Meet Carlton’s Newest Intern Osteopath
Rachel Longchar
Rachel is a final year osteopathy student at RMIT University who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) from the University of Melbourne (2006) and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Monash University (2009).
Her extensive experience in the promotion of healthy living and post-accident and trauma rehabilitation stems from her various professional roles as sports trainer, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre caseworker, community development worker and community rehabilitation worker in adolescent mental health among others.
She is currently dedicating the final few months of her osteopathic training to further expanding her skillset. This includes work in geriatric care as part of a placement at an aged care facility in Victoria along with an overseas placement treating patients from marginalised backgrounds in Indonesia.
Rachel finds herself in the unique position of being a practitioner who has extensive experience being a patient herself, following injuries she sustained in an accident. This accident required multiple surgery and several years of rehabilitation involving a team of GPs, surgeons, exercise physiologists, physiotherapists and osteopaths. As such, she genuinely understands the emotional, mental and physical toll taken by the process towards recovery and is well placed to offer informed and caring guidance to support and empower her patients.
It is also via that chance encounter with the field of osteopathy that she decided to undertake the five year training to become an osteopath herself. Her approach to this field is anchored in scientific rigour, clear and honest communication with her patients, and the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles for all. Rachel has also completed further training in dry needling and myofascial cupping.
In her spare time Rachel enjoys sleeping for nine hours every night, reading and learning about everything and anything (from astronomy to zoology), experimenting semi-successfully with cooking by mixing in obscure ingredients, spotting wildlife and identifying random plants and flowers whilst hiking, traveling to new and exciting destinations to expand her cultural horizons, and desperately trying to learn a second language.
