Pulse Issue 6 Winter 2012 ( PDF 1100k) - Griffith University

pulse
News, Careers and more in Health Winter 2012
Health Centre offers students
perfect mix under one roof
“At the heart of the new area is a purpose-built
kitchen, food preparation and consumption
facility designed for the development of skills
related to the provision of nutritious meals.”
Professor Roslyn Sorensen, Head of School of
Public Health
“This should enable greater opportunities
for collaborative interdisciplinary research
as well as greater opportunities for teaching
together. Psychology looks forward to being
part of a vibrant evidence-based health
service.” Professor Paul Martin, Head of School
of Applied Psychology
The $150 million Griffith Health
Centre is fast taking shape on
the corner of Olsen Avenue and
Parklands Drive.
So too are the dreams and ambitions of future health students
at the Gold Coast campus, where the next wave of health
professionals will train in unrivalled, unprecedented clinical and
learning surrounds.
The eleven-floor building will be completed in 2013, opening
the doors to an interdisciplinary learning environment that will
also give students the opportunity to utilise facilities at the
new Gold Coast University Hospital across the road.
The $1.76 billion hospital and new health centre will reinforce
teaching and research collaborations between Griffith
University and the Gold Coast Health Service District.
“The co-location of a comprehensive university campus
alongside a state-of-the-art new teaching hospital brings
unprecedented opportunities for improved health care
outcomes for patients through innovative research and
training in the clinical environment for students,” Professor
Allan Cripps, Pro Vice Chancellor of the Health Group at
Griffith University, says.
“The involvement of the health workforce in research raises
the quality of health care and drives a culture of continual
improvement in the delivery of clinical services.”
Students of medicine, dentistry, exercise physiology, nutrition
and dietetics, psychology, social work and speech pathology will
be trained in the new building. Students of biomedical science,
health services management, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy,
physiotherapy and public health will be nearby in buildings on
the Gold Coast campus.
Level two of the Griffith Health Centre will include psychology
research laboratories and a dietetics teaching kitchen, and
dental clinics with 96 chairs will operate from level three.
Multidisciplinary clinics will cater for psychology, physiotherapy,
exercise science, speech pathology and audiology on level four
where a clinical trials facility and a 600-seat auditorium will
also sit.
Dental laboratories and simulation suites will be on level five,
while the medicine and clinical skills area on level six has School
of Medicine academics excited about the prospect
of teaching there.
“It will make an enormous difference to how we teach because
we have had the opportunity to design this space to meet our
needs,” Associate Professor Gary Rogers, Deputy Head of the
School of Medicine, says.
Only eight years after the School of Medicine was initially
designed and built at the Centre for Medicine and Oral Health
at Southport, the new area will take medical education to a
new level.
“In that time the thinking has moved on and we have been
innovating,” Associate Professor Rogers says.
“We are extraordinarily privileged to build a medical school in
the first place and now have the opportunity to rebuild it.”
Near the top of the building, on level 10, the basics of medicine
will be taught in a new anatomy centre comparable with any
other in Australasia. The capacity of its teaching laboratories
will increase by 30 per cent, with each lab large enough for
120 students.
“It will be the newest in Australasia and, we believe, the best,”
Professor Mark Forwood, Chair of Anatomy, says.
Striding
forward.
Page 3
Learning
online.
Heads up.
Healthy
outlook.
Page 5 Page 6 Page 7
1

Environment comes
calling
Environmental health
Opportunity is knocking for future graduates.
Dr Ross Sadler at Griffith University’s School of
Public Health identifies a wide and ever-extending
mix of career paths for environmental health officers
to pursue.
“In Queensland they are needed everywhere,”
Dr Sadler says. “But there is also great scope for
employment overseas.”
Changes to state government policy have created
new openings at local authority level, while airlines,
cruise ships and traditional large institutions now
have an unprecedented environmental health focus.
“Environmental health officers are also needed more
and more in the wake of natural disasters, after
extreme weather events, and to deal with the fallout
from chemical accidents.
“Emerging areas like the science of climate change,
e-waste and the natural resources sector all have an
environmental health presence.”
From the start of 2013 Griffith University will offer
a stand-alone Bachelor of Environmental Health * at
its Gold Coast campus, responding to an emerging
market need.
* Subject to final University approval. Accreditation for Griffith’s
Environmental Health degree is being sought with Environmental
Health Australia.
Sally Swanson is a third-year student of Public
Health at Griffith University, who hopes to work as
an environmental health officer in local government
on the Gold Coast.
“The population of the Gold Coast is continually
expanding, and environmental health factors are
keeping pace,” she says.
Along with a vigorous analysis of workplace health
and safety, infection control, and food and drug
safety, students will also study the legislation
underlining environmental health. There will also be
a dedicated focus on the latest scientific knowledge
informing the area.
“A good environmental health officer should only use
legislation as a last resort,” Dr Sadler says.
“In most cases they are able to work with a noncompliant
industry to get them where they need to
be in terms of environmental health standards.
“At Griffith University we place considerable
emphasis on developing judgment and interpersonal
skills so our graduates are well equipped to solve
problems by professional interaction with industry
and the community.”
CLEARING THE AIR. Dr Ross Sadler discusses air quality with
environmental health students.
Gaining the skills to reshape lives
Applied Psychology
CURIOUS MIND. Govind Krishnamoorthy has always
been intrigued by what makes people tick.
As a psychologist Govind
Krishnamoorthy talks about
the light bulb moment,
that millisecond when his
professional endeavours
connect with a client.
“I love the challenge of getting people to be receptive,
to realise that what they think they want is perhaps not
necessarily what they need in their lives at this point,”
he says.
“I’ve always been into figuring out why people
do what they do. It’s a kind of curiosity.”
He says he had an an abstract outlook on life from an
early age that set him apart from his peers.
“My dad used to encourage me to question everything,
including traditions and authority.”
These early thoughts and attitudes crystallised into
career ambitions for Govind. A real career pathway took
shape while he gained a degree in Behavioural Science,
an honours degree in Psychology and a PhD in Clinical
Psychology from 2003 to 2011 at Griffith University.
“When I was reading for exams I found it all
very interesting, very different, very exciting.
“Doing the coursework made me reflect on my own
personal struggles and I realised if people were more
attentive to their internal lives — their thoughts,
emotions and desires — they could shape their lives to
be a lot more satisfying.
“Change is often difficult. It’s important to listen
carefully to people’s experiences and skillfully
communicate what we (psychologists) know about
human behaviour. I see this as a process of guiding them
to create a life that best fits their needs.”
Near the time of his graduation Govind was appointed
as a professional development coordinator at a Mater
Hospital Community Outpatient Clinic in Brisbane.
He works mainly with children, their carers and other
relevant stakeholders in issues of mental health linked to
foster care.
“I had a placement at the Mater’s Child and Youth Mental
Health service in 2008. I learned a lot there and the
support and supervision was great. My work continues
to challenge me, pushing me to develop greater insights
into the human condition.”
2
griffith.edu.au/health

Nursing degree leads to
doctor’s future
MEDICINE
When 25-year-old School of Medicine graduate Dale
Currey started life as an intern at Logan Hospital, she held
an advantage over most of her peers.
Dale, from Brisbane, had previously worked at the
hospital as an emergency nurse after graduating as
a nurse in 2006.
Her nursing degree would ultimately pave the
way for her to study medicine through Griffith
University’s Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of
Surgery program from 2008 to 2011.
“I think nursing has been an excellent stepping stone
to becoming a doctor,” she says.
“It has given me a great advantage throughout my
clinical training years and also when I started my
career as an intern.
“You get to know how a hospital works and learn
many of the skills that, like nurses, doctors also
require. Most importantly, you learn how to talk
to, and interact with, patients.
“As a nurse I was able to work part-time and earn
a professional-level wage, enabling me to practise
important skills relevant to both nursing and
medicine while studying to be a doctor.”
Dale also bolstered her studies by completing a
research article as part of a Griffith University
Primary Health Care writing bursary scholarship.
The research investigated different neonatal
outcomes resulting from caesarean sections
compared with natural births.
“I always want to know more,” says Dale, who
started her internship on the obstetrics and
gynaecology ward.
She also received a Queensland Health bonded
medical scholarship to support her education at
Griffith University and is excited that, as a result,
she will be working within Queensland Health
for six years, as she lays the foundations for a
medical career.
RIGHT MEDICINE. Becoming a doctor has been an informed
and hands-on experience for medicine graduate Dale Currey.
Life in the fast lane
MEDICAL SCIENCE
Victoria Ozberk was only 19 when she graduated with an
honours degree in biomedical science.
She is now researching a doctoral thesis into ageing
hearts, which she aims to complete within three years.
After that she plans to do medicine and train to be
a doctor.
came a point where I knew I had it under control.”
A limited number of high schools make the
accelerated pathway available to students through
partnerships with Griffith Health.
PERFECT PATHWAY. Dedication and determination guided
PhD candidate Victoria Ozberk to her honours degree.
“I recommend it,” Victoria says of her
demanding schedule.
“It has ended up working out for me and was
definitely worth it. It all led me on to a great
career path.”
A keen focus and gritty attitude accelerated
Victoria from her last two years of high school at
the Queensland Academy of Health Sciences straight
into second year of a biomedical science degree at
Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus.
“I found the first semester very challenging. It
required a certain type of determination,” she says.
“I had to find things out faster, learn techniques
while also keeping up with the theory. But I had great
support from classmates and mentors and there
Victoria was one of 15 high school students selected
for the program and had to devote hours of extra
study to intensive courses in biophysics, anatomy and
physiology as part of a health study certificate.
She now reflects on this effort with pride, delighted
by the prospect of completing a PhD in her early 20s.
“When things work and go to plan in the lab it’s
quite exciting. You know you’re contributing to
something big.
“Without that research how would we have medicine,
how would we have prescriptions? It is the kind of
new knowledge that has to be discovered before it
can be applied to a medical situation.”
griffith.edu.au/health
3

“…We have the power
to engage in areas where
people have given up...”
HEALTHY INSIGHT
WITH PROFESSOR PATRICK O’LEARY,
HEAD OF SCHOOL OF HUMAN SERVICES
AND SOCIAL WORK
When I was a student … I worked very hard to pass and
when I worked out that working very hard got you a better
result than a pass it really motivated me. University opened
up a whole lot of possibilities that hadn’t been on my radar
and today at Griffith University we focus on possibilities
and participation for all students.
Social work first captured my attention when …
I worked out that what actually drives people’s minds is
our social environment, our upbringing, what we’ve come
to believe, what we take for granted. That’s really what
got me into social work, the chance to challenge that
social environment. You get to see people’s lives at both
their pinnacles and low points, and both are a privilege
for social workers because we really see what people are
made of, their strength, their capacity. We have the power
to engage in areas where a lot of people have given up.
We try and find hope from seemingly hopeless situations.
The best academics … impart hope and challenge
thinking. Social work is about capturing people’s
imaginations and creating hope for change. That’s what
drives a really good academic because that energy is what
can drive students into the profession. I was very fortunate
when I was a student. I had several social work academics
who were able to challenge thinking and incorporate a
sense of hope that you really can make a difference. But
you need to be able to justify that with a professional
methodology. Good intentions are not enough on their own.
Practical placements are the best way to … join the
dots. Social work and human services are applied professions
that grew from social sciences and health, not only with
a theoretical orientation but with an applied orientation.
So placements are critical. That first time seeing a client
is a very formative time for a social work or human services
student because it’s one of the first times you get to
develop your professional identity. That’s where students
can join the dots and articulate what is their purpose.
Students will leave a good lecture … with some
sense of imagination of what is possible and what
further questions need to be asked. If they leave with a
sense of hope that something is possible and accessible,
then that’s a good lecture. But it’s also important they
have a sense of how they can make a difference.
The best skills for a career in human
services are … communicating and relationship
skills. Our tool set is ourselves. It’s primarily about
communication and the relationships we can build
with individuals, families and communities. You’ve
got to enjoy being with people and value them.
Our graduates find work … in a seemingly endless
number of areas. Traditionally, graduates went into health,
family and community services, which is still very relevant.
But it’s important to see the possibilities of going beyond
the stereotypical idea of human services and social work.
My work has taken me into a whole range of areas around
the world. I’ve worked in mental health, homelessness, child
protection, counselling and international aid work. The great
thing about human services and social work is the portability.
If I was a student today … I would try and capture some
time to think. I think life is busier for students today and the
demands on students are higher. There’s lots to think about
when you’re at university and it’s important to enjoy that
journey. Students can get caught up in rushing from parttime
jobs to lectures to online exercises to social events and
not get time to look back and smell the roses, so to speak.
As Head of School my motto is … to ensure the best
opportunities are available for students and staff to
develop themselves at a professional and personal level.
THE BACHELOR OF HUMAN SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT
THE GOLD COAST CAMPUS OF GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY FROM 2013
Revelling in the range of opportunities
Human Services and Social Work
A lifelong ambition was realised for
Tammie Usher when she travelled
to Bangalore as part of a Griffith
University study trip involving
human services and social work
students.
The Gateway to India project focused on social justice
and community development in some of the city’s
poorest areas.
Tammie says she was struck by the lack of government
support for NGOs in India compared to Australia, and
also how women were largely undermined in the maledominated
culture.
“Here, we turn on a tap and get clean water. They turn
on a tap and get diarrhoea.
“I think we still have social problems here that are
covered up and the study tour highlighted some
strategies that could be implemented here.”
The mum of two is in her second year of a human
services degree at Griffith University’s Logan campus.
“I’ve come to university wanting a better life for
me and my family. I’ve always had that passion for
a better life, but now I want a career, not just a job.
I know I’m on the right track.
“Everybody has a right to be somebody. Everybody has
a right to go somewhere in life.
“There are about 80 different jobs I could have.
The mind boggles.”
4
The memory of the deformed face of a young woman
who begged her for five rupees has also stayed with
Tammie on her return.
“I don’t think I was prepared for it. Preparing to go
there I thought ‘Great, we get to go and help children’.
griffith.edu.au/health
Tammie finished high school without an OP but that
did not deter her ambition.
“I believe anyone can do anything,” she says.
After 10 years’ working in childcare and two years as
a teacher aid, she knew which direction she wanted to
take her career and she knew her time had come.
CAN-DO ATTITUDE. Tammie Usher has embraced the exciting
opportunities that have come her way at Griffith University.

Online option opens
door to degree
Midwifery
When the midwife for the birth of her second baby alerted her to
the online possibilities of Griffith University’s Bachelor of Midwifery
program, Jodie Turner’s career ambitions had a new lease of life.
“I wouldn’t have been able to take on university without this
online opportunity,” the Toowoomba mother says. “I couldn’t
commit to time and lectures at university.”
Jodie contacted the School of Nursing and Midwifery to
discuss how achievable a three-year full-time university
program would be for a mum with two children under the
age of three.
After a little hesitation, she took a leap of faith.
“It’s definitely busier than the average course but it’s a lot
more flexible. I can do the modules in my time. I don’t have
to be anywhere at any specific time. For me, after I put the
children to bed, 7pm-11pm is my prime time for learning
and study each night.”
With a little give-and-take in husband Seain’s schedule,
Jodie also organised her week so that practical placements
and clinical skills training at Toowoomba Base Hospital and
local birthing centres were easily arranged.
“I love it. It suits me very well. I like to work at my own pace.
I’ve always worked well setting myself goals.”
Among the key interactive elements of her education are
the online lectures where she can get involved and ask a
question by simply putting a virtual hand in the air. The
option to review archived lectures also gives her further
room for manoeuvre.
“We have a lively Facebook page which helps students get
to know each other better. I feel, even though we live in
different towns, that I know people better than I would if I
was physically studying at university.”
Students based in Townsville and northern NSW are also
taking advantage of the online teaching facility.
Jodie aims to work in a continuity of care role, supporting
women through pregnancy and childbirth, in the future and
eventually be eligible to work in private practice.
“I would love to see society embrace birth as a positive and
empowering experience.”
BALANCED APPROACH. Mother-of-two Jodie Turner has used
online learning to blend parenthood with student life.
Laos experience boosts
overseas nursing plan
Nursing
The idea of aid work and helping people in some of
the world’s poorest countries has always appealed
to Kimberley Cook.
WORLDLY WISE. Nursing student Kimberley Cook
has found inspiration from a placement in Laos.
Now the third-year nursing student from
Brisbane is only a step or two from making this
ambition a reality, with Africa very much in
her sights.
Her plan is to gain valuable hospital experience
after she graduates from Griffith University’s
School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2012,
before packing her bags and turning her
attentions to the wider world.
An influential part of her African preparation
is already safely in the bag in the form of an
international clinical placement in Laos.
Kimberley was among 34 Griffith University
nursing students who provided healthcare
services to rural Laos as part of a three-week
placement in January 2012.
“Before Laos I didn’t know if I could handle
such challenging situations. That’s one of
many reasons why Laos was so important to
me. I realised I could handle difficult situations
and not let my emotions be led by the terror
people are exposed to and the terrible lack of
resources,” she says.
“Our skills were tested and we were constantly
challenged to come up with ideas and solutions
for the problems we faced. It was so exciting
to be making important decisions with our
teachers and the health workers in Laos.”
After spells working in hospitality and debt
collecting, Kimberley found a more progressive
career pathway in nursing.
“I was sick of jobs that you only get so far with.
Nursing is a perfect base to do so many things
at home and overseas. The opportunities
seemed endless when I started looking into it,”
she says.
“I love people, I love talking to people, listening
to people, I love helping people, learning about
other people’s lives and hearing their stories.
“Nursing allows me to do that. To begin with,
it is a solid career choice.”
griffith.edu.au/health
5

6
“Critical thinking and
problem solving are
generic skills essential
to a pharmacy career”
HEALTHY INSIGHT
WITH PROFESSOR ANDREW DAVEY,
HEAD OF SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
When I was a student I
wanted to … get the most
out of my time at university.
I had a work hard-play hard
philosophy. I made sure that
I did enough to get the grades
that I needed, which by the
end of the degree included
high-enough grades to enter
into a PhD. At the same time I
played for the college and the
university rugby teams and
was an active member of a
very vibrant pharmacy student association. This was a big period
of personal growth.
Pharmacy first captured my attention when … I was
considering my options for university. I was interested in science
but looking for a degree with a defined career. Pharmacy offered
a very broad science degree that appealed to my interests and I
knew that there was a job at the end of the degree.
The best academics are a mix of … passion, enthusiasm and
vision, tempered with emotional intelligence and the ability to
think strategically. Excellent communication skills are paramount.
Practical placements are the best way to … relate knowledge
and skills gained in the classroom to what happens in the
workplace on a day-to-day basis. They also present an excellent
opportunity to impress a potential future employer.
Students will leave a good lecture … enthusiastic about what
they have learnt and wanting to follow up and learn more about
the topic.
The best skills for a career in pharmacy are … dependent
on which career path a graduate chooses to undertake.
The career options are many and varied and each will have
a different emphasis on a particular skill. A solid foundation
in the pharmaceutical sciences is essential for all these roles.
Strong communication skills are usually close to the top of
any employer’s requirements. I would add critical thinking and
problem solving as generic skills that are essential for
all pharmacy career pathways.
Our graduates find work … mostly in community or hospital
pharmacy, including medication management or extended
pharmacy roles within the community. However there is an
increasing interest in developing careers in one of the many roles
offered by the pharmaceutical industry including drug discovery
and development, clinical trials, regulatory affairs, sales and
marketing, drug information, quality control or manufacturing.
We also have a good number of graduates undertaking higher
research degrees with a view to an academic career.
If I was a student today … I would try to have a similar
philosophy as I had when I was a student. However the
environment in which students work has changed in many ways.
Twenty-plus years ago there wasn’t much direction or support
for students and we were essentially left to work things out
for ourselves. This accelerated our independence as we tried to
work out the right balance between time in the bar and time for
study. University life has changed significantly since then and
there is now a lot more support and information available to
students at all levels of the university. However, I believe that this
increase in support is counterbalanced by increased pressure on
current students compared to the past. Most are working parttime,
many have significant family responsibilities, the subject
knowledge base is rapidly expanding and competition for the
best jobs is increasing. So as a student today I would ensure that
I took advantage of as much as possible of what the university
has to offer, including academic studies and support, social/
sporting/cultural activities and personal development training.
It is important to do this without burning out given the other
pressures faced by students, so good breaks and rest are
also essential.
As Head of School my motto is … to ensure that students
and staff in the School have the opportunity to reach their full
potential.
griffith.edu.au/health
Jessica can’t shake
pharmacy bug
Pharmacy
Starting work as a 19-year-old pharmacy
assistant set Tasmanian Jessica Bugg on the
road to Griffith University.
During this time she developed an interest and passion for
the pharmaceutical world.
“I loved learning about the medications and I loved the
enduring relationships that we developed and nurtured with
clients through the years,” Jessica says.
“I just enjoyed helping people and learning about healthcare
at the same time.”
When she moved to Queensland in 2005 it was natural that
she should take up a job working as a dispensary technician
at a Gold Coast pharmacy.
She entered and won through to the finals of the
Queensland Pharmacy Assistant of the Year.
“I had completed all the education I could up to that point,
short of going to university, and I wanted a new challenge,”
she says.
She eventually applied to do a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical
Science and, after completing bridging courses in chemistry
and maths, she started university full-time in 2009,
aged 29.
Along with previous TAFE certificates and extensive
experience in the industry, she was very well equipped for
the challenge.
“I got a traineeship in my home town and I haven’t looked
back. It’s definitely pharmacy for me all the way. It’s in my
blood, I guess.
“I had the experience, I knew what it was like to work there
so I knew this is what I wanted to study.”
Jessica graduated with a degree in pharmaceutical science
in December 2011, helped along with a scholarship from
Pharmacy Cricket, an inititative of pharmacists of Australia,
and is now studying a Master of Pharmacy.
“I’m not sure exactly where I will end up but I’m looking
forward to being able to use my new skills, to embracing
the future of pharmacy and the expanding role of
the pharmacist.”
Getting to the art
of dental detail
Dentistry and Oral Health
As a child Terrie Sichter always looked
forward to visiting her Townsville dentist and
soon settled on dentistry as a realistic and
attractive career option for her.
“I just loved it. I loved the smell. I loved the whole
experience,” she says.
As a child Terrie also loved art.
Throughout her primary school days her flair for art was
nurtured and encouraged, and by the time she had moved
on to high school Terrie was determined not to let the big,
bad world swallow up her artistic streak.
“I wanted to do something with it. I didn’t want to waste it
in a boring job,” she says.
When she discovered the Bachelor of Oral Health in Dental
Technology in a Griffith University program guide, her
hopes and dreams seemed to come together.
“It’s the artistic side of dentistry. You get to make things
with your hands, you get to go into a lab and do practical,
hands-on work.”
She is excited about the creative range of opportunities
at her dental technology fingertips, from orthodontics
to dentures.
“There are so many areas to choose from, so many areas
where I could specialise. And I like so many of them.”
RIGHT MOVE. Industry experience meant Jessica Bugg
knew she was on the right track when she decided to
study pharmaceutical science at Griffith University.
HELPING HAND. Dr Jane Evans (right) has nurtured
Terrie Sichter’s avid interest in dental prosthetics.
She is drawn, predominantly, to the world of dental
prosthetics. The creative and transformative process of
waxing, pouring and designing implants appeals to her
artistic side.
“With the wax you can carve it out and put as much detail
as you like into it.”
The third-year student plans to build on her degree in
Oral Health in Dental Technology, and study a Master
of Dental Technology in Prosthetics at the new Griffith
Health Centre.

Appetite for education
enhanced by exchange
Nutrition and Dietetics
As a talented young triathlete Jamie
Mollica recalls a seminar hosted by
the Queensland Academy of Sport
and a lecture on the importance
of healthy eating for highperformance
athletes.
The Gold Coast teenager was influenced at the time by the
very latest information and knowledge on nutrition. He was
also inspired significantly in another way by the lecture.
“I thought to myself I could do that,” the 21-year-old says.
Now in his third year at Griffith University, the Nutrition and
Dietetics student is on course to achieve that ambition, and
even build on it.
“I did public health in first year because I wanted to get a
feel for its broader range of possibilities. There are so many
options,” he says.
“I had been leaning towards nutrition because I already
had an interest in staying healthy and living healthy
through sport.
“If I could combine this with helping people in the healthcare
industry, then all the better.”
He says his interest in the subject has been further
invigorated by the anatomy and physiology part of the
program which has revealed a “a whole new world”.
The link between obesity and diabetes and cardiovascular
disease has also been an eye-opener, so too the prevalence
of anorexia, which he describes as an overlooked side of
nutrition and dietetics .
FOOD FOR THOUGHT. Jamie Mollica’s interest in healthy
diets has been taken to a new level at Griffith University.
A Griffith University exchange program has opened the door
for Jamie to take his study overseas. He is spending three
months (April – July 2012) in the United States studying
nutrition at California State University Los Angeles.
“The idea of going to live and learn on campus in California is
so exciting.”
A helping hand through
early days of uni life
Griffith Honours College
KNOWING MORE. Sean Certeza took his interest in exercise
physiology into the field and found out what he needed to know.
Sneak preview points
Sean in right direction
Physiotherapy and Exercise Science
All Sean Certeza needed was
a week in the life of another
graduate of exercise science to
know where his career was heading.
His friend Adam Lyons, a qualified exercise
physiologist, had invited Sean to shadow
him for a week as he attended aged care
facilities across the Gold Coast.
Sean watched Adam, who graduated from
Griffith University with a degree in exercise
science in 2009, as he helped people get
their lives on track after health setbacks.
“You really have to think on your feet,” Sean
says. “It’s important to be able to develop
a rapport with people and to understand
their psychological needs.”
Adam had clocked up the 500 hours
required for accreditation by Exercise and
Sport Science Australia during his time in
the workforce after graduation. He is now
an accredited exercise physiologist.
For Sean, who graduated with a Bachelor
of Exercise Science in 2011, another
option presented itself in the form of
Griffith University’s Graduate Diploma
of Exercise Science.
The one-year postgraduate program
combines advanced exercise science
coursework with key clinical placements,
allowing students to build up the hours
required while developing the skills to work
in a range of clinical settings.
This has been the ideal springboard for
Sean to consider emerging employment
opportunities. He is enthusiastic about
the future and the prospect of prescribing
exercise as treatment.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of how
exercise helps in the management and
prevention of chronic diseases like prostate
cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and its role
in tackling the obesity epidemic. A proper
exercise routine can prevent the onset of
diabetes as well as associated conditions
such as heart failure or hypertension,”
he says.
“I will be able to advise people on setting
goals for weight loss and support people
recovering from a stroke. Helping people
return to work after illness is a major part
of the role of the exercise physiologist.”
In her own words Yasuchiyo Hamilton was “a bit
torn” about her dream career while a high school
student on the Gold Coast.
She was attracted to veterinary science but
had more than a hankering for medicine.
In the end she opted for the latter and has not
regretted that decision for a moment.
“I’m loving it,” says the second-year student
of medical science at Griffith University’s
Gold Coast campus.
On completion of second year, the 19-yearold
will gain automatic entrance to the
Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery
program at Griffith University (subject to
entry requirements).
“Everything is so interesting and relevant.”
She makes no secret of the culture shock she
first experienced when taking the leap from
high school to university life, but has been
motivated and guided by the people around
her at Griffith University.
She is vocal in her appreciation of the
support that came her way from the Griffith
Honours College.
“The security and reassurance they provide
you is something you wouldn’t normally
get somewhere else. When I spoke with
Jeanne (McConachie) she just put things in
perspective, broke it all down for me.”
Jeanne McConachie is Manager of the
Griffith Honours College, which is designed
to enrich the experiences of outstanding
university students in combination with their
undergraduate studies.
WHAT AN HONOUR. Biomedical science student Yasuchiyo Hamilton
found the Griffith Honours College an important source of support.
Yasuchiyo gained entry to the Honours
College on winning a prestigious Sir Samuel
Griffith Scholarship.
“The networks of advice are wonderful
and it has also led to friendships across the
university’s faculties,” she says.
Students of biomedical science, who are also
members of the Honours College, have the
opportunity to observe operating theatres
through study trips to countries like Cambodia
and Nepal.
As an Honours College student, Yasuchiyo also
took part in a critical thinking workshop run
in conjunction with a performance of Mary
Poppins at QPAC.
To learn more about Griffith Honours College
go to: griffith.edu.au/honours-college
griffith.edu.au/health
7

It’s all go for student with medicine in mind
Go Health Go Griffith
She is a first-year student of
biomedical science but Tamara
Palmar’s connection to Griffith
University goes back four years.
As a Year 9 student of Upper Coomera State
College she visited Griffith’s Gold Coast
campus, and in 2009 she took part in the
Go Health Go Griffith experience.
It was here that Tamara first met
Dr Suzzanne Owen from Griffith Health
who presented a workshop on testing
lung capacity.
“It was so much fun, such an experience,
and I couldn’t wait to come back and do
something here at Griffith,” Tamara says.
“I loved every minute of it.”
The following year Tamara was one of
the first students to sign up for Griffith
University’s new Go Health Go Griffith
program, a partnership with Queensland
Health and Education Queensland to
promote health-related studies in designated
Gold Coast schools.
The program, led by Dr Owen, creates a
pathway for senior high school students to
do Griffith Health undergraduate programs.
“My involvement in the Go Health Go
Griffith program definitely helped me make
up my mind and decide that a career in
medicine was the path I wanted to pursue,”
Tamara says.
“I had thought about doing it but it was
not quite set in stone in my mind. This was
probably the defining moment.”
Another chance meeting with Dr Owen at
an information night took Tamara another
step forward as she entered Year 11. On
Dr Owen’s advice to her and her parents,
she enrolled in the Griffith Biology program
which was run over Year 11 and Year 12
and integrated into the high school biology
course.
This helped earn Tamara entry into Griffith
University’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science
in 2012.
“I’m now one step closer to achieving my
goal of pursuing a career in medicine.”
FOLLOWING HER DREAM. From an
early stage Tamara Palmar knew
where she wanted to take her studies.
David keeps the study
wheels in motion
Scholarship
Talented cyclist David Edwards has enjoyed the best of
both worlds since making his way from north Queensland
to study psychology at Griffith University.
He has been able to pursue his international cycling dream while also building
a study routine into a demanding schedule.
“I knew, coming to university, that cycling was going to be a big part of my
life. So I only did three subjects for the first semester, which gave me some
breathing space to focus on cycling,” he says.
“I deferred the second semester because I knew the cycling would get
serious during this period.
“But I’m equally determined to keep working away at my degree. I think
studying would be the perfect way to get my mind off cycling when I’m
away on training camps.”
David rose through the state and national ranks before taking out the
Australian under-17 time trial in 2009. He made the Australian team the
following year, leading to a brace of three-month training stints in Italy.
Last year he claimed a bronze medal in the junior men’s time-trial at the
World Road Cycling Championships in Denmark, and he hopes to build on
this success by joining a professional tour team during the next five years.
“I’m hopeful that I will be able to study by correspondence or through credit
transfers for part of the time. I’m determined to keep chipping away at the
degree. I enjoy Griffith and its very
friendly community. Griffith has
already been so helpful to me.”
Along with support from the
Queensland Academy of Sport,
David has also been backed by
Griffith University with a Griffith
Sports Excellence Scholarship.
MEDAL MAN. A Griffith Sports
Excellence Scholarship has allowed
David Edwards to pursue academic
and sporting targets.
New program
captures passion
for communication
Speech Pathology
Thirty-five students made
up the first cohort to study a
Master of Speech Pathology
when it started on the Gold
Coast in 2012.
Griffith University has collaborated with a
wide range of service providers in southeast
Queensland and northern New South Wales
to gather support for student placement
opportunities for the innovative program.
Griffith Health also liaised closely with the Gold
Coast Health Service District in the development
of the program, which aims to develop and retain
a local workforce.
“We are in a fantastic position from the outset
to connect and engage with clients, clinicians,
and the whole community,” Associate Professor
Elizabeth Cardell (pictured), who heads the
program, says.
The two-year full-time program will eventually
be based at the new $150 million Griffith Health
Centre which is due to be completed in 2013.
Undergraduate pathways to the Master
of Speech Pathology vary, with potential
opportunities through degrees in health science,
linguistics, medical science, psychology, public
health, education and nursing.
Renee Buckingham from the Gold Coast is part
of the first cohort. She had previously studied a
Bachelor of Journalism at Griffith University.
Her training will incorporate a series of industry
and clinical placements designed to give full and
early effect to classroom learning.
She will be trained to help and support a range
of people in need from post trauma patients,
to children and adults with speech, language or
swallowing difficulties.
“I’ve always had this desire to help people
directly,” she says.
“I’ve had such a passion for communication, I had
skills in articulation and I believed I could use all
this to really help people.”
8
Keep your finger on the Pulse
Find out more about exciting degrees in health
Health Communications Officer:
Stephen O’Grady stephen.ogrady@griffith.edu.au
Health Marketing Manager:
Anita Hathaway a.hathaway@griffith.edu.au
griffith.edu.au/health
To order additional copies of Pulse email: pulse@griffith.edu.au
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Griffith University’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
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