Pre-professional Education Programs
All our professionals at Canberra City Health Network (CCHN) are enthusiastic about contributing to the education of the next generation of allied health professionals. We find many benefits in strengthening the knowledge shared by our team. It not only keeps us up-to-date with changes in the pre-professional curricula, it ultimately improves the quality of patient care.
Our aim for education programs at CCHN is twofold. To offer our highly reputable clinical education programs to enrolled Australian and international students while leading research into clinical education undertaken in private practice.
Our clinical education programs are led by fully qualified educators and offered to enrolled Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologists, Dietitians and Massage Therapists.
The team is headed up by Dr BJ Field (Osteopath), as Director of Clinical Education Programs, in partnership with Consultant Clinical Education Specialist and researcher Dr Keri Moore, PhD. Some of the CCHN clinical staff are working towards formal post-graduate qualifications in Clinical Education and other clinical staff act as student preceptor.
The clinical training programs offered by CCHN reflect best practice in clinical education. Our recent publication explains our approach:
Moore K & Field BJ. (2016) Enhancing clinical education in the private practice setting: A case study in osteopathy. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.
All our Osteopathic student programs are aligned with the Australasian Osteopathic Accreditation Council’s Accreditation Standards for Osteopaths July 2016. All CCHN placements are also underpinned by the Australian Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency which specifies what it expects during Clinical Education events.
CCHN offers three levels of education to assist enrolled students with the transition to practice.
Transition to practice lectures
Presented and facilitated by Dr BJ Field these 3-hour events are conducted in Melbourne and the Gold Coast at regular intervals. Please send an email to for the next date.
Onsite programs
We offer two onsite programs, each tailored to the students’ learning needs. Both programs are offered at both CCHN locations.
Our Student Observation Program provides students with an opportunity to observe any of our registered health practitioners in action. These are a fantastic opportunity to learn about inter-professional health care and clinic management. Working under the direction of the Director of Clinical Education and their student preceptor, you have the opportunity to explore the scope of practice, clinical procedures and clinical reasoning of the different health professions.
Our Student Placement Program provides an opportunity for senior student osteopaths to practice the full gamut of their clinical skills as outlined in their universities policy. Using our specifically designed feedback forms, developed from clinical education literature, we can offer feedback on your clinical skills, clinical reasoning and decision-making.
How to apply
To apply for either onsite program email the CCHN Clinical Education Manager.
In the email please provide your name, your discipline, your university (or college) and indicate which program you are interested in. You must also provide your contact phone number and the dates you wish to come to CCHN. We will contact you by phone to discuss your interest.