More than 120 public high school students from regional and Melbourne schools involved in the Ourschool program have gained an insider’s view of what it takes to get a job at one of Australia’s leading cancer research hospitals.
The career pathways session at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in North Melbourne was the biggest high school information session the centre’s Radiation Therapy Education team has ever hosted.
Ourschool co-hosted the event with the team, inviting Year 10 and 11 students interested in careers in health and medical science to attend the session.
Peter MacCallum staff from different fields – Radiation Therapy, Clinical Education, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiation Oncology, and ICT Program Management – described what they do in a typical day at work and shared their stories about the study and career paths they’ve taken since leaving school.
Hugh Morgan, a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, said he enjoyed giving students an insight into his job and how it helps patients. He said bringing students and practitioners together in a workplace was a practical way to inspire students about future job possibilities.
“This is such a great initiative,” Mr Morgan said. “I only wish I’d been able to attend something similar as a Year 10 or 11 student. Thanks to all the students for listening to us.”
Nick Hardcastle, a medical physicist, chatted to groups of students interested in his area of medical research. “The students were really switched on and engaged in the session,” he said. “The future is in good hands.”
Students from the following schools attended the event – Geelong High School, Matthew Flinders Girls’ Secondary College, Phoenix College, Ballarat, Bendigo Senior Secondary College, Sunshine College, Keysborough College, Fountain Gate Secondary College and Mt Waverley Secondary College.