 

“This type of rich study experience offers significant cultural and professional benefits for the students,” Professor O’Meara said.

 

“First, I expect that our paramedic students will develop a stronger appreciation for the cultural differences of their future patients through their interaction with American paramedics and patients in settings where our students are outsiders.

 

“Professionally, they will observe the different approaches to the organisation and management of emergency medical services even though the United States and Australia are, on face value, very similar countries. The American health and emergency medicine service systems are very different to our own, and this will challenge the students’ perceptions of how services should be offered to the community.”

 

The 2010 Paramedic Study Tour in the United States will consist of a number of options as part of the Charles Sturt University CSU Global Experience program.

 

The first part of the study tour will be attendance at emergency medical services conferences that will be held in Vail, Colorado - The 6^th International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine (from 9-11 August) at which the CSU students will present a collective paper on paramedic education in Australia, followed by the Rural Frontier EMS Summit (from 11-13 August).

 

The CSU students will then visit the Wake County Department of Emergency Medical Services, North Carolina, the Western Eagle County Emergency Medical Service, Colorado, and the Mayo Clinic Medical Transport, Minnesota.