General News
14 April, 2022
Students learn ins and outs of allied health
MERCY Regional College VET Allied Health students participated in a careers expo recently.
MERCY Regional College VET Allied Health students participated in a careers expo recently.
The students welcomed guest speakers across seven disciplines related to allied health to share their clinical knowledge.
The Allied Health Expo started with an online presentation by Kerry Leech a sports dietitian from Brisbane.
She told the students about her career journey and shared that her work involves a few different aspects including counselling, psychology and even cooking for athletes while they are away on retreats.
After the online session, the students met with the representatives from other allied health professions in the community:
Podiatry (Steph Lamont);
Social work (Jessica Ryan);
Exercise physiology (Rachael Giblett);
Pharmacy (Sarah Baker);
Occupational therapy (Ruby Bradshaw); and
Physiotherapy (Stu Canavan).
The guest speakers engaged the students in a lively discussion about the skills and knowledge that their work involves.
As the students rotated through expo stations in small groups, they gained a deeper understanding of what each profession looks like day-to-day.
MRC VET Allied Health teacher Mel Sinnott said the students also spoke about their future intentions, asked a lot of questions, and even participated in activities which exercise physiologists set up for their patients.
“It was wonderful to have two of our alumni, Sarah Baker and Ruby Bradshaw, come back to the college to inspire the younger generation with their achievements,” she said.
“The expo gave the students an incredible opportunity to experience how versatile the world of allied health can be and to see all the fantastic pathways that lie ahead of them on completion of their qualification.”
Fellow VET Allied Health teacher Georgia Lucas thanked the guest speakers for taking the time to be part of the expo.
“Allied health professionals are in great demand these days so we hope that maintaining connections with the community will help our students to find employment locally in the future,” she said.