Mrs Christine O’Connell1, Paul Purea2, Nicola Cotter1, Clara Walker1,3, Dr Anthony Fallon1,3, Dr William MacAskill2
1Southern Queensland Rural Health, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia, 2Rural Medical Education Australia, Griffith University, Toowoomba, Australia, 3Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Biography:
Dr. Tony Fallon is a researcher and educator at the University of Queensland, specializing in rural and remote health. With a strong background in interdisciplinary collaboration, he has led numerous projects aimed at improving health outcomes in underserved communities. Dr. Fallon has supervised multiple PhD and Honours students, contributing to workforce development in rural health. He plays a key role in national research initiatives, including the NAHGOT Data Working Group. Recognized for his contributions, he received the David Lyle Prize in 2024. His research spans interprofessional learning, health program evaluation, and community well-being interventions across diverse populations.
Abstract:
There is a workforce shortage of health professionals in rural and remote Australia. People from rural and remote backgrounds, with an attachment to community, are more likely to return to their community to work. Therefore, recruitment should focus on promoting health careers to students with a rural and remote upbringing.
Aspire2Health is a one-day outreach program provided to secondary school students in regional, rural and remote (RRR) regions of Darling Downs and South West Queensland (Modified Monash 2-7). The program is designed to increase awareness of different health careers and alternate pathways into a health career through talks with health professionals including allied health, nursing, midwifery and medicine, scenario-based learning, hands-on activities (e.g. swallowing exercises, developing diet plans) and group discussions.
By providing knowledge about health careers, higher education, and pathways, Aspire2Health aims to influence the intentions of students from a RRR background to pursue a health career.
Our study aimed to understand the influence of Aspire2Health on students’ motivation to pursue health careers after completing school, and whether Aspire2Health increased their knowledge of different health professions and improved their understanding of the requirements to pursue a health career.
Pre- and post-feedback was collected from students attending Aspire2Health during 2023/2024, with over 560 responses received. Following Aspire2Health, students reported increased motivation to follow a health career, and an increased awareness of the subject selections required. Participation in Aspire2Health resulted in an increased interest in a broader range of allied health careers.