Western Sydney University student stepping foot on the path to help others
Caitlyn Callaghan had an interest in working within the healthcare sector where she could develop ongoing patient relationships, but it wasn’t until she broke her foot that her future career path was set.
Undergoing her own treatment and seeing how podiatrists help patients led Caitlyn to Western Sydney University to undergo a Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine.
“I was living in Tasmania and had an interest in pursuing Podiatry which wasn’t offered locally, so I looked at the different universities that had a Podiatry program,” said Caitlyn.
“I chose to relocate and pursue studying at Western Sydney University based on its reputation for offering hands on degrees and from the positive experiences I heard from friends who are alumni.”
Living and studying in Campbelltown with her husband and family, Caitlyn said the flexibility and support has allowed her to follow her passions while maintaining her existing responsibilities.
“My son was born during my first year at university and my daughter was born last year which has made for a full-on learning experience, but the faculty has been so accommodating,” she said.
“I've really loved getting to know the other students and our tutors, my favourite part of university has been the opportunity to get out and about on placement.”
Caitlyn said Western’s practical experience and facilities, such as the UniClinic, takes study to the next level. Western’s UniClinic, provides hands on experience for students within the allied health field, allowing them to perform supervised treatments on members of the public.
“UniClinic completely enhanced my training experience. The opportunity to get hands on but with the support of our supervising clinicians is invaluable.”
“All our patients are so understanding and really embrace that it's a learning experience.”
“Being able to take everything you've learned and see it applied is amazing and it just adds those extra pieces to the jigsaw that helps everything fall into place.”
Working one day a week within a multidisciplinary clinic and looking forward to graduating, Caitlyn aims to one day teach podiatry.
“At the end of the degree, I'll be a registered Podiatrist and I'm really looking forward to getting out there and applying everything I've learned,” she said.
“After graduation, the goal would also be to continue studying and progress onto my PhD with the hope to swap sides and teach one day.”
ENDS
16 August 2024
Photo credit: Sally Tsoutas
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