Study Health Professional Education

The Mount Isa based speech pathologist teaches at the Centre for Rural and Remote Health. She enrolled in JCU's Graduate Certificate of Health Professional Education for her own professional development.

“I thought it was an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills in the area of education,” Jessica said.

“The course is already benefiting my career by enabling me to provide a better teaching and learning experience for my students.

“What I have loved is that it is so applicable to my work. I have been able to choose assignment topics that are relevant to me. It’s helped me develop strong foundational knowledge and skills in the work that I am doing right now.”

“I’m getting a strong grounding in the theories behind teaching and how to teach the next generation of health care professionals.”

It’s not just her students who are benefitting. Jessica hopes the course will also help expand her career opportunities in education.

While working full time and studying is challenging, Jessica said the flexibility of the course has made all the difference.

“Online study is an excellent option for postgraduates as it allows us to be independent in our use of time. I enjoy that I can embed it in my day to day work as a clinical educator.

“It can be difficult to integrate life commitments and study. You do have to be very aware of time management and plan out the semester to ensure enough time to complete everything.

Jessica feels the support offered by the course lecturers also really helps.

“They’re extremely approachable. Even though I am studying online I don’t feel as though I can’t contact them. I can always pick up the phone and they are very accessible by email,” she said.

“They have a high standard of knowledge of the course content and can answer all the questions that arise during the group chats. They exemplify the teaching that they teach us.”

After such a positive experience, Jessica said she’d recommend the course for others wanting to teach the health professions.

“The course covers theory and important foundational knowledge. It then expands on this, giving students the opportunity to apply this knowledge in assignments that tie in with their work.

“I’m really enjoying it. The course has significantly advanced my overall knowledge, skills, and passion to work in the field.”

Find out more about studying a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Master of Health Professional Education at James Cook University.