Stefanos Anastasi loving the career pivot to allied health from management accounting

Stephen spent most of his career as a management accountant. After leaving the corporate world, he started looking for a bit of a “sea change”.

“I was volunteering at Casey Hospital for nearly two years and was assigned to the rehab wards. I was fascinated by the Monash Allied Health team and their ability to restore patient's functionality (to the best of their ability)," says Stephen.

A friend told Stephen about the Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance, so he attended a Chisholm open day. He didn’t really know much about allied health but thought it sounded interesting. It was also a bonus to learn that it was tuition-free as a Free TAFE priority course.

While undertaking the course, Stephen always questioned if he was good enough, but he said the teachers were outstanding and reassuring, and they convinced him he could do it.

The course requires 120 hours of placement, which he did at Holmesglen Private Hospital.

“It was a real eye-opener. Being onsite in sub-acute and rehab wards really helped align everything, where I had many aha moments!”

After graduating in 2023, Chisholm’s Skills and Jobs Centre then helped Stephen prepare for work by helping with his CV and interview prep.

“That was so valuable as I had been out of work for a while. Chisholm really helped guide me to getting a job”.

He then secured a role at Monash Health as part of the Allied Health team.

Stephen has found the profession to be 99% accurate to the course, but a “sea change” the health sector is not!

"It is a challenging field that's always busy. If you enjoy people and want to grow and challenge yourself, then it is for you", he says.

A typical day includes lots of clients and both clinical and non-clinical components. He does some face-to-face therapy and group exercise sessions in the hospital or home visits with allied health professionals.

Stephen said he often conducts baseline tests with new admissions and then compares how patients have progressed before they are discharged. Non-clinical tasks include printing, administration, spreadsheets and other paperwork.

“The medical field is a dynamic, ever-evolving industry that really keeps me engaged and involved," Stephen says.

“To be successful and to remain in the industry relies on good teamwork for development, safety, managing work pressure and guidance.”

Stephen would like to continue in the physiotherapy/exercise physiology or occupational therapy area and is considering doing his Diploma.

“I admire all the professionals and my peers. Believe me, they are all inspirational,” says Stephen.

“My advice to others is simple: I should have done this years ago, but it is never too late.”