RURAL ALLIED HEALTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND PRACTICE Gen Health Hamilton accepting students from University campuses across Victoria and South Australia

With
Melanie Roll, Physiotherapist & Director
Gen Health Hamilton, Victoria

Ruby Sulicich, Physiotherapist &
Former Gen Health Hamilton Mentorship Program participant
Gen Health Hamilton, Victoria

AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Hamilton, Victoria  | August 2025

Gen Health Hamilton was established in 2015 in regional and rural Victoria. The practice offers a range of services including physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, exercise science, and group classes such as clinical reformer therapy and clinical Pilates in Hamilton, which has a population of around 10,000. The clinic also serves a wider community within 100 kilometre, reaching rural residents and local industries.

Melanie Roll, a director and physiotherapist at Gen Health, is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of allied health professionals. Gen Health’s support begins with a work experience program for local secondary school students, where they can observe a variety of health services and participate in an annual careers night to explore allied health career pathways.

Upon moving to tertiary education, students are offered placements through a five-week program designed to transition them from observation to supervised practice and ultimately to seeing their own patients. In their final study year, they can apply for the mentorship program, which aids the transition into private practice.

One of these students, now a physiotherapist at Gen Health is Ruby Sulicich, who participated in the Gen Health Mentorship Program. Ms Sulicich shares her experience in the program when she spoke with Australian Health Journal.

For new graduates, Gen Health has created a thorough 12-month program focused on professional development, mentoring, and hands-on learning. Ms Roll spoke to Australian Health Journal on how this pathway has, to date, successfully onboarded seven employees.

The mentorship program also addresses the common concern among university students about the lack of confidence when starting private practice careers. It includes monthly interactive webinars covering clinical management and career preparedness.

Feedback indicates that mentorship students feel significantly more confident about entering the workforce as graduate physiotherapists or podiatrists. This initiative not only fosters student growth but also helps Gen Health attract new talent, showcasing the rewards of a career in rural private practice.

Source: Written by AUDIENCED from transcript

Filming credit: The Social Connection