Tamworth: University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health invites New England students to Health Careers Forum

The Armidale Secondary School student was one of roughly 260 from across New England to attend the University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health's (UONDRH) 15th annual health careers forum.

"The whole entire concept of nursing seems way cooler now than it was before I came here," Rachel said.

The event at the Tamworth Education Centre aimed to spark an interest in rural students towards health, with research suggesting they're more likely to practise rurally than metro counterparts.

Academics, clinicians, and fellow students led scenario-based workshops in medicine, nutrition and dietetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, medical radiation science, midwifery, nursing, and speech pathology.

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Rural areas need nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals, and work must be done on career paths and job opportunities, UONDRH professor Jenny May said.

"Whilst training and supporting at the gain and train end is really important, retention is also important," she said.

"There is a piece of work still half done in rural communities about getting the best model of supporting rural health professionals."

Ellie Smailes is in her fourth year of a physiotherapy degree at UONDRH, completing her final year of clinical placement in Tamworth.

The student from Newcastle said her grandfather lives in Goondiwindi, which meant his Parkinson's disease was not diagnosed earlier.

"That prompted me to realise there's an inequality in health professionals out rurally," she said.

"The more I hear patients chat to me about the lack of physiotherapists and healthcare workers out here, it's really boosted me to continue to do rural work out here."

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