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Operating Department Practice

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,C

(or equivalent)

112 UCAS points, including 45 credits at level 3 and minimum 15 at Distinction, in a health-related subject

GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 passes grades 4/C and above (or equivalent), including Maths and English Language

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Pass relevant Diploma (preferably in a health-related subject) with DMM

T Level

M

in either: Health (with an Occupational Specialism in Supporting the Adult Nursing team), or Health (with an Occupational Specialism in Supporting the Midwifery team), or Health (with an Occupational Specialism in Supporting the Theatre team), or Health (with an Occupational Specialism in Dental nursing), or Healthcare Science (with an Occupational Specialism in Pharmacy Services Assistant), or Healthcare Science (with an Occupational Specialism in Healthcare Science Assistant).

UCAS Tariff

112

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Operating department practice

ODPs are specialist registered practitioners in the operating department, their crucial role combining technical and caring skills to deliver the best possible patient care. This degree covers all aspects of the job, preparing you up for a rewarding career in the profession.

Course description
Note: We have a number of places available in our Nottingham placement hospital for a March 2023 start. Candidates who already hold relevant qualifications should apply via UCAS.
Surgery requires an immense amount of patience, expertise and level-headedness. Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) have these skills in abundance and they set the highest standards for patient care in the UK.

ODPs work with nurses, surgeons anaesthetists and more - from the lead up to surgery right through to recovery and beyond. Working in the Operating Theatre, you’re truly at the sharp end of the care provided to patients undergoing surgery. An operation is often an important step on the road back to normal life, and you’ll become a key member of a team that cares for patients at a crucial time. Working as an ODP is an extremely rewarding career that gives you a real sense of privilege.

Our ODP programme within the School of Healthcare offers course-long placements in Nottingham, Derby, Northampton, Kettering, Chesterfield, Peterborough, Grantham and Boston, as well as Leicester. This gives you the option to enjoy the benefits of our excellent ODP programme whilst learning in a local hospital close to home.

The degree blends academic study and work-based learning - we believe that this is the best way to develop your knowledge and skills. In the classroom, you'll study areas fundamental to an ODP's role, such as biological sciences, operating department technology, clinical leadership and management and the legal, ethical and professional issues that affect clinical practice.

However, building your confidence and breadth of experience with patients is vital, so 65% of your time is spent on placement in one of our partner hospitals. Based in the East Midlands and surrounding areas, all our partner hospitals provide high quality, supportive placements where you will be mentored, taught, supervised and assessed to ensure you have what it takes to step into the professional environment.

This course is accredited by the College of Operating Department Practitioners and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You can also start the course in April or September.

Students on this course are eligible for a grant of at least £5,000 a year, which you do not need to pay back.
This course is part of the Armed Forces into Allied Health project, which recognises the qualifications, skills and experience of ex-armed forces personnel.

Modules

For more information on this course and a full list of modules, visit the course information page on our website

Assessment methods

For more information on the methods of assessment on this course, visit the course information page on our website

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Leicester

Department:

School of Healthcare

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

75%
Operating department practice

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Health sciences (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
71%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

93%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
64%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
20%
Male students
80%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
30%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Health sciences (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£16,800
low
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

20%
Caring personal services
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
9%
Science, engineering and production technicians

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Higher entry requirements
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Lower entry requirements
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UCAS Points: 104-112

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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