Students get the rhythm at UWS event

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in years 3 and 4 gathered at the University of Western Sydney’s Campbelltown Campus on Tuesday 5 November to explore health and medicine.

‘Heartbeat: get the rhythm’ is part of a series that aims to raise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ awareness of health issues, and inspire some of them to aspire to future careers in the health professions or related fields.

Manager of Schools Engagement at UWS, Anne McLean, says “the students who attended ‘get the rhythm’ took part in their first-ever Heartbeat event.  They will then return to the university each year for different experiences that will build upon the knowledge gained in previous years.”

More than 160 students from 15 schools enjoyed learning through doing and from practical demonstrations conducted by UWS academics, professional staff and students.  At the same time the students got to know the campus and what it’s like to study at university.  

Uncle Ivan Wellington conducted the ‘Welcome to Country’, at 9.45am followed by an informal whole-of group session with Professor Vaughan Macefield, Professor of Integrative Physiology at the UWS School of Medicine.

After that, students were split into groups and rotated through five different activities.  Aboriginal UWS students from medicine, health, science and education-related degrees were the guides for each group.   At the conclusion of each activity the school students answered questions relevant to the activity, using the workbooks they are given in their event showbags.

Activities included:

Plastering. Presented by UWS School of Medicine.  Students were shown how the process of plastering broken limbs is done and had the opportunity to be plastered themselves.

Healthy Food Choices. Presented by UWS School of Science and Health.  Students were provided with the food pyramid chart and given choices of food items to distribute into the segments of the pyramid.

Doctor for a Day. Presented by UWS Medicine students.  Students learnt about doctors and their roles in an interactive session.

Health Care Presented by UWS School of Nursing and Midwifery.  Looking at temperature, pulse rates and washing hands both an observation and interactive session.

Physical Fitness for Life. Presented by UWS School of Science and Health.  Students were provided an overview of the human body and muscle function and then had the opportunity to test their fitness levels.

Schools involved in this year’s ‘Heartbeat: get the rhythm’ are:

Ambarvale Public School

Campbelltown North Public School

Campbelltown Public School

Currans Hill Public School

Dawson Public School

Doonside Public School

Narellan Vale Public School

Riverstone Public School

Robert Townson Public School

Rosemeadow Public School

Sarah Redfern Public School

St Andrews Public School

St Helen’s Park Public School

Whalan Public School

Hebersham Public School

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