Elliott Shriane, 6 March, 2024
Paramedic Elliott Shriane plans to swap nightshifts for regular hours by studying podiatry.
Find out:
Why change careers in health?
I come from a clinical background, having been a paramedic for over 10 years. I wanted to pursue a career change but didn’t want to lose the invaluable experience that I’d gained over the last decade. Plus, I enjoy being able to use my skillset and knowledge to help people.
Graduate-entry podiatry offered me the ability to continue engaging in a clinical role, but offered me some additional elements that I’m not able to obtain in my current job – regular business hours, a more controlled, lower-stress environment, and the ability to branch out on my own and practice independently.
Why study graduate-entry podiatry at QUT?
The hands-on learning environment is really enjoyable for me. I’m someone who learns best while doing, so being able to learn in the classroom and the clinic environment from day one has been engaging, challenging, and rewarding. Plus, it makes me feel like I’m maintaining my existing clinical skillset by being able to work with patients, even though it’s in a new context. I’ve just really enjoyed being cognitively challenged again, which can sometimes feel a bit daunting when you’re considering returning to tertiary education in your late 30’s.
But the main reason was that QUT is the only university to offer graduate entry to the Bachelor of Podiatry. This shaved 18 months off the degree, courtesy of my previous education and years of clinical experience. As a mature-aged student who is eager to get out into the field and working, saving time by starting in July and getting credit from my first degree made a huge difference.
What do you do in a podiatry course?
In the first week, we started learning by drawing and practicing skills on each other. That’s not unusual in a health degree, but considering it involved us getting our feet out and having other students cut our toenails, it was definitely one of the most unique learning experiences I’ve had. It definitely made for an interesting bonding experience as a cohort, and removed any awkward tension pretty quickly.
From mid-semester onwards, we’ve been in-clinic working with patients and starting to gain clinical experience. It’s been a really valuable opportunity because it’s genuine delivery of healthcare – it’s a real clinic, and you’re offering a real service. It’s not just simulation or scenario-based learning. This means that things can, and do, go wrong, but it’s such a rich learning environment, and helps to prepare you for the real-world experience as a clinician, rather than just preparing you for how to pass an assessment.
What advice would you give to someone choosing between university courses?
Don’t stress about locking yourself into a particular area of study or career. Study what you’re interested in, and pursue work in that space. If you change your mind, whether it’s a few years or a few decades down the track, you can always come back and reskill – it’s really not as scary or permanent as you think. I’d also reassure people that it’s perfectly normal and common to have ups and downs, whether it’s with the workload, the content, the social aspect, or just balancing uni and everything else in life. It’s worth the effort, and there are always sources of support you can turn to. Plus, you’d be surprised how many other people are in the same boat.
