Allied Health Portfolio

Introducing the Allied Health Portfolio for 2013

The Allied Health Portfolio is comprised of six students who are studying Allied Health degrees and involved in their Rural Health Clubs. For 2013, the Allied Health Liaison officers are:

Christopher Myers – Co- Senior Allied Health Liaison Officer Chris is a second year physiotherapy student at James Cook University, Townsville, Qld. He was born and raised in Alice Springs, and enjoys the more relaxed atmosphere remote and rural areas provide. Chris’ passion for rural health has increased upon transferring degrees from Sport and Exercise Science, finding himself becoming involved within RHINO, his university’s rural health club. He is keen to help allied health students find rural and remote career pathways, along with promoting allied health furthermore to current and future stakeholders.

Ben Crough Co-Senior Allied Health Liason Officer

Heidi Beams Co-Junior Allied Health Liason Officer

Marc Eskander Co-Junior Allied Health Liason Officer

Annie Nicholls Co-Junior Allied Health Liason Officer

Role of the Allied Health Portfolio

The Allied Health Portfolio is an advocate for Allied Health students interested in rural health. We hold regular teleconferences and engage in frequent correspondence, working to assist Allied Health students by:

• development and maintenance of the Allied Health Scholarship Database
• our prosperous relationship with SARRAH – Services for Australian Rural & Remote Allied Health
• Further relationships with allied health stakeholders and professional bodies

We are currently working on a number of projects:

• conducting a survey of allied health scholarships, in conjunction with SARRAH
• creating a guide for Rural Health Clubs to increase allied health students participation through rural health placement incentives and scholarships
• creating a guide for students and supervisors on rural placements based on the SARRAH Conference workshop

Regular updates of our progress are published in the Weekly NRHSN Update and channeled through NRHSN reps within each Rural Health Club.

Allied Health Portfolio Stakeholders

We have ongoing and newly developing relationships with the following organisations. Please support them by checking out their websites!

• Australian Dental Students’ Association (ADSA) – website: www.adsa.org.au

• Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH): website - www.sarrah.org.au/site/index.cfm
• Rural Dentists Network of the Australian Dental Association (RDN of the ADA)

• Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) – website: www.indigenousalliedhealth.com.au/
• National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) – website: www.napsa.org.au/
• Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) – website: www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/
• Student Paramedics Australasia (SPA) – website: www.studentparamedic.org.au/

If your organisation (professional or student based) would like to work with the NRHSN’s Allied Health Portfolio to improve issues facing our rural and remote workforce and the future of it, please contact alliedhealth@nrhsn.org.au.

Allied Health Scholarship Database

Last year the Allied Health Portfolio gathered data on allied health scholarships to collate a central webpage on the NRHSN website to assist allied health students source financial assistance for rural clinical placements. The list includes national, state and university based scholarships in a user friendly format. We want to keep this list up to date - If you know of any scholarships available for allied health students in you state, Rural Health Club or university course, please let us know.

Do you have an Allied Health Rep at your Club?

Could all RHC's please email the Allied Health Portfolio with the name, course of study and contact email of their nominated Allied Health Club Rep. Please note that Club Reps MUST be studying an Allied Health course; we appreciate the enthusiasm of other disciplines wanting to get involved but need to ensure as much Allied Health representation as possible.

NEWS

We are on Facebook!

The Allied Health Portfolio has it's own Facebook page! If you are studying an allied health degree, add us on Facebook. The page is regularly updated with news, professional development opportunities and the latest scholarships. Use it to meet and network with other NRHSN allied health students!

Check us out - search for NRHSN-Allied Health. 

New Relationship with NAPSA
 

 The National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) represents pharmacy students studying at 16 branches across Australia. Pharmacy students with an interest in rural and remote health can benefit from NAPSA membership in lots of ways:

• Information about the most current funding opportunities available, including both students from a rural or remote origin or students keen to head rural for their placement or internship
• Access to stories from real students’ experiences of rural placements and internships
• Education opportunities – a chance to hear from and meet real pharmacists who are working in a rural and remote setting

To find out more, check out www.napsa.org.au and make sure you check out the Rural and Indigenous Affairs Committee page http://www.napsa.org.au/ruralandindigenous.shtml for the most up to date info. Also have a look at the Pharmacy Guild’s rural pharmacy website http://www.ruralpharmacy.com.au/. Any questions can be directed to NAPSA’s Rural and Indigenous Affairs Committee Chair, rural.indigenous@napsa.org.au

Become a SARRAH Member Today!

Services for Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) are the professional body for rural and remote allied health practitioners. They are offering a reduced price on membership. Student membership is now just $30 for the year! 

What are the benefits of being a SARRAH Member?

Student Member - A student enrolled in an allied health profession course.

Entitlements:

1. Full voting rights.
2. Eligible for election to the Board & SARRAH Advisory Committee as the Student Network Coordinator.
3. Subscription to SARRAH publications.
4. Access to the ‘Members only’ section of the SARRAH website.
5. Partnership with the State Network Coordinator who networks with SARRAH members in his/her State or Territory.

Become a member - get connected with other rural and remote interested allied health students!

Go to http://www.sarrah.org.au/site/index.cfm?display=250314 to register.

CONTACT US

To contact the Allied Health Portfolio send an email to alliedhealth@nrhsn.org.au

We would love to hear from you!!