Never too old: Bob’s journey to paramedicine

After two years of intense study and workplace learning, Deloraine resident Bob Muller will be graduating with a Bachelor of Paramedicine degree in early 2023.

Looking for a fresh start, Bob Muller and partner, Anne, moved to Deloraine in 2018.

Bob started a private consultancy business, which left him with enough free time to volunteer with the Deloraine Fire Brigade.

“As a fire brigade were sometimes called to assist the local paramedics, and there were a couple of times when having a few extra hands around made a real difference to the outcome for the patient.

“That was when I thought maybe I could add some value by volunteering for the ambulance service as well.”

When COVID hit, Bob started volunteering with ambulance almost full-time, plus one shift a week with the SES doing quarantine check‑ins.”

As a Volunteer Ambulance Officer, Bob assisted paramedics at call-outs but was not able to administer treatment.

One experience convinced him it was time to change his future. He was called to a person who was receiving palliative care at home, and was expected to die that night.

Their family wanted to make sure they were comfortable and cared for during their death.

“To be there, with those people in that moment was such a privilege and seeing my colleague’s genuine compassion made me realise that paramedicine was way more than a job.”

Bob admits his age initially made him hesitant to commit to such a career shift but a conversation with another paramedic changed his perspective.

“I said, I wish I’d known about this career as a younger bloke. But I’m 61. He said, ‘And your point is?’”

He applied for the Bachelor of Paramedicine that night, started in February 2021 and will finish his final placement and exams this month.

After graduating, Bob’s next step is a 12-month internship, after which he expects to become a fully qualified paramedic in the same month as he reaches retirement age.

“Yeah, I never intended to retire anyway,” he laughed.