Central Queensland University (CQU) is providing excellent career opportunities for its health students throughout Australia and overseas.

With more than a dozen learning centres and campuses in some of the most desirable places in Australia and the Pacific, CQU is fast becoming a world leader in many of its health disciplines with graduates reporting high employment rates and starting salaries.

According to the Good Universities Guide, CQU ranks especially high for graduates gaining employment within six months of completing their degree in the area of health. In fact CQU beats the national average in the field of 'Health Other' by 12%. (National average was 79.7%, while CQU's average was 91.7%).

CQU is leading the way in nursing education by being among the leaders in offering its students clinical experience (pracs), at a time when most universities are slashing clinical hours. Exactly 20 years after the mass move of nurse education away from hospitals onto university campuses, CQU is giving their students a weekly dose of clinical experience. Two days a week of clinical experience is embedded in theory and mentored by clinical associate lecturers.

Head of the School of Nursing & Health Studies, Dr Lorna Moxham said the move to the tertiary sector had always been criticised for producing graduates who were not as workforce-ready as industry would like.

Dr Moxham said nursing is a professional degree and graduates are expected to hit the ground running.

“We listened - we re-wrote the curriculum with industry input - we re-wrote a new clinical model." CQU's Biomedical Science degree is developing a reputation as a pathway into medical and health careers.

Three of the 2004 graduating class have been accepted into the University of Queensland's Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery program, after performing well in their Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test.

Biomedical degree coordinator Associate Professor Graham Pegg said other CQU graduates were using the degree as a pathway into physiotheraphy, audiology, nutrition, sonography (ultrasound) and pathology. He said it would be possible to move from biomedicine into pharmacy or dentistry as well.

Biomedical Science graduate, Matt Ischenko, now a trainee sonographer with Queensland X-Ray, said that CQU encouraged a strong work ethic and gave him the desire to achieve his goals.

"My degree in biomedical science opened up my eyes to a variety of fields that I could pursue from biology, chemistry, dietetics to forensics and more.

"The close relationships I formed with lecturers and classmates made me feel part of the University, not just a face in the class.

"I discovered at CQU that I belong in the medical industry and that I can create a successful career." As well as degrees in nursing and biomedical science, CQU offers outstanding degrees in health promotion, human movement science, occupational health and safety, health informatics, midwifery, clincial practice, and family and community health.

For further information regarding CQU's health degrees phone 1300 360 444.

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