AUSTRALIA’S only post-graduate agricultural health and medicine course for professionals servicing farming communities is now open for scholarship opportunities, with applications closing October 31.

Entering its eighth year, the scholarship program aims to create the next generation of agricultural and health leaders who understand cross-sector collaboration and can make a difference in rural communities.

This year one scholarship is also earmarked for a person currently engaged in agriculture and/or a member of a farming family.

The course is hosted at Hamilton in western Victoria through the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) from February 27 2017, as part of Deakin University’s intensive five-day Agricultural Health and Medicine unit HMF701.

The course covers a broad range of agricultural health, safety and wellbeing issues ranging from mental illness and addiction through to emergency medicine, agrichemicals and agricultural trauma. The HMF701 unit has also been accredited for professional development points in areas of medicine, veterinary science, social work and nursing.

The HMF701 unit has been accredited for professional development points through selected colleges and associations, with some health professionals eligible to become AgriSafe™ providers. It can be completed as a stand-alone course.

HMF701 has no prerequisites and is available to all postgraduate-level students or interested professionals from agricultural, education, policy or health backgrounds.

For more information about Agricultural Health and Medicine and how you can get involved, contact Dr Jacquie Cotton, Lecturer Rural Health at NCFH on 03 5551 8533 or visit http://www.farmerhealth.org.au/page/education/what-is-hmf701 for further information. Course details are also available at http://www.deakin.edu.au

Source: National Centre for Farmer Health.