That ICPA (Aust) advocate the relevant government departments, ministers, and the tertiary sector to extend the Commonwealth Prac payments to include those studying medicine, veterinary and allied health degrees who undertake mandatory practicum placements in/from rural and remote areas.
Julia Creek ICPA would like to thank the Minister for Education the Hon. Jason Clare and the Federal Government for acknowledging the need for Paid Practicum Placements in the areas of Teaching, Nursing and Social Work. We ask ICPA Federal Council to lobby the Federal Government to extend eligibility to include other areas of study, to acknowledge the huge cost that undertaking these mandatory practicums holds, especially in rural and remote locations.
Many tertiary degrees in fields such as teaching, nursing, medicine, veterinary science, and allied health have substantial practicum or placement requirements.
For instance:
• The Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at James Cook University (JCU) requires over 4,000 hours of practicum over six years, with a strong emphasis on rural and remote placements.
• Veterinary Science at JCU requires approximately 40 weeks of practicum over five years, and longer depending on which University attended .
• Nursing and Midwifery students complete 46 weeks of practicum over four years.
