5 reasons why allied health could be the future

Are you thinking about a career in health? Perhaps you’ve started to wonder, “What is occupational therapy?” or questioned the difference between exercise physiology and physiotherapy. If so, it might be time for you to explore allied health.

1. Good karma quota = filled

Allied health professionals like physiotherapists, speech pathologists, rehabilitation counsellors, occupational therapists, exercise physiologists and diagnostic radiographers help people prevent and manage chronic conditions and recover from injury or illness. If you choose this field, you’ll be helping people everyday, so that’s essentially brownie points for life.

"The most rewarding aspect my physiotherapy career is seeing patients return and tell you that your treatment helped make a positive difference to their pain or disability."

-Dennis Gerasimov, Master of Physiotherapy graduate

2. Friends for life

Let’s face it, those that opt to study allied health are “people” people. This can only mean good things for your future friend prospects.

"The allied health field is tight knit. The friendships you develop throughout your degree carry through to your career because you end up working with the same people. My Occupational Therapy course didn't just give me a career; it gave me a circle of friends."

-Monica Qiao, Master of Occupational Therapy graduate

3. Gain practical, specialist skills

From day one, allied health courses are hands on. The completion of a master’s degree leads to professional accreditation.

“The clinic at the Faculty of Health Sciences was a fantastic facility that really established that bridge between developing our skills and going onto clinical practice outside university. We’re able to connect with teachers who are front-line in practice. We get to meet with them in the classroom and ask them questions about treatments that they have been researching for years. I think what drives me to be able to come to work every single day is that I’m making families happy that their child which may not have been talking from a young age now has this abundance of words. To know that I was involved in that learning process is really fulfilling.”

-Remona Mekdessi, Master of Speech Language Pathology graduate 

4. Hot job prospects

Allied health professionals represent approximately 25% of the Australian health workforce, and this statistic continues to grow every year*. On top of that, the University of Sydney ranks first in Australia for graduate employability.**

"My last placement was with a rehabilitation provider in Sydney. Mid-way through the placement they asked me if I was interested in working for them after graduating. I went straight from finishing my course into a position as a Rehabilitation Consultant in occupational rehabilitation."

- James Hill, Master of Rehabilitation Counselling graduate

5. Work anywhere

Take your radiography degree or speech pathology career global by applying your knowledge in jobs all over the world.

“I was seeking a career that gave me an assortment of opportunities both at home and overseas. Physiotherapy was a great fit for these criteria. The content and structure of the Master of Physiotherapy course really helped to prepare me for the challenges that I have faced out here in the world since I graduated."

-Ben Gwilliam, Master of Physiotherapy graduate

*Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, December 2014.
**QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2016