The inaugural Aboriginal Careers in Health Expo provided some 200 students from across the Mid North Coast the chance to explore the various opportunities within the health sector.

Paramedics and nurses were on hand demonstrating how to take blood pressure, perform CPR and there was even an elaborate Midwifery training display, complete with mother and child dummies. 

Another display allowed students to examine their cheek cells and mouth bacteria under a microscope.

Lecturer from UNSW Matt Clemson explained that it allowed the students to see the type of swab that might go to a pathologist for analysis.

Aboriginal workforce manager Helene Jones said Mid North Coast Health District worked collaboratively with key stakeholders, including many of the state’s universities and local Aboriginal services to pull together a day of hands-on activities, experiences and yarn-ups with real professionals.

"They're all interactive activities," she said. 

"We have Matthew Head, our Aboriginal dentist.

"Matt's going to teach the kids how to give someone a filling.

"Kids can see what it's like to be a midwife and we have the simulation mum that gives birth to a baby.

"We have all the gear here so the students can do some resuscitation.

"Hopefully kids will go away with more knowledge about health, but more importantly consider those jobs.

"Mid North Coast Local Health district has a target of five per cent for Aboriginal Workforce, so basically we want at least one in twenty of all our staff to be Aboriginal, and we have to grow our own.

"The only way we are going to fill those positions is if we invest in our youth."

Mid North Coast Health Governing Board Member Professor Gail Whiteford said it was a chance for the kids to hear the stories of healthcare professionals and receive important learnings about their journeys.

"There's a great saying in the careers' space, and that is, you can't be what you can't see," professor Whiteford said.

"What that means is you need exposure to the different careers in order to get a sense of what they are and how you might get there.

"What we're doing is providing an exposure to the diversity of careers in health and that's everything from nursing, midwifery, allied health, medicine, for the young Aboriginal people here today, so they get a sense of what they might be in the future."

Mackillop College year 11 student Naomi Dalli said she would love to work in medicine and was encouraged by the number of course options available.

"It's been a real eye-opener," Naomi said.

"There is more options and pathways to get there than I thought.”