More regional and rural students are choosing La Trobe University to study dental and oral health courses in Bendigo, according to the latest enrolment data.
Nearly 80 per cent of the dentistry cohort in 2024 are students from a regional postcode - a stark contrast from just 13 per cent five years earlier. While most students are from Bendigo and Shepparton regions, 25 per cent of the cohort are from locations outside Victoria, stretching as far as the Northern Territory.
In response to the increased demand and growing workforce pressures, La Trobe is spending $21 million to redevelop the dentistry labs into state-of-the-art facilities.
The new dentistry and oral health pre-clinical teaching facilities will be relocated from the Flora Hill campus to the Rural Health School's clinical teaching building on Arnold Street. Students will benefit from the transformed space, adjacent to Bendigo Health, from mid next year.
Professor Jane Mills, Dean of La Trobe's Rural Health School and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Health Innovation, said the new dentistry and oral health facility would boast 80 simulation units and 16 dental chairs. In addition, La Trobe is investing in advanced radiology and digital denture-making equipment.
"This redevelopment will bring the dentistry and oral health teaching facilities and lab spaces in line with contemporary clinical environments and provide students with an immersive and realistic experience where they will acquire job-ready skills and increased employability," Professor Mills said.
"This is an exciting redevelopment that is part of the University's $190 million investment across all of our campuses to improve the quality and capacity of our health education facilities."
Associate Professor Santosh Kumar Tadakamadla, Dentistry and Oral Health Discipline Lead, said the University's investment aligned with technological advances in the field.
"Through training in our state-of-the-art facilities, our students will be practice-ready by the time they graduate and able to adapt to the ever-evolving profession," Associate Professor Tadakamadla said.
"Students who study in regional areas are more likely to practice in those regions, alleviating dental workforce shortages in rural Victoria and Australia."
Originally from Colac, Cristiana Deocampo graduated with a Bachelor of Oral Health Science from La Trobe's Bendigo campus in 2016. She worked in a general practice at Castlemaine and at an orthodontic clinic in both Geelong and Colac, before deciding to refine her skills with a Bachelor of Dental Science.
"Returning to La Trobe to continue my learning journey and expand my scope within the dental field has truly been a rewarding experience," Cristiana said.
"The teaching and lab staff in the Rural Health School are so supportive and help foster a student-focused learning environment."
The fourth-year student has loved studying in Bendigo so much that she decided to relocate for good, purchasing a home and even convincing her mother to make the move up north as well.
"I'm enjoying the clinical placements and being able to put the theoretical knowledge we've gained into practice. The mentorship from highly experienced clinical educators has been invaluable in transitioning from simulated environments to real-world practice," Cristiana said.
"Campus life is fantastic and Bendigo doesn't leave you wanting for much."
