Selection of Major for Medical Science at USYD - ANAT or PHSI? (1 Viewer)

[racheeel]

Hi guys,

I was hoping that you could help give me more information as to what the different majors for medical science at USYD offer... I'm a first year student and I'm hoping to study postgraduate med in the future so I'm trying to direct my major to lead me onto that path. I'm kinda torn between Anatomy & Histology and Physiology and I just can't decide which one to choose.. can anyone tell me the differences between them and what you do in the different units of study - are there any dissections? Which will put me on the path to medicine etc? I suppose which one's harder too? But medicine is a tough one anyway and I guess I have to get right into it to get to where I want to be.

Thanks so much for you help!

Hoping to hear some responses soon

P.S.: I'm also planning to pick up another major in third year - cell pathology. So .. I have to choose one or the other haha thanks again!

 

[LetterNo1]

hey did you end up deciding?

Im doing B sci and was looking into those majors too

 

[lawstu]

Hi guys,

I was hoping that you could help give me more information as to what the different majors for medical science at USYD offer... I'm a first year student and I'm hoping to study postgraduate med in the future so I'm trying to direct my major to lead me onto that path.

Grad.

To do postgraduate (further) medicine, you first need to have a medical degree.

I'm kinda torn between Anatomy & Histology and Physiology and I just can't decide which one to choose..

Do whatever interests you or what best works for you. If medicine does not work out, would you be happy to do tech work or research (with some or all that those entail)?

Briefly but not precisely, anatomy is gross anatomy, the study of macroscopic structure of the human body. Histology or microanatomy is the study of microscopic structures of the human body, generally assisted by staining. Physiology is the study of function of the human body, how things work together.

can anyone tell me the differences between them and what you do in the different units of study

Please refer to the course guide, handbook, or whatever it's called.

- are there any dissections?

No.

Only in third year (I've lost track of time, so I don't remember as precisely) could prospective surgeons or anatomists undertake Anatomy by Full-/Whole-Body Dissection. First year provided the opportunity to do a prosection course.

In undergraduate science, those that do anatomy may undertake the prosection workshop and may compete in the prosection competition (but only once). B.Sc.(Adv.) can dissect head/neck, as can dental students.

Which will put me on the path to medicine etc?

Both / neither. If you can get in, you can get it; if you can't, you can't. I don't know how it could any simpler.

I suppose which one's harder too?

Depends.

How is brain wired and how quickly can it rewire?

But medicine is a tough one anyway and I guess I have to get right into it to get to where I want to be.

Sorry?

P.S.: I'm also planning to pick up another major in third year - cell pathology. So .. I have to choose one or the other haha thanks again!

Pathology is probably not a good major to do. I can't tell you too much but it's messy and not really good for your future. In any case, you'll learn pathology properly in medical school. You could relearn content (a tiny fraction) but why do that?

The reality is if you don't get into medical school, what then? You're basically 'stuck' with a Bachelor of Science degree. You could do an Honours year. You could work.

Ask, as appropriate, Uni and Faculties (Science and Medicine)/Schools/Departments/Disciplines questions. Do your own research and readings. Think about it and sleep on it before thinking more about it.

If you want to do science stuff or a little employable, you probably should have a good grounding in molecular and cellular stuff. If you do medicine at USyd, they'll hose you with anatomy anyway (because of this and beside this, the course is still improving; that is to say, it's not very good but at least you graduate with the ability to practise medicine). Many of the medical students complain about difficulties with anatomy, and doing a major in anatomy will not give you a leg up. If you enjoy anatomy and you're a quick study, however, do it. The level of gross anatomy is nothing, at least in comparison to doing a Ph.D. in anatomy or imaging.


A word of warning: USyd's pretty awful with making things clear, especially its policies (e.g., grading, progression), or known but you should be asking them for further details. They are your higher education provider after all. Not to make you feel too entitled, but you are paying them for an education.

hey did you end up deciding?

Im doing B sci and was looking into those majors too

The above brutal truths are for you too.

School of Molecular Biosciences is where you want to be. You may not like rote learning of concepts and may prefer rote learning of discrete facts (unless you're in med, where things are integrated or better integrated), but the future is molecular. Immunology is a growing field and Aussies have contributed in big ways to it, and molecular biology and biochemistry underpins it. New knowledge is mostly in elucidating mechanisms by which this does that, and many of the techniques that researchers use, although really old and rough, are molecular (e.g., WB, other blotting). An education and some labwork in chemistry (analytical, bioinorganic, almost anything) and informatics (especially with 'Big Data') could be helpful too.

 

[LetterNo1]

Thanks for that,

Gives me a lot to think about...

 

[Xt]

Since you want to do graduate medicine you should consider majoring in anatomy, especially if you want to become a surgeon or radiologist. The anatomy in medicine is pretty superficial imo, nothing compared to what 3rd year anatomy majors do!

 

[lawstu]

Since you want to do graduate medicine you should consider majoring in anatomy, especially if you want to become a surgeon or radiologist. The anatomy in medicine is pretty superficial imo, nothing compared to what 3rd year anatomy majors do!

I disagree in the strongest of terms. If you wholly intent on becoming a surgeon or radiologist, do Honours and a Ph.D. in anatomy or something while teaching. Then, do med school. Alternatively, do med school and simply do well, then choose this if that's what life has in store for you.

From experience, undergrad anatomy is an utter joke, second only to med school anatomy. However, you must realise that one's interests, passions, goals, and dreams may change, as can any number of things. Throughout your medical education, you will come into contact with mentors, and you will become more informed about the specialties. I realised that surgery might suit my personality, but that the lifestyle and the fact that I would have to stand for extensive durations meant that I probably should not become a surgeon.

If you're realistic and pragmatic, you enter med school with an open mind and, destroying each assessment that comes your way and dying along the way, you leave with options and some semblance of professional competence and ability to do some stuff.


Biomedical science degrees are more or less useless from what I understand from studies and students and friends. More than even B.A.s, Medical Science graduates do something completely unrelated to what they studied, and none of their education, including reading, report writing or communicating, etc., is utile to their career or jobs.

If you do an anatomy major, try to think about your future for a second. In some respects, it's no less Regency era and self-indulgent than studying philosophy if that grad medicine pathway does not work out.

Indeed, anatomy can land you a job but don't expect to find one that is entirely related to it or even your degree. (You could have probably done any other degree to become, say, a medical receptionist or teacher. Of course, you wouldn't necessarily have the knowledge you gained from these studies into the biomedical sciences.) The one main related thing to anatomy is research, which is still conducted.

Most individuals determined to do medical school who do not take a year to do research. While this gives some insight into research and you could like it, note that this is a year less and has opportunity and real costs (if you're absolutely sure of yourself). If you know that you have no interest in doing an Honours year, which could prime you for a Master's or Ph.D., seriously, for your own sake, take a long and hard think about doing anatomy and sleep on all of your information from your own due diligence and other researches.

I have known too many students and friends who cried a thousand nights for having undertaken anatomy and not made it into a med school.

Good luck.