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Scholarships awarded to country students

2 June 2009

Fifty-one students from rural and regional South Australia have won scholarships totalling more than $1.6 million to study medicine and health-related subjects.

Acting Health Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the Country Health SA scholarships benefit both students and their regional communities.

"Not only are we offering a helping-hand to country students who want a career in health, but we're also supporting their communities with incentives for the brightest and best to work in regional SA,' Minister Lomax-Smith says.

Scholarships are awarded to country South Australians in six different categories, with the highest number of scholarships awarded for the Country Health SA Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme.

This year, the undergraduate scholarships - worth $5,000 a year for up to three years - were awarded to 23 students.

When the students graduate, they will then work in a country health service for a term equal to the length of their scholarship.

The CHSA Undergraduate Scholarships are offered to full-time students currently studying, or about to start a degree, in a health-related discipline.  

Health disciplines in these scholarships include nursing, midwifery, allied health, medicine, administration and aboriginal affairs.

Country communities have a say in the awarding of the scholarships and in 2009 local Health Advisory Councils were asked to take part in the selection process. 

With the involvement and support of these communities, it's hoped that scholarship students will continue to work in regional South Australia after completing their studies.

"I'm sure the scholarship recipients are valued by regional and rural communities - the knowledge and expertise they will gain is vital to the lives of country people." Minister Lomax-Smith says.

In addition to the undergraduate scholarships, CHSA has awarded scholarships to people taking part in the following schemes:

  • CHSA /SA Ambulance Service Volunteer Scholarship - this undergraduate scheme supports two rural operational volunteer Ambulance Officers to undertake their Bachelor of Science (Paramedics)
  • CHSA Postgraduate Scholarship Awards - the postgraduate scholarships are awarded to ongoing employees of Country Health SA to ensure rural staff are offered the same professional education support as their metropolitan colleagues.
  • CHSA Professor Margaret Tobin SA Rural Mental Health Scholarship - these postgraduate scholarships are awarded to two ongoing employees of Country Health SA who are studying a postgraduate qualification in the field of mental health.
  • SA Bonded Medical Scholarships scheme - this scheme is an initiative of the Minister for Health and the South Australian Government to offer 10 scholarships to medical students to help increase the number of medical practitioners working in rural South Australia.
  • CHSA Aboriginal Professional Employment Program - this undergraduate program was announced by the Minister for Health in 2009 and offers 10 scholarships to full or part-time Aboriginal students studying or about to start a degree in health.