Affordability

ESSA has called for removing GST from exercise physiology in order to make services more affordable, citing that this would have an impact on clients such as:

• any of the 459,053 National Disability Insurance Scheme clients not in supported independent living, who access exercise physiology services as part of their packages as of September, 2021
• any of the 186,570 older Australians who access exercise physiology services as part of their home care packages as at September, 2021
• those Australians who access exercise physiology services via private health insurance and who pay privately to access exercise physiology services

ESSA pointed out that exercise physiology is the only standalone profession with a Chronic Disease Management Medical item that is not exempt from GST.

Expanded access for chronic disease

ESSA stated the costs involved in not providing adequate access to exercise physiology services for those with chronic health conditions. They cited a study which estimated:

• the total cost of physical inactivity for Australia in 2013 to be $805 million, this comprising $640 million in direct costs spent on health care and $165 million in indirect costs due to lost productivity from conditions and issues including disability, absenteeism, presenteeism, and informal care

ESSA provided details of the recommendation of the Allied Health Reference Group as part of the Medicare Benefits Scheme Review, which was to increase the number of allied health sessions for those under GP Chronic Disease Management Plans and team care arrangements using a risk stratification model and creating a new initial allied health assessment item. The ESSA report stated that “despite solid evidence which supported the clinical benefits and cost savings for these changes, these recommendations are yet to be implemented. The current restriction of five individual allied health sessions over a twelve-month period is insufficient to treat chronic conditions using evidence-based, best practice clinical guidelines, particularly where patients have more complex health issues or display higher risk factors. Some patients may require multiple sessions with one or more allied health professional/s in order for their care needs to be appropriately assessed and managed. Most patients need more than one allied health session – one to assess and a minimum of one session to treat, but generally require more sessions for effective treatment.”

Expanded access for mental health conditions

ESSA called for Accredited Exercise Physiologists to be added to the list of eligible allied health practitioners for existing individual and group items and any new allied mental health case conferencing items under the MBS Better Access Initiative. They stated that evidence for access to physical health services including exercise services from the time of first diagnosis of a mental health condition is supported by the Lancet Psychiatry Commission, the Productivity Commission Mental Health Inquiry Report and the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

Expanded access in aged care

With the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety highlighting that allied health care services offered in Residential Aged Care Facilities is insufficient, making up just 2% of home care funding, ESSA called for investment in a preventative, reablement and restorative approach in aged care.

ESSA advocated for a mandate for allied health care in Residential Aged Care Facilities to include exercise physiologists, with specific investment to be made in clinical assessments to determine funding and care needs.

Increased preventative health measures

The bottom line ESSA recommended for preventative healthcare was for the investment to total 5% of annual health expenditure. The cited that in contrast, in 2018, Australian governments and compulsory schemes spent approximately 1.8% of their total health budget on preventative care as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The post Exercise Physiology 2022: The Profession’s Priorities in an Election Year appeared first on My Health Career.

Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the national accreditation body for exercise science in Australia. To be able to register as an Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES) in Australia, you need to complete a course that has full accreditation with ESSA, at a campus which is accredited by ESSA. Contact ESSA if the course you are considering has provisional accreditation to check that your qualification will be recognised.

Undergraduate entry into exercise science

For entry into an exercise science course commencing in 2019, the ATAR ranged from around 50 to 90. Some courses give a qualification as both an Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES) and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP).

Following is a guide to the ATAR scores for every exercise science course in Australia in 2019. Universities which have a (P) denotes that the exercise science course had provisional, not full accreditation with ESSA at the time of publishing this article:

Please note that this is a rough guide only for future years as it changes from year to year depending on the applications each university receives, and that some universities will also have additional selection criteria to gain entry.

If you don’t gain entry directly following high school, some universities will allow you to transfer into their undergraduate exercise science degree following a year in one of their other undergraduate degrees – for example a science degree. This will be dependent on your Grade Point Average in your first-year subjects and could also involve other admission requirements. You ATAR / OP may also be considered. Please speak with an admissions officer at the universities you are considering applying for to see if this pathway may be available to you. Some universities have alternative pathways to gain entry into a first-year exercise science degree.

Exercise science courses online

There are three universities offering exercise science courses online. Check with ESSA whether these courses are accredited for online study. The courses are:

The information presented in this article was correct at the time of publishing. Please check with the Exercise and Sports Science Australia for an up to date list of accredited programs of study to become an exercise scientist in Australia.

Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances. My Health Career accepts no responsibility for ensuring that you enrol in a course that is right for you.

Please do your own research to ensure that you enrol in the correct course, especially if you are considering an undergraduate biomedicine, health science or biomedical science degree as a pathway to a postgraduate course. This may include speaking with a careers advisor, guidance officer, career development practitioner, representatives of the Exercise and Sports Science Australia, and admissions officers from the university or universities you are looking at applying to.

More resources on My Health Career:

• The difference between an exercise physiologist / sports scientist / exercise scientist
• New accreditation for sports science and high-performance management
• Gearing for the growth of exercise & sports science professionals

The post ATAR for exercise science – your guide to the ATAR for every exercise science course in Australia in 2019 appeared first on My Health Career.

Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the national accreditation body for exercise physiology in Australia. To be able to register as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) in Australia, you need to complete a course that has full accreditation with ESSA. Contact ESSA if the course you are considering has provisional accreditation to check that your qualification will be recognised.

The ways to become an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) in Australia are:

• Complete an undergraduate exercise physiology degree – these are generally 4 years
• Complete an undergraduate degree with the appropriate pre-requisite subjects in a discipline such as science, exercise science or health sciences and then complete a graduate diploma or masters of exercise physiology

Undergraduate entry into exercise physiology

For entry into undergraduate exercise physiology courses in 2019 the ATAR ranged from 66 to 94. Following is a guide to the ATAR scores for every exercise physiology course in Australia in 2019. Universities which have a (P) denotes that the exercise physiology course had provisional, not full accreditation with ESSA at the time of publishing this article:

Please note that this is a rough guide only for future years as it changes from year to year depending on the applications each university receives, and that some universities will also have additional selection criteria to gain entry.

If you don’t gain entry directly following high school, some universities will allow you to transfer into their undergraduate exercise physiology degree following a year in one of their other undergraduate degrees – for example a science degree. This will be dependent on your Grade Point Average in your first year subjects and could also involve other admission requirements. You ATAR / OP may also be considered. Please speak with an admissions officer at the universities you are considering applying for to see if this pathway may be available to you.

Graduate entry into exercise physiology

It is extremely important that you select your undergraduate degree and electives carefully to make sure that you will have completed the pre-requisite subjects to be able to apply for exercise physiology masters programs.

Following is a list of universities which offer a master of dietetics program which you can complete to become a qualified exercise physiologist. Universities which have a (P) denotes that the exercise physiology course had provisional, not full accreditation with ESSA at the time of publishing this article:

Online exercise physiology courses

There are two universities offering exercise physiology courses online. These are:

Following is an infographic which provides an overview of the pathways to becoming qualified as an exercise physiologist in Australia. For simplicity, it does not include the possibility of transferring into exercise physiology from another course. For more detailed pathways information, go to out become an exercise physiologist page.

The information presented in this article was correct at the time of publishing. Please check with the Exercise and Sports Science Australia for an up to date list of accredited programs of study to become an exercise physiologist in Australia.

Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances.

My Health Career accepts no responsibility for ensuring that you enrol in a course that is right for you. Please do your own research to ensure that you enrol in the correct course, especially if you are considering an undergraduate biomedicine, health science or biomedical science degree as a pathway to a postgraduate course. This may include speaking with a careers advisor, guidance officer, career development practitioner, representatives of the Exercise and Sports Science Australia, and admissions officers from the university or universities you are looking at applying to.

More resources on My Health Career:

• What do exercise physiologists love about their job?
• Gearing for the growth of exercise & sports science professionals
• Exercise physiologist vs exercise scientist vs sports scientist
• Too few exercise physiologists in Australian hospitals
• Practicing mindfulness as a health practitioner – by Jennifer Smallridge, AEP

The post ATAR for exercise physiology – your guide to the ATAR for every exercise physiology course in Australia in 2019 appeared first on My Health Career.

Diet affects every aspect of a person’s health, which is why it is so important to make sure that patients have the information and ability to feed themselves properly. Apart from being a healthier weight, it is also important to make sure that a chosen diet focuses on the right nutrients to keep the body running smoothly – and this can impact everything from energy levels and muscle recovery to mental health.

Getting started on a healthier diet

If you are a health professional and have a patient who eats takeaway food every night, you can’t just tell them to eat more healthily and expect it to happen. They will not suddenly be able to break the habit of eating unhealthy food with zero effort involved and suddenly spend an hour cooking every night.

What you need to do is give them some strategies to eat healthier. This can be achieved through some easy and fast recipes, like these healthy Mexican nachos. Cooking at home can be a hassle, so subscribing to a meal kit service is a great option for those wanting to cut down on cooking time.

It’s important to remember that perfection isn’t the immediate goal – or even a long-term goal, given how difficult it is for any person to sustain a perfect diet forever. If you can get your client to cut down from 7 takeaways a week to 3, that’s a big win. If they are still eating burgers most nights but are making them at home with fresh ingredients rather than buying fast food, that’s still an improvement.

Diet is something that needs to be sustained for a lifetime, and you have plenty of time to get your patient to gradually improve. If it gets too hard to keep a diet up, then a slide back into bad habits will occur. The overall goal of diet improvements should be to get your patient into the healthiest dietary habits that they will be able to sustain for the rest of their life – and you need to know them well in order to work out where that point is, because every person will be different.

Dietary advice from exercise professionals

A an exercise professional, the benefits of a health diet for people who come to you should be obvious. However, you may not realise the degree to with you can influence your clients – and, in some cases, you might overestimate it.

Psychological benefits of eating healthily

The psychological benefits of eating nutritious meals are well known. Helping a patient to improve their diet can be of huge benefit in improving their lifestyle and mental health generally, as adequate nutrition helps to improve mood, energy levels and general wellness.

Diet is also something that a mental health patient is likely to feel that they can control, while giving the person a concrete goal to work towards and achieve. This alone can help some people improve their general health.

A psychological professional is also very likely to be trusted by their patients, so they are in a good position to give dietary advice – and be listened to. Because there is often an ongoing clinical relationship, they can also check how the patient is going with their healthy eating and assist them to gradually improve.

All kinds of health professionals need to be able to offer dietary advice to their patients, because different people will be more likely to listen to different professionals. If any patient is asking a health professional how to improve their diet, it is because they trust that person and want to live a healthier life – and they deserve to hear the right advice.

The post Why health professionals need to help patients with their diets appeared first on My Health Career.

1. Understanding what you already bring to the table

Considering the 4 key blueprint principles are the perfect approach to getting underway, as they will encourage you to look at your starting point.

Firstly, the principle of value. In what ways do you add value to the organisation you are currently working in? If you really look, could you tease out a greater appreciation for what competencies you already have at your disposal? Is your greatest value in being efficient, do you have excellent communication skills, or are there additional proficiencies you have picked up along the way?

Secondly, the principle of building. What opportunities can you identify that will assist you in building on the skills you have to set the bar even higher?

Thirdly, the principle of progress. In the time that you have been in your profession, what has changed? How has progress taken place? How do you see yourself as part of the future progress in health care, potentially even at the cutting edge?

Fourthly, the principle of impact. How have you leveraged your skills in your current role, and where have you had the greatest impact? Have you improved the delivery of services, increased profits, been the catalyst for building a more cohesive team within your organisation, or had a significant impact outside your organisation?

2. Identifying your stream

The blueprint has identified 5 core work streams that health professionals may engage in when they are looking at the overall direction in which they would like to take in terms of career development. These are practice, education, research, management and strategy.

Practice involves being a clinician delivering patient care directly.

Education could take a number of forms ranging from providing instruction and education to patients and communities to health practitioners and students in clinical or academic environments.

Research could be at the level of systematic investigation to increase knowledge and establish an evidence base, or could be via translating research into practice.

Management could be in diverse ways such as leading and managing departments, service delivery, human resources or project funding.

Strategy might include leading change, developing and leading policy, implementing innovations, or transforming processes for an industry, sector or organisation.

3. Defining your future growth

The 4 levels of growth defined in the blueprint are gaining experience, further skills and knowledge, becoming an expert and being an acknowledged leader.
Gaining experience is the initial phase of acquiring your qualification and consolidating your skills.

Further skills and knowledge is the next phase where as a practitioner you develop a deeper breadth of experience and understanding within your profession.
Becoming an expert is where you deepen your knowledge and skill in a particular area.

Being an acknowledged leader is where you are recognised by your peers as someone able to guide and influence others.

4. Transitioning from where you are to a leadership role

Now that you understand what you bring to the table, have identified your stream and have defined the level of growth you wish to attain in the future, it’s important to consider how you are going to make this transition. Now is the time to step out of the model of the blueprint and use the principles to transform your career in a tangible way.

If you are currently a clinician and know that the predominantly academic areas of education or research aren’t the best fit for you, management or strategy would be excellent areas to look at. If you were to go down that path, you would need to develop further skills and knowledge on the way to becoming an expert or acknowledged leader.

The knowledge you would need to gain in order to make this transition might include health economics, health law, systems and policy, management, developing health systems and the application of strategies which advance managing patient care processes.

A postgraduate qualification could be an excellent investment in your career development and aspirations. The Monash Online Master of Health Administration has been developed with aspiring health care managers in mind with the course focusing on leadership, marketing, economics and management of the patient care process. This master’s qualification will also boost your health-specific knowledge with areas such as epidemiology and biostatistics being included.

The Master of Health Administration has been purposely designed to build upon your ability to lead and manage effectively in a health care environment. The fusion of the course units from The Faculty of Business and Economics with those from The School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine means that you will gain knowledge of both business and health care practices.

On completion of the course, opportunities that would be open to you as an expert or acknowledged leader would be in health care organisations including government and non-government organisations. You might find yourself in high-level roles in private or health and welfare service management, practice management or in the management of teams of health professionals.

Now you have access to the ultimate blueprint and means to develop your career in health. Now is the time to put your aspirations into action.

The post The ultimate guide to career development for health professionals in just 4 simple steps appeared first on My Health Career.

“When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. My friends were going to University, studying at TAFE, taking on apprenticeships, or getting jobs in areas they hated just to earn money. Nobody had told me I could study exercise and sports science and make a career out of my passion for sport, exercise, health and fitness.

Career pathways after completing a degree in Exercise and Sports Science

Now that I am Head of Exercise and Sports Science at Bond University, I have witnessed a number of our students’ success in their careers, by undertaking a degree in Exercise and Sports Science.

The post Love sport, exercise, health and fitness? Turn it into a career! – by Professor Peter Reaburn, head of exercise and sports science, Bond University appeared first on My Health Career.

Spearheaded by Professor Christopher Rowe of Austin Health, ADNet commits to facilitate high-quality research and clinical care through the cooperation of researchers, clinicians and health service providers with people living with dementia to present the ADNet Registry and research program.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt AM said, “Dementia is already the biggest killer of Australian women and the second most common cause of death among the overall population, claiming more than 13,000 lies each year. This is the accelerator we need to win the race against dementia.

“By significantly increasing public access to, and participation in, clinical trials it will also speed the development and approval of new prevention and treatment therapies.”

He continued, “ADNet means Australia will be a strong contributor to, and an early beneficiary of, the worldwide search for dementia treatments and cures.”

“At present, an estimated 425,000 Australians are living with dementia. The potential power of ADNet is our best hope of preventing that number reaching more than one million by 2050” the Minister said.

In support of the movement against dementia, Exercise Sports and Science Australia (ESSA) on the other hand, emphasized the importance of community-based exercise not only for brain health but also for dementia and other cognitive conditions.

Beth Sheehan, Accredited Exercise Physiologist explains, “Social inclusion is a fundamental human right for all Australians. The importance of facilitating social opportunities for Australians with dementia and other cognitive conditions that also enhance and prolong quality of life needs to be discussed on a global level.

“Whilst there is no cure as yet for dementia, physical activity and exercise has been shown to improve memory and learning whilst also addressing co-morbidities associated with sedentary behaviour which is common amongst individuals with dementia,” Ms Sheehan argued.

ESSA states that these community-based programs can provide the vital link between people with dementia accessing exercise in a safe environment. It commits to:

• Increase levels of motivation and enjoyment
• Improve physical function and independence
• Minimise the growing incidence rates of chronic disease
• Assist older adults to live longer and fuller lives
• Provide access to additional aged care services
• Offer safety and supervision when undertaking exercise
• Offer social connectedness and interaction, encouraging the Dementia Friend movement.

Several philanthrophic organisations like the JO and JR Wicking Trust, and the Yulgilbar Foundation, along with universities, research centres, and State Governments also expressed commitment to the initiative, boosting the $18 million government investment by $20 million more.

ADNeT will:

• Establish a national network of memory clinics to speed assessment of cognitive disorders and improve specialist access for all Australians, through advanced imaging, genetics and lifestyle data
• Register and prepare volunteers for participation in clinical trials and other research programs, by providing them with state of the art diagnosis and tracking their disease trajectory
• Collate and compare data to chart dementia causes, progression and risks and potential new treatments, while supporting research participants and benchmarking clinical care
• Ensure Australian and international data can be shared, providing unprecedented research access to global data and collaboration, to inform prevention, treatment and care.

Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash

More articles on My Health Career:

• ATAR for nursing – your guide to every university nursing course in Australia
• Opt-out period for My Health Record starts soon, but most Australians in favour of having a record
• Australian, American, British and New Zealand organisations join forces to close the life expectancy gap of the mentally-ill

The post ADNet to accelerate research for the prevention and treatment of Dementia appeared first on My Health Career.

The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) stance is that although they support a “sugar tax” on sweetened beverages, this is not enough in isolation. They have recommended a multi-faceted long term approach with dietitians being part of the solution, and has called for funds raised from a sugar tax to be invested in this approach.

Public Health Association Australia CEO Terry Slevin believes that this voluntary step taken by the beverage companies in Australia is an attempt to resist the pattern of sugar regulation happening all over the world.

He said, “The makers of sugary drinks know their time is up in under-regulated trading in their unhealthy products to the Australian population, and this pledge to reduce 20 per cent of the sugar on average is a clear admission on their part that they are selling an unhealthy product.”

“It is good to see that industry finally understands that change is required. But what they propose is too

little, too slow, too late, and is inadequate to bring the progress we desperately need. Self-regulation is no regulation” he added.

Mr Slevin also cited UK’s newest tax regulation on sugary drinks as an example. He said, “The announcement in the UK recently that it will introduce a health levy on sugary drinks resulted in soft drink manufacturers reformulating their products before the tax was even due to commence, which shows how quickly they can potentially change the sugar content in their drinks if needed. 2025 is a long way away.”

As mentioned by CEO Slevin, sugar tax regulations in the UK provoked soft drink businesses in the country to make some changes, the Australian Medical Association envisions that this same strategy will be effective in Australia.

Australian Medical Association President, Dr Tony Bartone said that this week’s announcement on sugar reduction was totally inadequate and further evidence of the industry shirking its stated intention and responsibility to contribute to improving public health.

“The soft drink industry’s commitment to cut sugar content is too little over too long a period, and there is no guarantee of less sugar in the most popular sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs).

“By the time 2025 rolls around, more Australians will be affected by the health harms of obesity, including from the high sugar content in SSBs.

“One of the best ways to achieve a change in consumer behaviour is with a sugar tax. The evidence is in. Price signals work.” Dr Bartone said.

The AMA has called for prioritization of a sugar tax in the health policies for the next federal election. It believes that the introduction of a sugar tax in Australia will aid the problem of obesity and improve health population across all age groups.

And while doctors from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians RACP also agree in implementing a tax on sugar, they also pointed out the importance of a detailed action plan.

As RACP President, Associate Professor Mark Lane said, “Otherwise, it’s just the same smoke and mirrors we usually get.”

“It’s good to see the industry express a commitment to producing healthier products but we want to see the details of its plan to achieve a sugar reduction,

“The Government should revise the Health Star Rating system’s nutrient profiling algorithm to give stronger weight to sugar content and make it mandatory by 2019.

“The Government also needs to stop kowtowing to industry and effectively regulate their marketing activities. The food and beverage industry continue to advertise unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverages in a way that directly targets children and adolescents.” he said.

Photo by rawpixel at Pixabay

More articles on My Health Career:

• ATAR to become a dietitian – a guide to every dietetics course in Australia
• A No-Diets approach: Universities are changing the way they teach nutrition – by Christina Turner, Bond University
• A better student, mom, and health provider by virtue of mindfulness – A Q&A with Lulu Cook RDN

The post 20% voluntary sugar reduction regulation for soft-drink businesses to solve the problem of obesity in Australia? Dietitians, doctors and public health advocates not convinced appeared first on My Health Career.

Dentistry 

It takes a minimum of 5 – 7 years to become a dentist in Australia. Currently, there are six universities who take undergraduate students directly into their dentistry courses while three courses have pathways available for high achieving year 12 students. Each University have different admission requirements to qualify. Some require an UMAT, some an interview, and many more.  

The ATAR requirements in 2018 entry range around 89 – 99. You may visit this link for the full list of ATARs in dentistry. 

Dietetics 

To qualify as a dietitian, students can take two pathways: undergraduate and postgraduate pathways. There are 7 undergraduate courses and 11 postgraduate courses. Take note that there are no dietetics courses in Tasmania and the Northern Territory. 

In 2018 the ATAR for dietetics ranged from 56 to 98. The comprehensive list of ATAR and OP scores for Dietetics in 2018 is available here. 

Exercise Physiology 

An Exercise Physiology course can take up to 4-5 years to complete, depending on which pathway to choose. There is an undergraduate pathway that takes 4 years and an undergraduate pathway that takes 3 years. The latter is followed by either a 1-year graduate diploma or 1 to 2 years of Masters. 

ATAR scores for 2018 entry in Exercise Physiology courses all over Australia ranged from the mid-60s to the mid-90s. Please visit our Exercise Physiology ATAR article. 

Exercise Science 

For Exercise Science, there is a 3-year and a 4-year pathway. Most 4-year pathway courses also offer accredited science physiology (AEP) qualification, such as the University of Sydney for Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise Physiology) and University of Wollongong for Bachelor of Exercise Science and Rehabilitation.  

There is only one postgraduate course for exercise science. It is a 1-year graduate diploma study in Science (Exercise Rehabilitation in the University of Western Australia. 

The complete list of ATARs for exercise science courses in 2018 can be found on this page. 

Medical Imaging 

There are 10 universities offering medical imaging courses. Each university have different ranges for their ATAR entry requirement. The highest ATAR entry requirement listed for 2018 was from the Queensland University of Technology in Gardens Point, which listed 99 for ATAR and 1 for OP for its Bachelor of Medical Imaging and Bachelor of Medical Imaging (Honours) courses. 

Charles Sturt University, specifically in Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga campuses announced an indicative ATAR of 70 for their Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Medical Imaging) course. In Charles Sturt University’s ATAR profile the highest ATAR to receive an offer was 100 and the lowest was 64. 

The complete list of ATARs for medical imaging courses in 2018, is available here. 

Medicine 

Medicine courses require highly competitive ATARs. Furthermore, other requirements are considered to qualify for a medicine course such as UMAT, interviews, portfolio, written applications, and psychometric testing. 

Some universities have entry pathways to their postgraduate medical course for Grade 12 graduates provided you complete a relevant undergraduate degree at their institution. Some universities take a mixture of undergraduate and postgraduate students into their Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery 5 or 6-year degree. 

You will find more information regarding ATAR/OP for 2018, and other entry requirements on our Medicine ATAR/OP article. 

Midwifery 

There are three pathways available for a career in midwifery. Students can study a 3-year undergraduate midwifery degree, a 4-year undergraduate midwifery/nursing double degree, or a 3-year undergraduate degree followed by either a 1-year graduate diploma or 2-year master’s degree in midwifery. 

Currently, there are 8 double degree midwifery courses and 16 general undergraduate degree for midwifery all over Australia. 

The ATAR profiles for midwifery courses in Australia went within 60 and 90. More ATAR information will be found on My Health Career’s 2018 ATAR list for Midwifery. 

Nursing 

For entry into a university nursing course commencing in 2018, the ATAR ranged from the 60s to the mid-80s. When combined with another Bachelor’s degree such as midwifery or arts, the ATAR was sometimes in the 90s for a double degree. Detailed information on the ATARs for nursing in 2018 can be found on these tables. 

Bachelor degrees take 3 years, double degrees take 4-5 years, bachelor’s degree with a master of nursing to become a registered nurse takes 4 years. Graduate entry courses to become a registered nurse are also available. Most take 2 years while others like University of the Sunshine Coast and University of New England can take more than 2 years. 

Occupational Therapy 

There are around 20 universities which offer an occupational therapy qualification Australia, and the ATAR or OP required depends on the pathway you take to become an occupational therapist (OT). For entry into an undergraduate occupational therapy course commencing in 2018, the ATARs published by universities ranged from 69 to 95. 

Only Flinders University offer a direct entry to become an occupational therapist in their Bachelor of Health Sciences (Principles of Occupational Therapy) / Master of Occupational Therapy course that takes 5 years. This course offers guaranteed entry for those with ATAR scores of 95. 

For a list of ATARs for occupational therapy for every course in Australia in 2018, go to Occupational Therapy ATARs. 

Optometry 

There are five schools offering accredited courses in Optometry (with the University of Canberra to be added to this list in the coming years). It generally takes 5 years to become an optometrist but for two schools, Deakin University and University of Melbourne it varies from 3.5 years to 7 years.

Deakin University optometry course only takes 3.5 years as it implements a 3 trimester per year study program. The Chancellor’s Scholars Program in the University of Melbourne takes 7 years. It includes a 3-year undergraduate degree with pre-requisites followed by a 4-year Doctor of Optometry. 

A complete list of Optometry courses and ATARs for 2018 can be accessed here. 

Pharmacy 

In total, there are 23 accredited pharmacy courses in Australia, 17 of which are undergraduate programs and 6 of which are postgraduate courses. University-published ATAR varied between mid-60s to 90s. 

Most universities offer an equivalent honours degree program for their pharmacy courses. like University of Sydney and University of Canberra, both courses taking 4 years of study. 

Monash University and University of South Australia published respective ATAR scores for a guaranteed entry to the program. The guaranteed ATAR for Monash is 84 while the guaranteed ATAR for the University of South Australia is 85. 

Go to our Pharmacy ATAR 2018 article to find out more. 

Physiotherapy 

Around 29 undergraduate and postgraduate physiotherapy courses are offered at around 20 universities throughout Australia. The vast majority of undergraduate courses are 4 years in duration and require an ATAR of over 95. There are some physiotherapy courses where the ATAR required is in the 80s, which is an equivalent OP range of 6 to 8. 

In some universities like James Cook University and Monash University, aside from the ATAR scores, student aspirants also need to submit a written application or undergo an interview.  

A physiotherapy ATAR guide for 2018 is published in this page. 

Podiatry 

Studying podiatry can take as short as 3 years or as long as 5.5 years, depending on the pathway chosen by the student. There are undergraduate courses that take 3 years, health science degrees with master of podiatry that take 4 years, and undergraduate degrees followed by masters of podiatry that take 5.5 years. 

ATAR profiles published by all the universities offering podiatry courses range from 70 – 90. Click here for a podiatry course list detailing ATAR and OP entry requirements throughout Australia in 2018.

Psychology 

There are numerous psychology courses for each state all over Australia. In New South Wales alone, there are a total of 39 psychology courses offered, 35 in Victoria, 22 in Queensland and 20 online. Most undergraduate psychology degrees take 3 years, with an additional year for honours degree requiring a higher ATAR or OP. 

For entry into a psychology course commencing in 2018, the ATAR scores vary from 55 to 99.00. Check our Psychology course list and ATAR requirements. 

Photo by c@rljones on Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC 

More articles on My Health Career: 

• Podiatry Board of Australia prepares for the full implementation of the revised registration standard for endorsement for scheduled medicines 
• Two Canberran Occupational Therapists represent OTA in the inquiry of the ongoing problems in the implementation of NDIS in ACT 
• Opt-out period for My Health Record starts soon, but most Australians in favour of having a record 

The post ATAR and OP List for 14 courses Australia-wide – 2018 appeared first on My Health Career.

For entry into an exercise science course commencing in 2018, the ATAR ranged from 58.5 to 95. Some courses give a qualification as both an exercise scientist and an accredited exercise physiologist (AEP).

Please note that Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) are the accreditation body and that the information in the table below is based on only the fully accredited courses. There are some universities which have fully accredited courses at one campus and not another. There are also a number of courses which have applications under consideration with ESSA.

The following table shows the ATAR / OP scores that were required to enter each undergraduate course at the beginning of 2018. Please note that this is a rough guide only for future years as it changes from year to year depending on the applications each university receives, and that some universities will also have additional selection criteria to gain entry.

If you don’t gain entry directly following high school, some universities will allow you to transfer into their undergraduate exercise science degree following a year in one of their other undergraduate degrees – for example a science degree. This will be dependent on your Grade Point Average in your first-year subjects and could also involve other admission requirements. You ATAR / OP may also be considered. Please speak with an admissions officer at the universities you are considering applying for to see if this pathway may be available to you. Some universities have alternative pathways to gain entry into a first-year exercise science degree.

There is a postgraduate pathway that is available at one university in Western Australia. They require an undergraduate degree with specific pre-requisite subject and have admission requirements which they publish on their websites.

There is currently one postgraduate course become an exercise scientist is in the table below:

There is one university offering exercise science courses online. This is:

The information presented in this article was correct at the time of publishing. Please check with the Exercise and Sports Science Australia for an up to date list of accredited programs of study to become an exercise scientist in Australia.

Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances. My Health Career accepts no responsibility for ensuring that you enrol in a course that is right for you. Please do your own research to ensure that you enrol in the correct course, especially if you are considering an undergraduate biomedicine, health science or biomedical science degree as a pathway to a postgraduate course. This may include speaking with a careers advisor, guidance officer, career development practitioner, representatives of the Exercise and Sports Science Australia, and admissions officers from the university or universities you are looking at applying to.

Photo by LUM3N on Unsplash

More resources on My Health Career:

• The difference between an exercise physiologist / sports scientist / exercise scientist
• New accreditation for sports science and high-performance management
• Gearing for the growth of exercise & sports science professionals

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