La Trobe program fosters regional dentistry students

La Trobe University is making it more achievable for regional and rural year 12 students to qualify for its high-demand dentistry course.

This program rewards rural and regional dentistry students from the Ararat region with bonus ATAR points, 12.5 off the 99 point entry score, work placement and a grant of at least $1000 to study overseas.

East Grampians Health Service dentist Dominic Barlow said the La Trobe University initiative is wonderful.

“This will make it easier for rural students to study dentistry,” Dr Barlow said.

“I had to go to Adelaide University because my score was not high enough for me to study in Victoria.”

Dr Barlow grew up in Shepparton.

East Grampians Health Service chief executive Nick Bush said it is very important that rural students are accepted into the La Trobe University Dental Course.

“This is because we know that rural students are two and half times more likely to go on to practice rurally,” Mr Bush said.

“Rural Victoria’s public dental practices continue to have workforce shortages and we need to resolve this.”

For Adelaide Annand in Bendigo, the university’s unique Regional Reward was instrumental in getting her over the course’s high ATAR line. Adelaide is now almost one year into the five-year Bachelor Heath Science and Dentistry, Master of Dentistry course, thanks in part to the Regional Reward.

Adelaide earnt herself an ATAR of 90.1. That, coupled with the bonus points, comfortably got her into dentistry.

For more information on the Regional Reward, visit the La Trobe webpage http://www.latrobe.edu.au/study/regional-reward