The official Medical Science thread (2 Viewers)

[jsphn]

All of my friends from MedSc are working in the field right now. I only know one who is still searching for jobs for more than 6 months (I think that's because her marks aren't very good).

I have 1 friend doing cancer research at the Garvan, 1 at Sigma (a chemical company, she answers technical questions from scientists about company products), 1 in sales (selling medical and research equipments), and a few going on to do a PhD.

I only know a small number of people going on to do medicine. People's way of thinking changes over the 3-4 years during their degree and once they experience scientific research first hand.

A medsc degree is an excellent degree to be train to become a scientist. If you like a research career (doing experiments and finding out what this gene does or how to block cell division of a cancer cell, or what do bacteria do to cause disease etc ) then this degree is for you.

I am looking at the med sci course offered by ANU but it isn't accredited by AIMS.. on the other hand, i am thinking if the lab med course offered by RMIT is better as it is accredited by AIMS. can anyone advice me on which is a better choice in terms of job prospects? the courses structure appeared to be very different...

 

[Survivor39]

The UNSW and USyd ones aren't accredited as well. I don't see my friends having trouble finding a job..

It really doesn't matter. High marks + Good experience > accreditation.

I am looking at the med sci course offered by ANU but it isn't accredited by AIMS.. on the other hand, i am thinking if the lab med course offered by RMIT is better as it is accredited by AIMS. can anyone advice me on which is a better choice in terms of job prospects? the courses structure appeared to be very different...

 

[jsphn]

The UNSW and USyd ones aren't accredited as well. I don't see my friends having trouble finding a job..

It really doesn't matter. High marks + Good experience > accreditation.

Thanks for that reply! =) I will have a good think about it.

 

[stolenhotelpen]

All of my friends from MedSc are working in the field right now. I only know one who is still searching for jobs for more than 6 months (I think that's because her marks aren't very good).

I have 1 friend doing cancer research at the Garvan, 1 at Sigma (a chemical company, she answers technical questions from scientists about company products), 1 in sales (selling medical and research equipments), and a few going on to do a PhD.

I only know a small number of people going on to do medicine. People's way of thinking changes over the 3-4 years during their degree and once they experience scientific research first hand.

A medsc degree is an excellent degree to be train to become a scientist. If you like a research career (doing experiments and finding out what this gene does or how to block cell division of a cancer cell, or what do bacteria do to cause disease etc ) then this degree is for you.

I can't comment on the commerce degree but there are PLENTY of threads on this topic. Just note that they are completely different degrees. One is about money, the other is about wanting to know more about the human body in the medical context.

thankyou thankyou thankyou THANKYOU!!!
finally someone just said it straight and simple. i'm applying for undergraduate med science at usyd + macquarie for my 1st and 2nd preferences on tuesday {LOL! tuesday you ask? because i'm getting a bunch of brochures on other potential courses + i need time to talk myself out of the }
THANKYOU!!

 

[spdr20]

CSU and I think only one other MedSc degree in NSW are AIMS accredited, and CSU is only accredited if you do the Pathology strand. Given that only two unis have accreditation and given that most MedSc graduates find employment relatively soon, AIMS isn't a great deal. If anything it just looks good on your resume.

To get into research you don't need AIMS, you just need really good marks and the willingness to maybe do honors/PhD.

Well keep in mind guys if you do a tafe course in laboratory techniques or something together with your udnergrad med sci degree, you get into AIMS. Though, getting into AIMS isnt really necessary like katie tully had said. You only may need it if you want to go into pathology, and thats fairly boring.......

You can also work as hospital scientists (which is what im doing), which is fairly clinical. So keep your mind open and work hard!

 

[A Stone Monkey]

CSU and I think only one other MedSc degree in NSW are AIMS accredited, and CSU is only accredited if you do the Pathology strand. Given that only two unis have accreditation and given that most MedSc graduates find employment relatively soon, AIMS isn't a great deal. If anything it just looks good on your resume.

To get into research you don't need AIMS, you just need really good marks and the willingness to maybe do honors/PhD.

http://www.aims.org.au/c/index.php?page=undergraduate-programs

UTS, and in Biomedical Science (UTS: C10115v7 Bachelor of Biomedical Science - UTS Handbook 2009), not Medical Science (UTS: C10184v5 Bachelor of Medical Science - UTS Handbook 2009); which they also have.

Cut-offs were:
C10115v7 | Bachelor of Biomedical Science | City campus | 85.50 ATAR
C10184v5 | Bachelor of Medical Science | City campus | 88.15 ATAR

Lol.

 

[ValentinesM]

is Medical Science better at USYD or UNSW?
what's the difference?

 

[Survivor39]

To be honest, there isn't that much difference. Pick the campus and the atmosphere you like the best and excel in all your courses.

Try to get as much research experience as you can throughout your undergrad degree (if you want to get into research) and this will make you stand out when you graduate.

Let me know if you like any more help.

 

[katie tully]

Hey Survivor, I'm doing micro tomorrow and it reminded me of you

 

[Survivor39]

oooh.. how sweet!

 

[ValentinesM]

To be honest, there isn't that much difference. Pick the campus and the atmosphere you like the best and excel in all your courses.

Try to get as much research experience as you can throughout your undergrad degree (if you want to get into research) and this will make you stand out when you graduate.

Let me know if you like any more help.

i'm thinking of doing Medical Science next year and hopefully transfer into Medicine. which uni do you know is the easiest to get into, UNSW or USYD?
thanks

 

[Survivor39]

For the Medical Science program or the Medical program?

For Medical Science, both unis have a ATAR/UAI cut off of above 90.

For the Medical Program, only UNSW is offering it at the undergraduate level (entry requirements: ATAR, UMAT and an interview). The Usyd Medical Program is graduate entry only, which means you must have a first degree in any discipline (entry requirements: Good GPA, GAMSAT and an interview).

 

[Dombrovski]

Hey Survivor39,

I was just wondering how you found doing an Honours year; I'm only first year,
but I'm thinking of going for honours at CSU after I finish (provided I meet the criteria)

I'm a little confused about the whole process... after selection, do you just go
"Hmmm I'd like to try examine this" and then go through the scientific process in examining it?

If that makes sense?

Did you find it rewarding? painful?
do you think it was worth it? (I'm guessing yes... because of the PhD you're undertaking but anyway )

 

[Survivor39]

Hi Dombrovski,

The Honours year pretty much works like this:

1. Near the end of your 3rd year, you start to talk to different academics who you wish to be your supervisor for the Honours year. At thi point, you want to establish something: 1) can you work with this supervisor? 2) do you like the research area? (no point working on cancer research which is your supervisor's interest if you want to work on T cells); 3) does the supervisor have the resources to support your project and does he/she thinks you are good enough.

2. Once you got that all sorted out, in your Honours year your supervisor will guide you to work on a research project. For example, to investigate the ability of T cells to produce cytokines (chemical signals) in response to E. coli infection. You read the literature to see what's been done and how it has been done.

3. With the guidance of your supervisor, you will do real lab work to investigate your research question/s. e.g. grow T cells, grow E. coli. Put them together, incubate, measure the level of cytokine response etc --> results --> you then go and make sense of your results.

4. Assessments: presentation, literature reviews, final thesis reporting what you have done.


As you can see, the Honours year is VERY different from the lecture-tutorial-lab format that you would have encountered in your first year and the following 2 years. I hope this is of some help to you. If you are unsure of anything, please ask.

 

[Annyex]

Hey Guys
I'm just wondering, what if you're doing Bachelor of Science
for let's say for a year or two and after want to do a Bachelor of Medical Science?
Can you do that?
Or is there an easier option?

I'm interested in Immunology and Infectious Disease (from Usyd)
Of course these are not in Bachelor of Science, but maybe if you didn't get the right ATAR if you could do what's suggested above?

Thanks heaps!

 

[Survivor39]

Hey Guys
I'm just wondering, what if you're doing Bachelor of Science
for let's say for a year or two and after want to do a Bachelor of Medical Science?
Can you do that?
Or is there an easier option?

Option 1: Transfer from BSc to BMedSc after 1st or 2nd year provided you have obtained good marks.
The question is, why would you bother? Just pick a major within the medical sciences (Option 2). e.g. pick immunology as your major for your BSc (you can major in almost any disciplines in a BSc).

I'm interested in Immunology and Infectious Disease (from Usyd)
Of course these are not in Bachelor of Science, but maybe if you didn't get the right ATAR if you could do what's suggested above?

I think Immunoogy and Infectious disease (Microbiology) is a major available in the BSc program. Please check.

 

[katie tully]

Hey Survivor39,

I was just wondering how you found doing an Honours year; I'm only first year,
but I'm thinking of going for honours at CSU after I finish (provided I meet the criteria)

I'm a little confused about the whole process... after selection, do you just go
"Hmmm I'd like to try examine this" and then go through the scientific process in examining it?

If that makes sense?

Did you find it rewarding? painful?
do you think it was worth it? (I'm guessing yes... because of the PhD you're undertaking but anyway )

Hey Andrew

Best person to chat with if you're thinking of doing Honours is Dr Scott. He's the course coordinator for our degree and has supervised quite a few honours students (not that you have to pick him). I'm not sure how honours works with our degree, because the double degree doesn't have an honours strand but the single MedSc degree does, so you should be able to do honours as part of your medsc strand. Not sure if you can do it after 3rd year, given ours is a 4 year degree and I think even part time honours plus full time fourth year would be a lot.

But you should have worked out by the end of 3rd year which area interests you. I was sure I wanted to do something with haematology until I actually did haematology, and after spending 4 days with Andrea for Micro I'm now seriously considering micro as my favourite contender.

Once you've worked out what you want to investigate, CSU is really good at letting honours students have run of the lab, so long as you don't blow Sutherland labs up again like the last honours student did.

 

[Survivor39]

CSU is really good at letting honours students have run of the lab, so long as you don't blow Sutherland labs up again like the last honours student did.

How did that happen?? Is it due to the bunsen?

 

[katie tully]

How did that happen?? Is it due to the bunsen?

Apparently the labs at that time were really archaic, they're the old agriculture labs and are probably as old as the uni itself. So whatever he was burning with the Bunsen burner got up into the air vents, reacted with something and went *boom*

Pretty much decimated the labs, so they're all shiney and new now.

 

[Dombrovski]

Hi Dombrovski,

The Honours year pretty much works like this:

1. Near the end of your 3rd year, you start to talk to different academics who you wish to be your supervisor for the Honours year. At thi point, you want to establish something: 1) can you work with this supervisor? 2) do you like the research area? (no point working on cancer research which is your supervisor's interest if you want to work on T cells); 3) does the supervisor have the resources to support your project and does he/she thinks you are good enough.

2. Once you got that all sorted out, in your Honours year your supervisor will guide you to work on a research project. For example, to investigate the ability of T cells to produce cytokines (chemical signals) in response to E. coli infection. You read the literature to see what's been done and how it has been done.

3. With the guidance of your supervisor, you will do real lab work to investigate your research question/s. e.g. grow T cells, grow E. coli. Put them together, incubate, measure the level of cytokine response etc --> results --> you then go and make sense of your results.

4. Assessments: presentation, literature reviews, final thesis reporting what you have done.


As you can see, the Honours year is VERY different from the lecture-tutorial-lab format that you would have encountered in your first year and the following 2 years. I hope this is of some help to you. If you are unsure of anything, please ask.

Hey Andrew

Best person to chat with if you're thinking of doing Honours is Dr Scott. He's the course coordinator for our degree and has supervised quite a few honours students (not that you have to pick him). I'm not sure how honours works with our degree, because the double degree doesn't have an honours strand but the single MedSc degree does, so you should be able to do honours as part of your medsc strand. Not sure if you can do it after 3rd year, given ours is a 4 year degree and I think even part time honours plus full time fourth year would be a lot.

But you should have worked out by the end of 3rd year which area interests you. I was sure I wanted to do something with haematology until I actually did haematology, and after spending 4 days with Andrea for Micro I'm now seriously considering micro as my favourite contender.

Once you've worked out what you want to investigate, CSU is really good at letting honours students have run of the lab, so long as you don't blow Sutherland labs up again like the last honours student did.

Thanks for the advice Its nice to have a rough outline of the course, because I always had the idea of entering the honours course and then being turned loose without any major guidance.

I'm already thinking of something micro orientated for further study, as I'm loving it already! (MSE was pretty good btw). Andrea is such an amazing lecturer, she makes the 8am starts worth it! But as yours have, my interests may shift when I move further into the later subjects...

I thought Dr Scott would be the person to ask, but as a first year I'm a little scared that I'll be backhanded for being pompous if I'm asking about it already, having not finished the basic core subjects yet... I mean, currently, my marks have been good, but its a few years away, and quite a lot can happen in that time... and some of the subjects look... scary... protein biochem...!

I like shiny. Shiny is good