Five speech pathology students from Griffith to take on jobs with Queensland Health

Griffith’s Master of Speech Pathology department is delighted following the amazing success of five of its graduating students who are set to take on jobs with Queensland Health.

The Master of Speech Pathology program at Griffith is relatively new, having launched in 2012, and now its second student cohort is about to graduate.

“We had great success last year in the Queensland Health new graduate position round. Out of 6 speech pathology positions, our students gained three of these, which delighted us as a new program,” says discipline head Associate Professor Elizabeth Cardell from the Griffith Health Institute.

“These positions are highly competitive and much sought after by graduating students from all speech pathology programs.”

“This year, five new graduate positions were offered including Gold Coast University Hospital, the Gold Coast Child Development and Behaviour Service, Logan Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

“We are thrilled that this year, our students were successful in being offered all five positions. It also shows that our program is achieving its aims in providing high quality, work-ready graduates for the speech pathology sector.”

Second year Master of Speech Pathology student Jodie Connolly is set to begin a one-year full time position at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane early next year.

“It was a tough interview process but I am so thrilled to have got a position in the Brain Injury and Rehabilitation Unit at the hospital,” says Jodie.

“I am not sure exactly what all my responsibilities will entail yet but I will be assisting people with brain injuries with their swallowing and communication difficulties.”

She says the Griffith program has been very beneficial in providing a framework for real life work.

“We were provided with a high level of clinical and theory work, as well as diverse previous placement opportunities, so this next step will really be an extension of that,” she says.