Try a free pilates class, talk to elite athletes, meet a cute robot, and even use pedal power to make your own smoothie at the QUT Health Clinics’ 10th birthday free community day at Kelvin Grove this Saturday (June 23).
The event will run from 10am to 3pm in McCaskie Park on the corner of Kelvin Grove Road and Blamey Street.
The QUT Health Clinics (which are next door to the park) have provided free and low-cost services to the public since 2008 when they opened with optometry and podiatry clinics.
They have expanded over the years to now include exercise physiology, nutrition and dietetics, psychology and counselling, family mediation and social work.
QUT Health Clinics manager Lisa Morgan said Saturday’s birthday celebration was a chance for people to meet the staff and students who ran the clinics, and take part in fun activities including:
- Kitchen Heroes (with the Nutrition and Dietetics Clinic)
- Look Inside (Optometry Clinic)
- Fit and Flex (Exercise Physiology Clinic)
- Draw Your Supporters (Social Work Clinic)
- Meet Your Feet (Podiatry Clinic)
- Talking Tech (Psychology and Counselling Clinic)
The clinics help thousands of people each year and provide valuable, supervised training for QUT’s health students.
In 2017 alone, 500 students helped the clinics host 40,000 appointments.
“It’s an incredibly important way to give our students that real world experience of treating clients, and this puts them in the best possible position once they graduate and start their careers,” Ms Morgan said.
“The QUT Health Clinics is one of the largest and longest running student led clinics in the country.
“This event is a great way to showcase the services available here in a fun way and thank the community for their support.”
Ms Morgan said the community day would include ‘Andy’ the NAO robot – another example of how technology use in health was increasing.
“We will have the health robotics team at the community day, so you can meet a robot and learn more about the use of robotics in health,” she said.
“Stay tuned later in the year as there is planning underway to introduce health robotics into clinic visits in the near future!”
QUT Media Unit contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- Rose Trapnell, media@qut.edu.au or 0407 585 901 (including after hours)
