University's First Physiotherapists Graduate

Friday 21 April, 2006

The first group of Physiotherapy graduates will be conferred with their awards at the University of Newcastle today and the whole class has already entered the work force. They will graduate at the Ceremony to be held at 6pm in the University's Great Hall.

Seventy five percent of the Physiotherapy cohort is from the Hunter New England and Central Coast regions.

"The main drive to develop the program was the shortage of Physiotherapists in the Hunter area as well as the Central Coast and New England regions."

"The course has a strong rural and multi-professional focus, being situated in the most comprehensive health professional faculty in Australia," says the Head of the University's Discipline of Physiotherapy, Associate Professor Darren Rivett.

The four year degree requires the highest UAI of any single degree program in the University, and this year two graduates have been awarded University Medals for achieving first class honours and displaying outstanding academic achievement.

One recipient, Kathryn Mills, used an elective to spend eight weeks working in India.

"It was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of my whole life," Kathryn says. "I was in a 2000-bed hospital and they catered for everyone, from those who couldn't afford to be in hospital right through to people who were paying thousands of dollars and had travelled from Europe for medical tourism."

"Coming from one of the world's most accessible countries in terms of health, to see this extreme gave me a well rounded perspective on all the different health challenges people in third world countries have to deal with."

"The Physiotherapy program was so practical. It was really focused on putting the knowledge into practice and it's one of the only programs that does that in Australia," she says.

She plans to join an international aid program to work in a third world country in the next five years. Since the program was first offered the intake has doubled.

"It is extremely popular, attracting the best quality students to the University," says Head of the Discipline of Physiotherapy, Associate Professor Darren Rivett

The School of Physiotherapy is having a function at the Bar on the Hill at three o'clock today before graduating in the Great Hall at 6pm.

Media interviews - please telephone the Head of the Discipline of Physiotherapy and Deputy Head of the School of Health Sciences, Associate Professor Darren Rivett. - 0401 575 141 4921 7827, University Medalist Katherine Mills - 0415 717 137