The following was written by Any Zelmer, formerly of Canada, and living in
Australia. It has been posted to the student REUSUNS listserv. - Sam Lanfranco

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If you are thinking of arranging a clinical placement abroad, you might
consider Australia.  The health care system and living conditions are
similar enough to Canada that you won't be absolutely 'lost' -- but
different enough that it can provide a contrast and some good learning
experiences.  The health care system is divided into 'public' and 'private'
sectors, although there is an underlying Medicare system which does provide
a guarantee of basic care for everyone.  As in Canada, there is a major
concern here about the overall costs of health care.

The major drawback to a placement in Australia is the cost of getting here.
Planning well ahead, searching out the bargain air fares and linking
in-country travel to an overseas ticket will probably bring the cost to a
level at least comparable to any other overseas posting.  Once you are here
the possibilities for relatively inexpensive accommodation include
obtaining rooms in 'hospital quarters' (somewhat left over from an earlier
era, but conveniently close to major hospitals and some country hospitals)
or looking at backpacker accommodation.

How to make a contact?  I'd suggest that if you are trying to arrange a
student placement that you consider approaching a similar faculty or
department at an Australian university.  They will have some idea of what
might be available in their area and can probably suggest specific contacts
within the health services system.

Visa -- very important.  The rules and regulations keep changing, so I'm
not going to try to provide any specifics here.  You WILL need a visa --
contact the Australian Consulate in Vancouver or Ottawa for current
information -- and be prepared to explain in some detail the specifics of
what you are intending to do since there are differences between 'student',
'working holiday', 'tourist', 'vocational experience' and 'employment'
categories.

General advice.  Before you start looking you might want to consider:
- what type of clinical/professional experience you are seeking?  Not all
of the health professions categories are the same in Australia as in
Canada; nursing and medicine are basically the same, but respiratory
therapists and health informatics specialists can be quite different.
- do you want experience in a major city, a smaller regional centre, or in
a rural/remote area?
- do you want to have experience with Aboriginal people, immigrant communities?
- what do you have to offer?  For some experiences licensure may be required.
- what time of year would you be coming?  From about mid-December to the
end of January is the heighth of summer; many people take their vacation
then and many services operate on minimum programs.  Also, it can be REALLY
hot.

Rockhampton, where I live, is on the east coast, just about where the
Tropic of Capricorn crosses.  Central Queensland University is one of the
smaller, newer universities, but we have had some international students
here and/or in local placements for clinical experience.  If you have any
particular questions, I'd be happy to correspond and try to find some
contacts.




Amy Zelmer, Honourary Professor        Phone +61 79 30 6319
Faculty of Health Science                        Facsimile +61 79 30 9871
Central Queensland University              E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
Rockhampton MC, Qld 4702
AUSTRALIA