About

The Allied Health Rural Generalist Program is a professional development program, presented by JCU's internationally recognised Division of Tropical Health and Medicine. It combines work-integrated training with online learning via modules that have been designed specifically for early career allied health professionals (0-3 years) working in rural and remote communities. The Program is also applicable for allied health professionals working in other under-served settings or services requiring a generalist scope of practice.

On completion of the Allied Health Rural Generalist Program participants will be able to:

• Apply rural and remote generalist knowledge and skills to practice in the workplace context
• Contribute to identification of local service needs relevant to profession and work-based multi-disciplinary team
• Facilitate quality improvement initiatives to optimise access, efficiency and effectiveness of the local service
• Extend and reframe early career knowledge and skills to match the local service strategic intent.

Program outline

• 12 modules in total
  • 6 core service delivery-based modules; and
  • 6 clinically based modules (from a choice of up to 24 modules, dependent upon profession)
• Can be completed in 1 year
• No prescribed order for completing modules, however some modules do have pre-requisites (see program structure)
• No limit to the number of modules that can be undertaken at one time. Enrolment in one to three modules at a time is recommended.

Each module is:

• 6 weeks in duration
• Offered online
• Requires approximately 22 hours of work to complete
• 0.5 credit points; and
• Is offered twice per calendar year.

The modules offer a set of learning activities that are worked through at your own pace and in your own workplace. They provide educational opportunities that will benefit practice through increased knowledge and skills for application in the work setting. A Module Coordinator and a self-nominated, profession-specific supervisor will support your learning.

This program is designed for those working in a rural or remote health setting and who have at least an AQF Level 7 bachelor degree in one of these nine relevant professions:

• Dietitian/Nutritionist
• Occupational Therapist
• Pharmacist
• Physiotherapist
• Podiatrist
• Psychologist
• Radiographer
• Speech Pathologist; or
• Social Worker

If you are interested in only completing a select number of modules without enrolling in the full program, then visit this link for further information: Rural Generalist Program individual modules

The Benefits

For Rural Health Managers

• Targeted professional development
• Enhances practice effectiveness and service development and outcomes
• Work-based assessment tasks provide tangible health service outputs
• Provides incentive to attract and retain staff
• Meets workforce development goals
• Strengthen the capacity of the workforce to meet the needs of rural and remote communities

For Rural Health Professionals

• Extend rural generalist knowledge, skills and practice
• Enhance job satisfaction
• Increase career options
• Experience the direct impact work-based assessment tasks have on your health service
• Learn anywhere, anytime, 100% online

If you are interested in further study, then James Cook University also offers a Graduate Diploma of Rural Generalist Practice and Master of Rural Generalist Practice