High school students from across the Midcoast received a glimpse into the world of healthcare and its many possibilities at a careers day held in Taree.
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More than 160 students from Taree, St Clare's, Chatham, Gloucester, and Wauchope high schools, along with Great Lakes, Hastings Secondary, Manning Valley Anglican, Alesco Secondary and MidCoast Christian colleges attended the annual School Careers Forum at the University of Newcastle Taree Manning Education Centre (MEC) on Tuesday, March 5.
The years 10 to 12 students were provided interactive sessions, presentations, and hands-on activities in a fun and educational experience designed to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.
The careers day program has been in existence for more than a decade, and according to academic team leader Mid North Coast, Susan Heaney, the day also serves to dispel any misconceptions about gaining entry into the healthcare field.
"We run our fourth and fifth year medical program from this building, but we also support allied health and nursing students on placement when they come into the footprint," Dr Heaney said.
"We're just trying to get all the high school kids involved and interested in a career in health, and to work out that you don't actually need to have top marks and that there are other ways to get into it."
We're just trying to get all the high school kids involved and interested in a career in health, and to work out that you don't actually need to have top marks and that there are other ways to get into it.
- Academic team leader Mid North Coast, Dr Susan Heaney
The forum covered aspects of healthcare careers ranging from medicine to a host of allied health professions, such as;
- speech pathology
- occupation therapy
- nutrition and dietetics
- physiotherapy
- phamacy
- nursing
- midwifery
Evidence of the program's success is apparent through the number of those taking on placements after having previously experienced the careers forum first hand.
All of which assists in creating a flow of emerging healthcare professionals to not only enter the industry, but also return to the region to provide the care required by the local population.
"We try to encourage local kids to come back to do their placements here because we know they'll be more likely to stick around," Dr Heaney said.
"There's a shortage of health professionals across the board, and that's why we're trying to open the high school students' eyes to the fact that these are careers that they could actually do - and they don't have to move to Sydney to do it.
"They could actually do it in Newcastle and then come back and do some of their final placements in the area and hopefully they'll come back here to work."
