Careers in Medicine

The medical field is highly competitive, with a limited number of positions available per university.  Entry into medicine will require thorough research and I have provided some links below to help parents and students on their journey.  If your young person is interested in a career in Medicine, I encourage them to start researching this pathway as early as Year 9, so they are selecting appropriate subjects for a pathway in medicine, in addition to establishing consistent study habits.

https://www.jcu.edu.au/webinars/2024/careers-in-health-webinar - 18th July Webinar 7-8PM 2024

Pre-recorded webinars/videos

University of Queensland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW3McdrY1sU

https://medical-school.uq.edu.au/building-your-medical-career/webinars

Griffith University

https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-health/medicine-information-session

Mapping your future – A message from the Guidance Officer Senior School

In term 3, students from Years 9 to 12 will be undertaking important decision making about their future during the Year 9 PPP meetings, Year 10 SET planning and Year 12 Next Steps interviews.  Career planning can seem complex but to make it simple, it’s a matter of finding what you enjoy, what you are good at and whether someone will pay you to do these things!   

A question that is commonly asked is when is too young to think about my career?  The answer is it never too young and children as young as six should be encouraged to start exploring careers.  Yes, in Grade 1 they may have wanted to be a firefighter or a builder (many thanks to Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder for inspiring so many children).  These career aspirations as a six year old may have changed…   As they progress through Ripley Valley SSC their influences and interests will expand and likewise, so will their career choices.  Change is constant.  Change is inevitable.   In fact, a secure job for life is an old-fashioned concept and they will have several careers over a lifetime.    

Who can help?

• Your Guidance Officers are qualified to provide you with career counselling. Guidance Officers help young people identify what energises them and provide information on where they can study after Ripley Valley SSC.  They can also provide realistic information about industry trends and the likelihood of being employed in that particular industry. 
• Ms George located in the library can help find work experience and answer questions about vocational pathways such as TAFE in Schools, work experience and finding a suitable RTO (Registered Training Organisations).

How we help everyone at RVSSC

• Mr Dunn will be guiding the Year 9s through the PPP process in Term 3
• All year 10 students, in consultation with a teacher and parent, MUST complete the Senior Education Training Plan (SET plan) during a meeting at the school. Career Education classes at school will help you plan for this interview.  The SET plan helps students to structure their learning around their abilities, interests and ambitions.  As part of the SET planning process students think about their future, consider their abilities and investigate their options for careers and further education. 
• All Year 12 students will undertake a Next Steps interview in term 3 to monitor their progress with planning for further study or work beyond school

Other suggestions to help you help your child with career planning

• If your child has an older friend, relative or neighbour with a job they think is awesome, ask them about their pathway into that field. What are the best and worst parts of that job?  People love to talk about their careers but remind them to be mindful of awkward questions about salary and wages.   Information on salaries can find out in the websites I’ve provided below.
• Engage in work Experience in Year 10 to obtain hands on experience.
• Engage in one of the free holiday workshops listed above at TAFE or UniSQ
• Ask family members what kind of job they see you doing in ten years and ask them why they thought that.   

• The internet has a wide array of information but it’s important to only use current and Australian government funded websites so they can gauge up to date, unbiased and relevant information to make the right decisions.
• School is not for everyone, and if they would like to learn a trade as soon as possible, have you considered Busy Schools Ipswich? https://www.busyschools.qld.edu.au/

Recommended websites to help with career decision making include:

https://www.myfuture.edu.au/  -This website has career quizzes to identify strengths and interests.  There is also a helpful page for parents assisting their children with career planning.  You will be able to research the nitty gritty of jobs and even find out how much they pay!

https://www.myfuture.edu.au/bullseyes

Do you have a favourite subject?  A bullseye poster helps identify which careers relate to this subject.   This is a widely used career counselling tool in schools because it’s simple and effective.

http://joboutlook.gov.au/

       This one is for your parents who will want to know whether their young person will have a good chance of finding their dream job in the future and being paid adequately.     

      https://www.qtac.edu.au/course-search/

      Use the QTAC guide to find out what pre-requisite subjects are needed to study to obtain entry into the university courses.  This website is essential for Year 10 SET planning and Year 12 Next Step Interviews.

Career planning should not be stressful and if it is, I encourage you to reach out to the supports mentioned in this article.  Remember it is never too soon or too late to start talk about careers and your Guidance Officers and senior schooling team are ready to help at any juncture of the schooling journey.