'Exciting': relief as more health students get 'life-changing' payment
Bendigo medical student Chelsea McIntosh will no longer have to manage the juggling act of completing her practical placements without any of the pay that's needed to meet the cost involved. Subscribe now for. . .
Bendigo medical student Chelsea McIntosh will no longer have to manage the juggling act of completing her practical placements without any of the pay that's needed to meet the cost involved. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingSave 30%All articles from our website& appThe digital version ofToday'sPaperAll otherin your areaStudying paramedicine at La Trobe University in Bendigo, she said "it's just impossible" to support yourself if you're not in the financial position to do so while out on placements. Chelsea's placements can take her anywhere across the state - and with only two to three weeks prior notice. Chelsea McIntosh, Picture by Enzo Tomasiello"So not only are we not getting our regular income, we've actually got astronomical expenses outgoing which is crazy to try and balance that," she said. "And we also have our ongoing, normal workload for [our] uni work as well on top of it. "A huge helpCommonwealth Prac Payment is already available for teaching,nursing, midwifery and social work students. Now it has been extended to 10 other courses and Chelsea couldn't be happier. The funding is for these eligible classes:clinical psychologyphysiotherapyoccupational therapyspeech pathologyparamedicineradiographypharmacyrehabilitation therapiesaudiologypodiatry"It'll be life changing," Chelsea said. "So many people want to enter the industry but they can't because they can't afford to take that much time off work. "How it worksCommonwealth Prac Payment sees the federal government provide cost-of-living relief for students when they are placed in a practical setting as part of their course. Unpaid practical placements are a big part of healthcare degrees. For some courses such as radiography, it is more than a year of the degree. Many students have to give up paid work and many have to move away from home to undertake mandatory placements. Paid prac provides financial support to help students while they undertake practical training. 'Incredibly important', says deanAt the La Trobe University Bendigo campus, La Trobe's Pro Vice Chancellor Health Innovation and Dean of the La Trobe Rural Health School Professor Jane Mills said the announcement of the prac payment expansion covered nearly all of their students, except for dentistry. Having access to these funds was "incredibly important" as the students often have to travel to complete their rural placements, she said. "That's part of having a rural immersive experience and really understanding . . . the difference in kind of clinical placement and clinical practice between large hospitals such as Bendigo Health versus smaller hospitals such as Kyabram for instance," Professor Mills said. Paige Dougall. Picture by Enzo Tomasiello'Lessen the burden'La Trobepharmacy student Paige Dougall said pharmacists were in demand so getting the "funding is just great". "It should encourage way more people to come and study and join and it's really exciting for us," she said. Both Paige and a friend had just completed their placement in Portland, one of the longest distances a La Trobe student had to travel to in Victoria. She said "it is pretty expensive" with the accommodation, driving down to south-west Victoria and missing paid work in the process. Having access to this funding would have "lessen the burden" of being left out of pocket, she said. "Paid prac is already making a real difference for students studying here in Bendigo - it's helping them with the cost of living while they train and that's why we're expanding it," Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said. "This expansion means that if you're training to be a pharmacist, physio or psychologist, you'll also now have a bit of extra help to get through. "Eligible students receive $338. 60 per week during their clinical and professional placement periods. It is a means-tested payment benchmarked to the single Austudy rate and indexed annually. More from Business and FinanceAs it happensBreaking news alertBe the first to know when news breaks.