Allied Health careers in Western NSW

Amelia: So, the Allied Health Rural Graduate Program is a two year grad program based in Western NSW LHD, and it’s about providing new graduates with further support when they make their transition into practice.

Abaigeal: The Allied Health Rural Graduate Program is a collection of new grads across allied health disciplines. A lot of us have moved from metro areas or coastal areas and have come out rurally. There’s so much scope for practice out in rural areas.

Amelia:  I’ve always had a passion for rural healthcare. It gives back to a lot of communities, a lot of vulnerable communities that need it most. But I didn’t necessarily have the kind of courage to jump out and do it myself. So I think the grad program gave me that support that I needed to make that jump into rural health.

Michelle: I think the opportunity to be able to upskill in so many specialties so early on in a career is such a huge benefit, that you might not see in a metro hospital so early on in a career. The team here are so supportive in listening to what interests you have.

Laura: I think it was the variety and always wanting to work in rural health where you get those experiences that you don’t quite get anywhere else.

Ashleigh: My favourite aspect so far has been all of the workshops. So we get to go to different locations and we hear from professionals, we hear from senior clinicians. Exposure to leadership courses and exposure to research courses, and how we can tailor our career to meet our aspirations.

Abaigeal: There’s a real sense of community here, I find that especially working in the hospital you have that time to actually make a connection with patients. And when you see people in the community, people stop you and smile.

Georgia: Living in Dubbo is fantastic. We have such a great social community here, so many different events that we can attend.

Amelia: I really love Dubbo. I didn’t think that I would love living rurally as much as I did. , I love the no traffic, I love having a really good community neighbourhood vibe; everyone looks out for each other. All of the graduates here and all the rest of the allied health team have a really good support network, and we do a lot of events outside of work, so it’s a really good work-life balance.

Michelle: It’s been such a great opportunity to be so close with the other new graduates that are here as well, that are in the same situation. I felt well-supported, even though it was such a big move away from home, and I love the culture of the community here as well. We’ve been really fortunate to join some sports teams that are out here that are quite social.

Katrina: I really like it. I feel it’s like living in a bigger city but everything’s much closer together. So you still have a lot of things to do. The people are so nice. The people that I work with are amazing.

Georgia: And the ability to network in, the program offers is second to none. I have met so many different people, not only at our site in Dubbo but across sites, which has been invaluable.

Lydia: One of our biggest supports, I think, is actually the cohort. All the allied health professionals meet, and we do workshops together. There’s lots of support so I think that’s why this program is so special.

Ashleigh: I am supported incredibly.  I have a fantastic manager, I have a clinical supervisor, I have the coordinator of the Allied Health Rural Graduate Program, which all work together as a team to help me feel supported, help me feel like I’m developing, and help me reach my goals.

Georgia: So there’s really that support from all levels of the health structure, which is really unique to the program.

Millie: The additional support that you get from people outside of your work team as well, to sort of, have a bigger picture look at your career, your goals, and where you want to end up. And sort of just help you start creating that roadmap.

Katrina: Even the exec of allied health comes and, comes to our education days, and everyone that joins in and provides their insight and their input into the program really makes us feel supported and like, the district wants us to be here and they want us to learn and improve and grow.

Georgia: I’m very, very passionate about rural health. It is such a huge thing for me to service the community that I’ve lived in, that I’ve grown up in, that have difficulty accessing healthcare and providing that equality of healthcare is something that I’m really, really passionate about.

Jarad: Mate, there’s a lot of things I’m passionate about in physiotherapy, but, one of my passions is learning. Being in Orange, and as well as part of this program is really going to help facilitate that.

Millie: I’m quite passionate about empowering my patients to sort of, want to take control of their own health, and make their own decisions surrounding their health.

Katrina: I haven’t really found something I don’t like yet. The services that we can provide, I think they’re really meaningful in preventative and management of health.

Amelia: I really love working with people, and enhancing their needs, and I think social work can do that really well in a rural area.

Ashleigh: So I’m really passionate about patient care. I’m passionate about transitioning research into practice to get results for our patients in our district.

Amber:  I am passionate about empowering people to be seen, heard, and confidently connect with the world around them.

Katrina: It’s a great opportunity. I came from a big city; you make friends so quickly, so everyone makes you feel welcome.

Amber: Just give it a go. I’ve grown a lot both personally and professionally, and I just think it’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

Amelia: Just making that jump to rural health is such a good one for your career, and it has lasting impacts on the community, so it’s definitely worth it. So just take the jump.