Sydney, Aug 21: The Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences (ACDHS) has expressed disappointment over the recent government announcement regarding the “Commonwealth Prac Payment” scheme.
While the initiative aims to alleviate placement poverty for students studying to be teachers, nurses, midwives, or social workers, it overlooks the challenges faced by students in clinical allied health sciences such as physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy, podiatry, and psychology.
Prof Terry Haines AM, Chair of the ACDHS Board, welcomed the government’s move as a positive first step but emphasized that it falls short of addressing the needs of all health students.
He noted, “Placement poverty is real for all students studying to become health professionals, not just those included in the current scheme.”
This issue is not just theoretical but has real-world implications for students like Daniel Truong, a radiography student from Monash University.
Daniel is undertaking unpaid clinical placement while also working 18 hours a week to support himself. With no financial support from his family, he covers his own rent, groceries, personal necessities, and the costs of vaccinations and compliance requirements for his courses.
However, during placements, Daniel is unable to work, losing crucial income needed to sustain himself. The financial stress, coupled with the demands of his studies, has negatively impacted his performance in university assessments and coursework.
Viviana Gonzalez, another student from Monash University, faces similar struggles.
As a single mother studying for a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, Viviana is required to complete extensive hours of unpaid placement.
Without family support in Australia, she struggles to balance her responsibilities as a parent with her studies and work.
The additional costs of tolls and parking at hospitals where she does her placements only add to her financial burden.
Viviana fears that the lack of income during her placements could jeopardize her ability to complete her degree, as she still needs to provide for her daughter and herself.
The exclusion of most allied health disciplines from this financial support is particularly concerning given the existing shortages in these fields.
“There are workforce shortages across allied health professional disciplines, with shortages modelled to grow dramatically over the next decade,” Haines said.
He further argued that this exclusion could unintentionally reinforce socioeconomic barriers, limiting access to high-earning professions for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
“Do we not also want students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to have the support needed to become physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists, or should these professions just be left to those with financial means?” Haines questioned.
The ACDHS is urging the government to extend the Commonwealth Prac Payment to all allied health students, highlighting the importance of a diverse health workforce that reflects the entire community. Without such support, Haines warned, “This program will most strongly attract students from lower socio-economic backgrounds into the courses receiving prac payments and potentially funnel them into careers with lower future earning potential.”
For students like Daniel and Viviana, the financial strain of unpaid placements is not just a challenge but a potential barrier to completing their degrees and entering the workforce.
The government’s exclusion of many allied health students from this scheme, despite their critical role in patient care and health system sustainability, has left many in the sector disillusioned.
The ACDHS believes that without immediate action, placement poverty will continue to hinder social mobility and exacerbate workforce shortages in these essential professions.
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