Podiatrist shortage may impact on older people

admin · Nov 25, 2004

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Podiatrist shortage may impact on older people
ABC News

The Western Australian Podiatry Association says training in the profession is winding down in the state.
With Curtin University's Podiatry School scheduled to close when students graduate next year, the association's president Neil Hall says older people in particular could suffer.

He says the closure of podiatry schools is a national trend and in WA no new students have been accepted in the last two years.

"So we'll see, I guess as a trend, massive shortages in those areas," he said.

"We'll probably see an increase in the cost of podiatry services, simply by supply and demand."
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Tuckersm · Nov 25, 2004

It is interseting that as podiatry is gaining increased favour with the Australian Government Dept of Health with improved access to Medicare funded podiatry, and changes to the health act to allow podiatric surgeons better access to private hospitals, the federal education minister, who in a past life was AMA president, refuses to provide appropriate funding for undergarduate podiatry education, both in number of places and funding per place, placing stress on many of the undergarduate courses.

If the Curtin trend continues the current shotage of podiatrists will only continue. In Victoria a one year gap in 2002, with no graduates as the course changed from 3-4 years resulted in many podaitry vacancies, both public and private not being filled, and has in part reignited the debate on alternative foot care providers

Sean Millar · Nov 26, 2004

Podiatrist shortage

A radio bulletin announced yesterday the UWS schools of podiatry and osetopathy would not be accepting any students for the next 2 years. Can anyone comment?

admin · Nov 28, 2004

Concerns raised over osteopathy courses

Can anyone comment?
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No comments at this stage, but:

Concerns raised over osteopathy courses from ABCNews

Australia's peak osteopathic group is worried the community will be disadvantaged by a shake-up of the health school at the University of Western Sydney (UWS).

As part of a restructure, UWS will not take any students into its osteopathy and podiatry courses for the next two years.

It means the only place new students will be able to do osteopathy is in Victoria.

Stephen Robbins from the Australian Osteopathic Association says that will have a big impact.

"Both Victoria and New South Wales feed the whole of Australia," he said.

"There's a number of students who move into practice interstate.

"They either come from interstate and want to practice and go back home and it's very tough on them - you have a limited availability of courses."
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bigtoe · Nov 26, 2004

jobs?

hello i currently live in scotland and am looking to work abroad within the next two years, is there a lot of scope to finding podiatry jobs in australia, if so can anyone pass on some website or contacts

Craig Payne · Nov 27, 2004

is there a lot of scope to finding podiatry jobs in australia
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There is apparently curently lots of work in Australia at the moment (NB the title of this thread)

Check these resources:
Australasian Podiatry Council Information for Overseas Qualified Podiatrists
For employment, see:
Australasian Podiatry Council Looking for Work
Podiatry Zone
Australian Podiatry Association (Victoria) Classified Ads
Other State Association will have info, but its not on their websites: NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and West Australia, who no have a website :(, but can be emailed on apodawa@iinet.net.au

Tuckersm · Nov 29, 2004

Finding work in Oz

Seek is also used by a number of hospitals and health centres to advertise podiatry jobs as well as the associations
http://www.seek.com.au/Healthcare/

admin · Nov 30, 2004

FYI background for information. Here is the original Press Release from Curtin, dated June 2003:

Curtin reluctantly announces closure of podiatry course
Curtin University of Technology has reluctantly announced that it will close its undergraduate podiatry course because it is no longer able to financially subsidise its existence.

Over the past eight years, subsidies totalling over $1 million have been provided by Curtin to enable the course to continue operation.

Professor Charles Watson, Executive Dean of Health Sciences at Curtin, said that he was reluctant to take this action but a detailed investigation of possible economies, other sources of income, and external subsidy had failed to find a way of keeping the undergraduate course going.

"All current undergraduate and postgraduate podiatry students at Curtin will be fully supported in completing their studies," Professor Watson said.

"We recognise the importance of podiatry and that is why we have subsidised it for so long. We know that many groups and individuals will express intense disappointment at this outcome, but we would like them to back their rhetoric with money.

"The staff in the Podiatry Department have consistently offered an excellent course. They have worked hard to find ways of keeping the course viable but the pressure of national funding cuts is just too great for a relatively small course. I wish to acknowledge their contribution to the University at this very difficult time."

According to Professor Watson, the budgetary problems for the Curtin podiatry course are no different to those suffered by a range of small health professional courses around the country.

"The future of health sciences courses with relatively small enrolments has been put at risk by nationally reduced university funding and the high cost of clinical education," he said.

"Curtin is currently exploring ways in which some national collaboration might be set up to support these kinds of courses in the smaller states in the future."
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Also of relevance to this thread is the announcement from UWS in this thread: Changes in Podiatry Course at UWS

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