A GROUP of Limestone Coast tertiary students will receive financial support as part of an annual grant encouraging health professionals to practice in the region and address skill shortages.
Applications have opened for the Mount Gambier and District Tertiary Health Education Grant program, which will offer up to 12 financial grants to students undertaking tertiary studies within the health field this year.
Recipients receive $2000 to support their study – including payment of university fees, medical uniforms and living expenses – with Mount Gambier City and Grant District council residents eligible to apply.
Grant program chairman Rodney Summers said the grants were provided to encourage residents to return to the region once qualified, if circumstances allow.
“The grants are available for those students commencing or continuing university studies in identified skills shortage areas such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, allied health, chiropractic, midwifery, psychology, paramedicine and mental health nursing,“ Mr Summers said.
Mitchell Hunter received the grant last year and said the financial support helped meet the costs associated with his first year of study at Flinders University.
“I am studying a Bachelor of Paramedic Science and hope to become a paramedic. There are a lot of financial outlays associated with the course such as a uniform and placement costs and the grant enabled me to buy my own stethoscope,” Mr Hunter said.
“I am so grateful that I was awarded this grant, it really makes a big difference as there are a lot of costs involved with degrees in the health area. I’d encourage anyone thinking about tertiary study in the health area to apply.”
The 20 year old will complete his studies in 2022 and plans to return to the area to live and work in the long term.
“I know quite a few paramedics in Mount Gambier and many of them are the reason I decided to pursue this career path. If I was given the opportunity I’d love to come back, that’s the goal.”
Child and family clinical nurse and grant recipient Sarah Riddoch started her Graduate Certificate of Wound Ostomy and Continence Practice through Perth’s Curtin University last year.
Ms Riddoch used the grant to offset a number of expenses including travel, accommodation and an extended clinical placement in Adelaide.
A passionate advocate for advanced nursing practice in rural and remote areas, Ms Riddoch will complete the qualification’s final placement this year.
“There are over 200 registered ostomy patients within the South East with stomas and while we do have access to some support locally, people are still travelling to Adelaide for treatment,“ Ms Riddoch said.
“Once completed, I hope to provide hands on care to clients who require emotional support with massive lifestyle changes as an ostomy, wound and continence nurse.“
Established in 2007, the grant has provided 148 grants to students at a cost of $296,000.
It is supported by Mount Gambier City and Grant District councils, UFS Chemist, Flinders Rural Health SA, Mount Gambier and District Community Bank, Rotary Club of Mount Gambier Lakes, John and Helen Kentish and Ken and Carol Stafford.
Visit www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au to apply.
Applications close Wednesday, March 31.
