• Charles Sturt collaborates with BreastScreen Australia to offer specialised placement opportunities to radiography students
• Students learn specialised techniques that will help fill shortages of mammographers in regional NSW

Charles Sturt University and BreastScreen Australia have partnered to give final-year radiography students an optional two-week clinical placement.

The students are gaining insights into the technical, clinical and interpersonal skills required in mammography, working alongside experienced mammographers.

Ms Jess Phegan’s (pictured, above) mum was a sonographer and it is what inspired her to study a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiography) in the Charles Sturt School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences in Wagga Wagga.

Ms Phegan recently completed a placement with BreastScreen Australia  and learned a range of techniques and increased her knowledge of radiography.

She values all the placements she completed at Charles Sturt but said her placement with BreastScreen Australia gave her insight into a field she did not think she would get exposure to until after graduation.

“I was able to practice not only communicating with patients but also positioning and imaging for the mammograms,” she said.

“I feel like I have been given a headstart after this placement as I have developed skills that most other students would not have. I have gained experience while picking up tips and techniques from each of these mammographers.”

Both of Ms Katerina Reynolds’ (pictured, below) parents were radiographers and it inspired her to pursue her own career in health. She is also in her final year of a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiography) in Wagga Wagga.

Ms Reynolds said radiography is a great mix of ‘biology, anatomy, bits of chemistry, but the main thing I think for me is working with people’.

“It feels like I’ve gotten a headstart at thinking about specialising in modalities as I’ve been lucky enough to have spent time in most now,” she said.

“I hadn’t really thought of BreastScreen as something I’d be particularly interested in prior to this placement, which was why I was so keen to have a look as a student.

“My mind has definitely changed now as I have a much better understanding of what’s involved.”

From 2023 to 2024, BreastScreen Australia screened more than 1.9 million women aged 50 to 74, which is more than half of the Australian population in this demographic.

Approximately 17,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Australia, while about one in eight Australian women will develop breast cancer by age 85.

Associate Professor in Medical Imaging with the Charles Sturt School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences Kelly Bentley-Spuur said partnering with BreastScreen Australia offers students valuable experience.

“This is an important opportunity because undergraduate students may otherwise have limited exposure to breast imaging during their undergraduate clinical education,” Professor Bentley-Spuur said.

“The placement allows them to have a dedicated experience in mammography, rather than encountering it only briefly on placement or learning about it in the classroom.

“Inspiring students to consider a career in mammography is important to address current BreastScreen workforce shortages.

Both Ms Phegan and Ms Reynolds will complete their studies in 2026 and graduate in 2027.