Netizens

The Australian newspaper carried a nice  article on shortage of health
professionals  within Australia. (Wednesday 12 September. ) Apparently
between 1999 and 2000 there was a 60.1%  increase in the number of people
taking up podiatry.  Shared on the same page was a segment entitled
"Podiatry steps up recruitment " from an interview with Executive Director
of the Australian Podiatry Association (NSW).  Good pr but there is a
section  which  does contain as  inaccurate and misleading information. I
quote.

' Training to become a registered podiatrist (in Australia) involves a
four-year degree course in applied science and is offered at six Australian
universities."

Not the case. Not all six universities offer a four year, full time,
undergraduate program and state registration is not dependent on completion
of four years education but instead on successful completion of acknowledged
programs. Once registered there is virtual reciprocity across the country (
and New Zealand ), therefore a three year graduate can practice as a
registered podiatrist in other states.  The vast majority of practitioners
in Australia and New Zealand remain  non graduates and hold diploma and
associate diploma certification.  In time of course this will change and by
the middle  of the century the profession should be all graduate.

Here at Curtin University we currently offer a three year full time
undergraduate program which is an  unclassified Bachelor's degree in
podiatry and deemed suitable for state registration. There is an optional
extra "earn and learn' year for those students wishing to complete an
honours degree (part time).

In Australia many students prefer to attend home universities instead of
moving to other cities. Costs of four year programs are likely to change
this demographic especially where  three year options are available. As the
nation's economy  becomes less buoyant the attraction to shorter courses
will become more credible.

Shorter programs  reflect a  global trend  in peer professions and  most of
this  has been driven   by technology and better understanding of the
learner.  Improved  teaching techniques  including accelerated learning help
prepare motivated students  to achieve their goals in the shortest possible
time. Greater professional acceptance of life long learning also mean
graduates are more likely to follow a career in post basic education
appropriate to their work situation. This means there is less reliance  on
out of date information picked up during their  'salad days' as
undergraduates.

Whilst podiatry honours degrees (usually the reason for the four year
program - in Australia ) are attractive to the universities they offer
little if any remuneratory advantage to the graduate. Extra costs incurred
in the extra year of study mean  four year graduate are less likely to catch
up with  their  three year graduate colleagues, in terms of lost income.
Double degrees, on the other hand,  do appear to offer greater pragmatic
advantage. These have become very popular of late.

It seems we are in a state of flux.

What say you?

.
Cameron
(Please note the opinion expressed within is that of the author and not
necessarily the opinion of his employer.)

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