Operating Department Practitioner (Student)

Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, the joining process is as follows:

• Submit an application

  Once you’ve registered your interest and have satisfied the basic eligibility criteria, you will be sent an online application form

• Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)

  You’ll be tested on: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.
  To prepare, you can practise the DAA

• Interview

  A formal interview to talk through your suitability for the role. This is normally conducted using your own device over the Shine video platform

• Medical and eye tests

  These are quite comprehensive and must be completed by one of our Ministry of Defence-approved doctors

• Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT)

  This involves completing a 2.4km run on a treadmill within a certain time, at a fitness centre near you

• Candidate Preparation Course (CPC)

  This four-day induction to life in the Royal Navy, including a Swimming Test and a fitness assessment, is a pass or fail course

• Start training

  Once you’ve passed a Security Check, you’ll be offered a place at HMS Raleigh

Your Royal Navy career begins with 10 weeks’ basic training at HMS Raleigh, a shore base in Torpoint, Cornwall. The discipline, teamwork, organisational, firefighting and weapon handling skills you learn here will stay with you right through your career.

Aim to get yourself as fit as possible before you arrive. You’ll be doing a lot of physical exercise, and you’ll find it much easier if you’re already in shape.

There's also a swimming test, so if you can't swim, make sure you learn by the time you join us.

Once you’ve finished your diploma, you’ll be a Qualified Operating Practitioner and will join a Defence Medical Group (DMG) in Portsmouth, Plymouth or Birmingham. There you will start a rotation to put into practice all you have learnt.  You will - gain clinical experience over a number of clinical areas, airway management, scrub and recovery.  All to harness your skills ready for deployment. As you progress you will also extend your management role and take charge of the equipment and its maintenance, including gaining a qualificaiton in sterilisation.