Regional placement leads to new job
RECENTLY graduated physiotherapy student Scott Chisholm has seen the benefit of taking up a regional placement, having been offered a fulfilling and rewarding role with the team at Up and Active in Toowoomba.
A University of Queensland graduate, Mr Chisholm completed a five week placement with Up and Active in October and November 2018.
Southern Queensland Rural Health provided some advice and support for Up and Active during Mr Chisholm’s placement and is working with other private providers across the Darling Downs and South West to increase placement opportunities in private practice.
Mr Chisholm said he consolidated his learning during the placement and expanded his skills because of the experienced team at Up and Active.
“Even during that short time I built a good rapport with patients while working with my supervisor Mathew Smith.
“During my degree there is lots of scope for placement so I had spent time at Toowoomba Hospital, Ipswich Hospital as well as working with both inpatients and outpatients at Laidley Hospital.
“This experience was invaluable but I found that I really enjoyed the private practice environment and could help patients achieve their goals, see their progress and work on an ongoing basis with them,” he said.
SQRH is a University Department of Rural Health and is a collaboration between The University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland, Darling Downs Health and South West Hospital and Health Service.
Assisting health providers to find placement opportunities for nursing, midwifery and allied health students is part of a broad raft of strategies being developed and implemented to help build a sustainable rural health workforce.