Naoise's ODP Student Story

My name is Naoise Standing - I’m 21 years old and I’m a current student in my second year, studying Operating Department Practice at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU). I chose CCCU because as a commuting student, I wanted to pick the best university available, bearing in mind the fact that I’d have to travel back and forth every day, and CCCU was the obvious choice!

I found the application process relatively easy but the application process is slightly different for healthcare courses compared to other academic courses. After submitting my personal statement through UCAS, I was invited to attend an interview at the University. I was a late entrant, having applied in June, so there were only a few other applicants there on that day. I found out within a week that I had been given a place to start in September, I was absolutely over the moon!

I found out within a week that I had been given a place to start in September, I was absolutely over the moon!

My first year was a bit of a shock to put it lightly! Until you’re on a healthcare course you don’t realise how much time and work goes into it, it can be quite challenging at first with balancing academic work and placements but this became more manageable as the year went on. First year was also incredibly interesting, there is so much to learn both in University and in placement, each day brought different challenges which kept everything fresh and new.

First year was...incredibly interesting, there is so much to learn both in University and in placement, each day brought different challenges which kept everything fresh and new.

My favourite part of the course is being able to go out on placement. I’m able to train with qualified professionals (including some CCCU graduates) who mentor me every step of the way, allowing me to gain new skills and enhance those that I have learnt previously. You get a real taste of what your career will be like after you qualify, after all, there’s only so much you can learn about the role from books!

The best part about being on placement is that you get to be completely involved with the team you are working with. You get to know fellow members of staff really well over the period of time that you are with them, meaning you can build a strong working bond with your team. I’ve found that everyone I have worked with has been keen to help me learn as much as possible, I’ve had ample opportunities to really get involved and do as much as I can within my scope of practice.

I’ve found that everyone I have worked with has been keen to help me learn as much as possible, I’ve had ample opportunities to really get involved and do as much as I can within my scope of practice.

My favourite thing about CCCU is the clinical skills facilities provided for us to use before we go out on placement. We have mock wards, a scrub area, an anaesthetic room and an operating theatre to practice some of the skills we’ve been taught in before we go out on placement, allowing us to feel a bit more prepared before stepping into the deep end on placement.

My favourite thing about Medway is that our classes are a lot smaller than those on the main campus in Canterbury, we’re all going through the same process so it brings us a lot closer together.

My first hope for the future is to graduate this degree with the best grade I can achieve. On my course we all put such hard work and effort into what we do, we all deserve first class degrees! I’m also hoping to study a Masters degree in the future, but which one I’m not quite sure yet!

My favourite thing about Medway is that our classes are a lot smaller than those on the main campus in Canterbury, we’re all going through the same process so it brings us a lot closer together.

I’m currently preparing to go out on my first placement of the year, this involves making sure all the assignments I need to complete during this time are planned as much as much as possible to make it easier for me to work on them whilst working shifts. It also involves going through the relevant notes I’ve taken in class, so that I can have some background knowledge on what I’m about to undertake.