Brisbane high school students completing the Mater Education High School Health Adventure program have experienced a unique opportunity to practice a patient transfer in a Royal Flying Doctor Service Simulation aircraft.

During school holidays Mater Education offers the High School Health Adventure program which is a unique course for year 10, 11 and 12 students interested in pursuing health and medical related careers.

Mater Education Clinical Trainer and Assessor Shahn Horrocks said the program is extremely popular and gives students an idea of what career opportunities are available for them in the future.

“The three day course is a hands-on, immersive experience to expose high school students to the many different career opportunities available to them in a variety of healthcare professions,” she said.  

“We perform medical simulations to give students a taste of the fast paced and exciting nature of hospital life. We also perform a rescue and patient transfer simulation using a Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft.

“During the simulation things will go wrong with the patient and the students must work together to help them, performing a resuscitation and quickly getting them on the aircraft.”

Brisbane State High School student Sristi is interested in becoming a cardiologist once she leaves school and said the program was a wonderful experience.

“It has been a great learning experience to see what can happen with a patient transfer, what can go wrong and how we have to work together to problem-solve,” she said. 

Shahn said Mater Education was excited to welcome the next group of students in the upcoming September school holidays.

“It is so wonderful to see so many young people interested in pursuing medical careers. We have future doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, surgeons and more here today,” she said.

High School Health Adventure covers emergency and critical care, surgical, obstetrics and provides a forum for students to understand academic pathways required to become a health professional.

To find out more about the program you can visit https://www.matereducation.qld.edu.au/Course/High-School-Health-Adventure