4 Australian universities nurturing tomorrow’s health leaders

Healthcare, in a nutshell, refers to learning how to manage and control illnesses, and to enhance people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Professionals – in medicine, nursing and allied health – are expertly trained to provide these all-important services to help people improve their quality of life.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed medical professionals to the frontline, the desire and demand for such services will continue to increase much more. With 2.4 million new jobs set to be created by 2029, students in these fields can expect a variety of rewarding career paths as doctors, nurses and paramedics, among others. 

Australia, with job opportunities in one of the world’s best and most affordable healthcare systems, makes it a good place for aspiring health experts to work and live. Not only will you join a respected profession, you’ll be an important part of the community with a high salary and excellent job conditions. If this sounds like the future you environ, consider joining these four Australian universities below:

James Cook University: College of Healthcare Sciences

Source: James Cook University

More than just a world-class education, James Cook University (JCU) — one of Australia’s top 25 universities — offers an unparalleled experience because of its prime location. Situated in North Queensland, JCU is nestled amongst an extraordinary combination of one of the oldest Indigenous cultures, a stunning tropical climate, sustainable environments and a multicultural population.

Students who choose the contemporary, hands-on and four-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree have the unique opportunity to make a difference in rehabilitation healthcare in this remarkable region. Thanks to the programme’s focus on serving rural, remote and underserved populations, students get to build on the knowledge and skills gained in classes and apply it to real people in real workplace settings. By the time they graduate, they will be work-ready across the breadth of physiotherapy practice in a range of clinical settings. As the programme is accredited with the Australian Physiotherapy Council, graduates are eligible to register to work in Australia.

To gain specialist skills in research and practice to advance your career, consider the Master of Rehabilitation, ranked #1 in Queensland for full-time employment outcomes and #1

in Australia for median graduate salary 110,400 Australian dollars (Good Universities Guide 2022, PG Health Services).

For those seeking a pathway to advance their academic and clinical expertise in a wide range of community and clinical settings, JCU’s Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice — #1 in Australia for learning resources (Good Universities Guide 2022, PG Medicine) — is an ideal choice. Passionate about gaining insight and responding to complex challenges through academia? A JCU postgraduate research degree will allow you to conduct research in unique locations, including JCU Orpheus Island Research Station and the JCU Daintree Rainforest Observatory.

To learn more about these dynamic, sustainability-focused and skill-building programmes in the university for the tropics ranked #1 in Australia for full time employment, click here.

Federation University Australia

Source: Federation University

Federation University Australia, with a 150-year education history, enjoys a distinct reputation for offering industry-relevant courses including top-ranked nursing, and allied health programmes. Source: Federation University Australia

Picture following in the footsteps of Australia’s leaders, innovators and thinkers in a university rated number one in Victoria for its exceptional support, skill development, and teaching. Your surroundings are parkland and natural bushland, or a dynamic and vibrant arts and cultural environment. A diverse faculty connects with you – together, you help transform lives and enhance communities. This is what an education at Federation University Australia is like.

A regional, multi-campus university, it has six campuses stretching across Victoria — from the regional historical mining town of Ballarat and the food bowls of Gippsland, to its modern city Campus in Berwick, Melbourne, and tropical Brisbane City Campus in Queensland. The university is deeply connected with its regions and communities where its campuses are located, providing enhanced opportunities for students.

Classes are small and personalised, taking place in world-class laboratories and leading facilities. Academics, representing every continent, not only lead industry-relevant curricula, but cater to the diverse needs of students and tailor classes to meet Australia’s multicultural service needs.

Bachelor of Nursing, Master of Health and Master of Public Health students learn to deliver the highest quality care that is evidence based to improve patients’ outcomes while meeting population and public health needs. The nursing programme includes a work-integrated component of 800 clinical placement hours as well.

If you seek a career to influence global populations and health systems, consider Federation’s innovative Master of Public Health. Specialisations include informatics, economics, and health system management, delivered by recognised global leaders. Federation’s research has been published in some of the best international peer reviewed journals in the fields of health, public health and health sciences.

Federation’s rich expertise — in fields such as midwifery, paramedicine, health sciences, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, social work, and psychology — ensures you’ll learn all you need to build a life-long rewarding career in academia, government, or industry. Choose Federation University Australia for your next career move.

University of Tasmania – Allied Health

Source: University of Tasmania

Located on Tasmania Island, University of Tasmania (UTAS) is nestled in both the city and the wilderness on four campuses within three distinct areas – Hobart, Launceston and Burney. Committed to offering an inclusive culture as well as sustainability, this university strives to respect the rights of all staff and students, and conducts various programmes to educate about the importance of sustainability.

Since UTAS is the only university within this state, they enjoy a close link with Tasmania’s health system, communities and professionals. This means if you study Health and Medicine courses at UTAS, you can access a host of unique opportunities and resources; you can apply your learning to real-life scenarios too. 

Undergraduate options include Applied Health and Community Support, Creative Arts and Health, Medical Research and Dementia Care, among others. Postgraduate students can select from a wide variety of courses such as Clinical Redesign, Health Management, and Nursing Specialisations.

On the research side, master’s and doctoral programmes are available in areas like Biomedical Science, Health Service Management and Psychology. Regardless of your Health and Medicine course, you are recognised as part of their established and supportive network.

University of South Australia

Source: University of South Australia

Outstanding rankings is a key reason why many students choose the University of South Australia. Source: University of South Australia, Facebook

The University of South Australia (UniSA), known as the University of Enterprise in the continent, is ranked the 29th best young university (QS Top 50 Universities Aged Under 50) in the world. Over 37,000 students – including 6,800 from abroad – come to study at its six diverse campuses within South Australia.

Part of UniSA’s appeal lies in its outstanding excellence in research (100% rated world-class), and being top in the state for graduate career outcomes, student and employer satisfaction, student experience, teaching quality and campus facilities. Their subjects are equally high-ranking – among the world’s top 100 for nursing, exercise and sport science, and top 150 for pharmacy and pharmacology.

In fact, at the Allied Health and Human Performance Department, their Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy course ranks first for graduate careers in South Australia. Besides these courses, students interested in healthcare can choose from various other areas like Health Science, Medical Sonography and Podiatry.

UniSA, being home to several community clinics, offers two main benefits: firstly, they provide affordable public health care, and secondly, students can gain practical learning experience. Having state-of-the-art facilities – on top of their own research centres – has helped UniSA forge many deep links with industry partners as well.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International