Unlock your potential with a rural student placement

Unlock your potential with a rural student placement

Student placements with Marathon Health are an opportunity to experience rural life firsthand – from the quiet community towns full of personality and smiles where you always feel welcome, to the larger regional centres that act as a hub and central point for services and community.

A student placement is often the first time you can see and experience what it’s like working in your chosen industry – which can be overwhelming but exciting. For Ella, Occupational Therapy Student, the decision to complete a rural placement was an easy one – Ella wanted to learn firsthand what rural healthcare is all about.

In her third year of studies with University of Newcastle, Ella completed a student placement in Coonamble and Dubbo in regional NSW. We caught up with Ella to find out what attracted her to a rural placement and what advice she has to offer for other students thinking about their next placement.

Ella's story

What attracted you to a rural student placement with Marathon Health?

I was drawn to a rural student placement because I wanted to learn firsthand what rural healthcare is all about – I wanted to see new parts of Australia and experience a taste of life in a smaller town.

What would you say makes the Marathon Health student placement opportunity different to other student placement opportunities?

Marathon Health offered me a holistic placement experience – not only did I learn so much about my discipline of occupational therapy, but I also got to be involved with the team, working with speech pathologists and Aboriginal health workers. At Marathon Health, my placement experience also overlapped with other students offering me a unique opportunity to build relationships with peers from universities across NSW.

If you could give another student only one piece of advice, what would it be?

My best advice for other allied health students is… if you are thinking about it, go and try rural. There is such a wonderful community in rural areas, inside and outside of your placement site. Trying a rural placement opens you up to new experiences, learning and gaining an understanding of the lifestyle on offer within small communities.

Is there a highlight or memorable moment you’d like to share from your time with Marathon Health?

One key highlight was participating in outreach visits to remote and very remote communities, where I got to see how services are delivered, and further appreciate the impact of allied health on people living in remote communities with limited access to services. My most memorable moment was during our flight out to Bourke, seeing just how vast and beautiful the landscape is in western NSW.