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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student PEP Support Program

Placement support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health student

Successful professional experience placements (PEPs) are essential components of your health career pathway. Placements
can be rewarding and exciting as you develop and expand your professional experience; but they can also be challenging as
they are undertaken in unfamiliar health care environments for days, weeks or even months at a time. You can also find
placements socially and culturally isolating as there are few Aboriginal health professionals in the health workforce.

The clinical and Aboriginal staff at the Centre for Rural Health have been working with staff from Riawunna and the College of Health and Medicine to develop this placement support program. The program is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students undertaking nursing, medicine, paramedicine, pharmacy, psychology, social work and exercise science degrees,
and across all years. The program complements current support provided by Riawunna and Student Services.

Aim

  • Ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health students are ‘placement ready’
  • Encourage students to develop inter-professional Aboriginal peer support networks
  • Contribute to the graduation of Aboriginal health students
  • Support the emergent number of Aboriginal professionals in the health workforce

Approach

We can provide:

  • Discreet site visits
  • Ongoing phone and e-mail contact
  • Referrals to placement clinicians
PEP Placement Cycle

Placement advice from Aboriginal health students

"Always work within your scope of practice"

"Be prepared to work long, odd hours"

"Be respectful and polite to all on placement"

"Preceptors/supervisors understand student's situation"

"Be courteous, open-minded and inquisitive"

"Ask questions, ask lots of questions"

Our aim is to help you to succeed while undertaking placements. Our reward is to see you graduate and begin your career as health professionals. We also see our program as contributing to the Aboriginal health workforce, and ultimately to advancing the health of Aboriginal peoples.

CRH Contact

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