ARU Blogs — Sophie Cunningham

Sophie Cunningham

Faculty:Health, Medicine and Social Care

School:School of Allied Health and Social Care

Course: Operating Department Practice BSc (Hons)

Before starting this course, I had worked in the hairdressing industry for many years, but always felt as though something was missing I thought about working in healthcare, but I was unsure as to what profession in healthcare would be best suited to me. I toyed with the idea of nursing, midwifery and even paramedic science but something always held me back from going for it.

Until one day I stumbled across the ODP role on the NHS careers website. I instantly felt excited reading about the role, and I just knew it was for me and applied that same day. I was so excited for the new challenge ahead! The thought of being involved in surgery and having the opportunity to assist a surgeon just felt surreal to me. Additionally, I couldn't wait to care for patients before they went off to sleep and as they wake up in recovery. I had finally found the role for me and could finally start working towards my rewarding new career!

I am now in my second year! Of course, there has been challenges but I absolutely love it! I feel so proud every day I am making a small difference to overall patient experience.

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4 May 2023

One of my biggest worries before I started the ODP course was about what books I should be buying! On my first day lectures advised not to spend too much money on books as the ARU library is amazing and almost all books are available online. They were right, the ARU library is fantastic… Read more…

24 January 2023

As a mature student, making the decision to change career felt like a really big one! I knew I wanted to work in healthcare, but I was so unsure what path I wanted to take. Until one day, whilst looking at career options on the NHS website I stumbled across Operating Department Practitioner. Read more…

28 November 2022

Finding the perfect work/life balance as an Operating Department Practice student can be challenging to say the least, but you’ll be pleased to hear that it is possible with a little practice. Read more…

30 August 2022

The skills labs at ARU have been so helpful in giving us students the opportunity to practice essential skills before having to practice in placement. Read more…

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The views expressed here are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of Anglia Ruskin University. If you've got any concerns please contact us.