Local program inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals

Across the Darling Downs and West Moreton regions, high school students are taking advantage of the opportunity for a glimpse into the day in a life of a healthcare worker through the PHN-funded Aspire2Health program.

Designed for Year 9 and 10 high school students with an interest in a health career, Aspire2Health is a collaboration between Griffith University, Southern Queensland Rural Health, Queensland Ambulance Service, the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN and Western Queensland PHN.

The program, now in its sixth year, provides an opportunity for high school students to learn about what it’s like to study a health degree at university and be exposed to the various health professions that work in the health sector. The program allows students to meet with local health students and professionals and to have some fun learning some of the key skills taught in a health degree.

During the workshops, students are coordinated into teams that branch out into special interactive groups under disciplines such as nursing, pharmaceutical, or medical throughout the day.

The students are provided an example of a patient, who throughout the day is seen by each discipline, and the students learn about the treatment needed and provided under each cohort.

The students are provided with an overview of each area by trained healthcare workers and are shown some interactive ways on the roles of each profession and simulate scenarios they may come across.

The purpose of the day is to provide guidance to students on which health stream they may be interested in if they were to seek a profession in health within the rural areas.

There are a number of workshops coming up in Goondiwindi, Toowoomba, Stanthorpe, and Warwick with limited availability.

Click here to register or contact Paul Purea or speak with your local school VET/Careers Officer for more information.