Hi there, my name is Chloe and I started the Bachelor of Echocardiography (Cardiac Physiology)/ Graduate Diploma of Echocardiography at the beginning of 2016. At 27 years old I had worked for the better part of 10 years in both retail and aged care/ disability roles. Although I enjoyed caring for people, I decided that I needed a change and wanted more from my career.
I knew that I wanted to work towards a role where I was able to continue to care for people and contribute to their care in what is, for most people, a scary time in their lives. I also wanted a career where I felt challenged and excited academically. After researching, I found the Bachelor of Echocardiography (Cardiac Physiology)/ Graduate Diploma of Echocardiography at CQUniversity Australia, which I felt was the perfect blend of what I wanted out of my studies and also my long-term career goals. At the time I was living in Queensland and found that CQUniversity offered majority of the course by distance education, supported by excellent local campus facilities. This enabled me to continue to work part-time, whilst also completing my studies.
The thing that excited me about this course was that at the conclusion of a four year degree, I would be graduating with both an undergraduate and postgraduate qualification. These qualifications allow you the opportunity to gain accreditation to work in Australia, America, and also Europe in a highly respected, interesting and well paid role. The introduction of this course at CQUniversity has made this career as a qualified Cardiac Sonographer much more accessible and achievable for both school leavers and mature age students with work and family commitments.
Personally, I’ve been fortunate enough to secure a trainee position as a Cardiac Technician working in the public health system. My day-to-day duties include performing Electrocardiograms (ECG) in the Coronary Care Unit, performing stress tests, and applying, removing and processing 24 hour holter monitors. I have had some amazing experiences so far and this position has allowed me to put into practice everything that I’ve learnt so far during this course. It’s so incredibly encouraging (and exciting!) to see that all the Echocardiographers that I work with absolutely love their career, with most of them having worked in the same roles for over 20 years.
The Bachelor of Echocardiography (Cardiac Physiology)/ Graduate Diploma of Echocardiography currently has students studying nation-wide, with the course soon to be offered at CQUniversity’s newest campus in Perth*. Although students are geographically spread out across Australia, we’ve all become quite close and regularly help one another out with study skills, support and encouragement. One of my favourite parts about this course is attending residential schools at CQUniversity Sydney, which always proves to be very informative, fun and sociable.
I have found everyone at CQUni to be extremely helpful and approachable. I’ve also met some amazing like-minded people whom I believe will be friends and colleagues for many years to come. I strongly believe that this degree is going to lead to an amazing career for people like myself who want an exciting and challenging role that blends Science, Health and Patient Care.
I hope that you’re as excited as I am about the career opportunities this degree can bring to you. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing you around campus really soon!
*For information regarding CQUniversity Australia’s expansion into Western Australia, visit www.cqu.edu.au/wa.
> Term 1, 2017 application closing dates for the Bachelor of Echocardiography (Cardiac Physiology)/ Graduate Diploma of Echocardiography do vary. For the latest information, phone 13 27 86 or visit your nearest CQUni location.
