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MICA paramedic recognised for stellar career

February 4, 2025 | in News

After 25 years of saving lives, 15 of them from the sky, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) flight paramedic Matthew Shepherd continues to soar in his career, driven by an unwavering dedication to helping others.

Matt was recognised for his time with 糖心vlog (AV) at the recent Metropolitan Staff Service Awards and said the decades have flown by.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to receive the service award and it鈥檚 good recognition that you have committed to the role and the organisation for so long,鈥 he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also an honour to be recognised for 20 years of MICA as it鈥檚 high-level ambulance training that shows you have a wealth of knowledge.

鈥淚t needs to be mentioned that I am only one cog in a very big chain and I owe a lot of my growth and development to my mentors, managers, fellow clinicians and family for helping me achieve all that I have.”

After making the switch from emergency nursing to paramedicine, Matt鈥檚 never looked back.

A man standing in front of a helicopter.

Matthew Shepherd with HEMS

From the very start, he knew he wanted to become a MICA paramedic and that his end goal was to work on the helicopter.

It didn鈥檛 take long for that dream to become a reality.

鈥淎fter four years working on road, I applied to the MICA program and got in on my first try. I was then lucky enough to become a flight paramedic after five years of being a MICA,鈥 Matt said.

鈥淲hen you set a goal, it鈥檚 important to do everything you can to achieve it, such as finding mentors, seeking further education, going to conferences and seminars.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to work hard to get where you want to be.鈥

Throughout the years, there have been many highlights for Matt, but none quite as memorable as being on the AV helicopter that delivered the first pre-hospital blood to a patient.

鈥淚 remember that case well. The patient had significant injuries from a car crash and was really unwell,鈥 he said.

鈥淪he received the first blood products from a paramedic in Victoria and responded well, surviving multiple injuries.

鈥淚 was able to reunite with her again after she had recovered, which was lovely and something that will always stay with me.鈥

A male paramedic standing in front of an ambulance building.

Matthew Shepherd had his AV career recognised at the recent Metropolitan Staff Service Awards.

Despite spending the last 15 years as a MICA flight paramedic, the novelty still hasn鈥檛 worn off for Matt.

鈥淲hen you get in the helicopter and know you can go anywhere in the state, it鈥檚 one of the best feelings,鈥 he said.

鈥淚 also love the training because it makes you stay on top of your clinical game and physical fitness.

鈥淭he position itself also holds a large amount of respect from fellow medical and allied health professionals, as well as members of the community, and that鈥檚 a good feeling to have.鈥

Looking ahead, Matt鈥檚 got his sights set on one main goal 鈥 working a shift with his son who has recently graduated from his paramedicine degree.