South Australian students increasingly want to study health-related fields at university

The popularity of reality television shows could be behind a surge in South Australian applications to study health-related courses at university — but experts warn students there may be a bitter pill to swallow.

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The popularity of reality television shows could be behind a surge in South Australian applications to study health-related courses at university — but experts warn students there may be a bitter pill to swallow.

News Corp Australia asked universities across the country what their most popular degree courses were for 2019 (based on the number of first preference applications) and what new courses had been introduced in response to demand and anticipation of future employment needs.

At Adelaide University, health-related studies dominated its top 10 most-requested courses with medicine and surgery topping the list.

Nursing was the second-most popular choice while dental surgery was fourth and Health and Medical Sciences came in at number six.

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It marked a similar trend at other Australian universities with degrees in health-related courses topping first preferences at most institutions.

Paramedicine courses are among the health degrees which have grown dramatically in popularity in recent years, with the possibility of starting professional work shortly after graduation in the burgeoning health sector.

However, the Australian Paramedics Association (APA) told News Corp increasing numbers of Australian graduates were looking overseas, and especially to London, to find work as there were not enough jobs here.

The glut of paramedic graduates follows the rise in popularity of reality emergency TV series such as Ambulance Australia and Paramedics, and their international equivalents.

The shows typically feature ambulance officers racing to accidents and emergencies with lights and sirens, as well as assisting the elderly, children and disabled with compassion and care, in often tear-jerking scenes.

Chief Executive Officer of Ambulance Victoria Associate Professor Tony Walker said the popular series Paramedics shone a positive light on the work of ambulance officers and it was not surprising many young people were keen to pursue a career in the field.

“However, we are seeing more people are qualifying than we have jobs available and having a degree does not always guarantee you a job as a paramedic,” he said.

The popular reality TV series Paramedics.

At Australian Catholic University (ACU) — which has campuses in Adelaide, Melbourne, Ballarat, North Sydney, Strathfield, Brisbane and Canberra and more than 35,000 students nationally — paramedicine has gone from being its 8th most popular course five years ago to its second most popular selection, behind nursing, this year.

Acting Provost Professor Michelle Campbell said the demand for university courses at ACU reflected workforce needs.

The Federal Government’s Employment Outlook to May 2023 prediced the health care sector would continue to make the biggest contribution to employment growth across Australia over the next five years.

“Our students are choosing degrees that give them experience in the field, access to state-of-the art facilities and the opportunity to work with industry partners. This is why they have such a high rate of employment when they finish university, with more than 90 per cent finding a job within four months of graduating,” Prof. Campbell said.

Adelaide University

2019 — most popular university courses

1. Medicine & Surgery

2. Nursing

3. Law

4. Dental Surgery

5. Veterinary Bioscience

6. Arts

7. Health and Medical Sciences

8. Psychological Science

9. Criminology

10. Commerce