Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences : Guide to courses
7. Careers for medicine, dental science, physiotherapy and behavioural science (psychology) graduates

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7. Careers for medicine, dental science, physiotherapy and behavioural science (psychology) graduates
    7.1. Medicine
    7.2. Dental science
    7.3. Physiotherapy
    7.4. Behavioural science (psychology)

7. Careers for medicine, dental science, physiotherapy and behavioural science (psychology) graduates

7.1. Medicine

The variety of careers available to graduates is enormous. Few professions can boast such a diversity of opportunity, ranging from general practice to surgery, pathology to obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics to psychiatry. Other specialities may include anaesthetics, geriatric medicine, rehabilitation medicine, dermatology, radiology, neurosurgery and occupational medicine.

Graduates may also become medical administrators in hospitals or government departments, or medical academics and/or researchers involved with teaching and/or medical research.

Graduates are required to complete an intern year in an Australian hospital as a prerequisite for full medical registration. Many graduates will then stay in a hospital for at least one or two more years. Those who wish to train for one of the major specialities may need to continue in a teaching hospital for about five years after the intern year.

Postgraduate training for most of the specialities is supervised by speciality colleges or societies. The colleges run their own qualifying examinations, specify training programs, and attend to the professional needs of their members after they have qualified for membership.

7.2. Dental science

Dental science graduates are offered a wide range of career opportunities in private practice, public hospitals, the health services (such as the School Dental Service run by Dental Health Services Victoria), academic teaching and research and the armed services. Although most graduates enter private general practice, further training is available at postgraduate level in many specialties including preventive and community dentistry, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology and oral medicine, and forensic odontology. Many of these postgraduate courses lead to qualification as a specialist.

As the emphasis in dentistry changes from corrective to preventive work, dentists are increasingly working conjointly with auxiliary health professionals such as dental therapists, licensed dental nurses, dental hygienists and advanced dental technicians. Throughout the course, students are given the opportunity to develop career interests in areas such as general or specialist dental practice, academic teaching and research, community and school dental health services and hospital, institutional and government service.

The University of Melbourne's BDSc is recognised by the Dental Boards of all Australian states. Graduates may apply for registration as a dentist (without further examination) anywhere in Australia or its territories.

Registration may also be granted in some other countries, subject to entry requirements and those of the registering authorities.

At present, a one-year, fully-paid internship is available to a limited number of recent dental science graduates, via a selection process, through the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

The Diploma in Oral Health Therapy offers graduates the opportunity to work as dental therapists or dental hygienists. Therapy graduates are offered career opportunities in the public sector (within the school dental program, hospital settings and community clinics), private sector, oral health promotion and teaching. Dental therapists provide dental care for children and adolescents under the general supervision of a practising dentist. They examine oral and dental conditions, restore and conserve permanent and deciduous teeth, perform extractions of deciduous teeth, remove calculus and take and interpret radiographs.

Hygiene graduates are offered career opportunities in both the public and private sectors in general and specialist dental practice and in oral health promotion and teaching. Dental hygienists provide dental care for all age groups under the direct supervision of a practising dentist. Hygienists examine and record the nature and severity of periodontal conditions, clean, scale and root plane teeth.

Both therapists and hygienists undertake a range of preventive procedures, including topical fluoride applications and undertake dental health promotion.

7.3. Physiotherapy

A physiotherapy degree opens the door for many career opportunities. Physiotherapists work in health care and promotion in a variety of sites such as hospitals, community centres and private practices and in a range of fields. They practise in the areas of acute care women's health including preparation for pregnancy and birth, children and adolescents, exercise and sport, occupational health, rehabilitation of cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal and hemological conditions, and aged care. Physiotherapists work as consultants to industry and government bodies, and as academics and researchers.

Many physiotherapists commence their careers as junior physiotherapists in public health care settings such as hospitals or large private practices, where they rotate through specialist physiotherapy units and are provided with the opportunity to reinforce and consolidate their knowledge and clinical skills. Career paths in hospitals develop along clinical and administrative lines. Senior clinical physiotherapists are highly experienced in a particular area of physiotherapy and are responsible for senior and junior staff, and for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Private physiotherapy practice encompasses many sub-discipline areas and may range from individual to large multidiscipline practices.

Physiotherapy graduates of the school have established their careers within the public service and in private centres within Australia and overseas. In community centres, the physiotherapist is a resource to provide health and treatment education for local residents. Physiotherapists also work in the Department of Human Services, in School Support Centres, and in individual schools of various types. In private practices, physiotherapists work in every suburb and country district for clients who require their diverse services.

Many physiotherapists undertake postgraduate studies to enhance career opportunities in clinical practice, teaching, research and administration.

7.4. Behavioural science (psychology)

Psychology is concerned with the study of human behaviour and experience. People trained in psychology work in a wide variety of areas in health, education, industry, commerce, welfare and government.

To be able to practise as a psychologist in Victoria, registration is required with the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria. To register with the Board, an accredited four-year sequence in psychology followed by either two years of postgraduate training or two years supervised experience is required.

Specialisation normally requires additional study and a further two years of supervised training. Some of these areas of specialisation are community psychology, counselling psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, clinical neuropsychology, clinical psychology, organisational psychology and sport psychology. Upon completion of training as a psychologist, graduates may be eligible for full membership of certain professional organisations, such as the Australian Psychological Society, and their colleges.