uni 's and asthma

Hey,

just to start hope all are well?

anyways i just thought i d ask you guys advice or get some info on uni and asthma .. if anyone has done physio? and the hospitals and asthma care in brighton and cardiff.

Basically i am hoping (grades permitting) to go to uni to study physio in september and i have narrowed the 4 offers i have got to cardiff uni and brighton (the others being brunel and birmingham), i am a 'severe' asthmatic and currently under RBH and i know that this, although i try hard not to let it, will and does affect my stydies etc and therefore need to take this into account when choosing a sutable uni ....

Cardiff is in the center of cardiff and is pretty accessable - the only hinderence being that you can be sent anywhere in wales for placement (but can request to be local in certain circumstances),

Brighton on the other hand is much smaller, by eastbourn coast line and has a more hilly area (cant take a car in first year - but poss dues to special circumstances you MAY be allowed).

so basically what i am askin is any experiences/recomendations/any help at all on choosing between the 2 unis, as i like them both??? and asthma and uni in general

Thanks katie x

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Hi Katielou - the very best of luck at uni and well done in getting your offers. I've bumped up some threads from the past as there's some very useful stuff in them.

Cathy

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heya, i cant say about brighton uni itself as im not there yet (also going in september to do nursing hopefuly) but i can comment on the provision of asthma treatment at the local hospitals. Brighton hospital (royal sussex county) is rated as one of the worst in the country, and unfortunatly it is true. The doctors are unorganised, no one in a&e seems to be able to stick to a protocol or recognise the difference between a bit of a wheeze and a life threatening attack. I think there just seems to be a general lack of information regarding asthma in the local here, and am often sent away on high doses of pred, low oxy levels and crappy pf and told ""deal with it yourself and neb as much as you need!""

That said however i do see a fantastic consultant who specialises in brittle/difficult asthma and he has done everything he is capeable of to try and help. Would you be seeing a more local cons or sticking with rbh?

Brighton uni apparantly does have a good disability team and im currently in the process of sorting out a few things with them so may be worth getting the contact details if you havent already :o)

Hope this was some help

x

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Hey Katielou,

Good luck with your grades.

I started an MSc in OT in January and I'm about to go on placement in 3 weeks. I would highly recommend getting a Disabled Students Allowance assesment. Apart from providing you with equipment they can also put in recommendations. One of mine was that I needed a placement nearby because I need to use public transport and I get tired easily. Although my placement is an hour and a half away by bus! Eeek! I'm looking into putting an application in to DSA for taxi's at least one way for me. Other people on my course also are unable to have access to a car and that has been taken into account when providing placements. You could also argue it that you need to stay in one area because you need a hospital that knows you if you get ill. They also think about your placements i.e. they didn't want me in a huge hospital walking all over the place because of my Visual Impairment so I'm going to a place which is smaller and has one department. They also considered cross infection (but this again was about my guide dog). I'd say go and talk to them both and see what they say. The first time around I picked the best disability support. This time I just picked the course and the uni because it was close to where my boyfriend lives and just happens to be quite good for support.

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Hi KatieLou,

I went to medical school in Cardiff graduating in 2007. I absolutely loved every second of my years there. As you will know Cardiff is a City campus so everywhere is walkable distance and relatively flat. The buses around the city centre are also pretty good as far as I remember.

With respect to asthma, I was looked after by Prof Shale’s Team at Llandough Hospital (Cardiff) and I have nothing but praise for them. I too was sent all over Wales doing placements in Swansea, Bangor, Wrexham and in a GP practice on Anglesey during my final year. I could have applied for ‘extenuating circumstances’ on health grounds meaning I would have stayed in South Wales. I didn’t bother applying and loved having placements away. I now work in Wrexham (North East Wales) and the Respiratory Consultants here (having worked for two and been looked after by the other two!) are excellent.

I'd strongly recommend Cardiff to you, I had a wonderful 5 years and my experinces of 3 Welsh hospitals as a patient have all been positive.

Hope this helps,

feel free to Pm me with any other questions,

STX