UQ UQ Medicine: Undergraduate Degree Options and Discussion

[esl]

Obligatory don’t do BBiomedSci

If you want to do biomed do BSci and major in biomed. Gives you all the same options but also a lot more elective spots to choose

Thanks! I chose health sciences anyone else?

 

[AM74]

Thanks! I chose health sciences anyone else?

Pharmacy

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Pharmacy

I know it’s not as important when you‘re on the provisional path, and the background I do have (clinical psychology) has been hugely helpful, but pharmacy or physio are such good groundings for med, in my opinion.

 

[marie104]

I know it’s not as important when you‘re on the provisional path, and the background I do have (clinical psychology) has been hugely helpful, but pharmacy or physio are such good groundings for med, in my opinion.

what do you think about nursing?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

what do you think about nursing?

There’s not actually anyone in my cohort from that background, so I’m less sure, personally, because I’ve no idea what the nursing curriculum is like, sorry. The non-standards in my year are a very, very tiny minority. I’d imagine aspects of nursing are also hugely beneficial. Especially anything that brings you face to face with patients and builds your communication skills, as they’re so much harder to ‘study’ for, and experience goes a long way.

 

[esprioas]

If there are any current UQ sci/biomed students on here who would be able to help me with this question, that would be amazing!:

I currently can't decide on doing both BIOC2000 and BIOL2200 for this semester. I definitely want to do BIOM2402 (pharmacology) in sem 2 (which requires at least one of them and 2200 is already compulsory), I just can't really tell whether BIOC2000 is additionally useful (for both 2402 and med later on). Would doing them both be too much work/content (along with BIOM2011 and BIOM2020)?

 

[dotwingz]

Entering 3rd year biomed this year. BIOM2402 is the best course ive sat at UQ. Very difficult, but i really loved it and am doing BIOM3401 (next step up from BIOM2402 because i loved it so much)

Now. to answer your question. I found neither BIOL2200 or BIOC2000 valuable for BIOM2402 or just in general, UQ doesnt enforce prereqs so you will still be able to do the course.

Alot of the biomed students fall into the trap where they max out their biomed subjects because 1st year is pretty easy (lets be real, 1020 and 1040 was a walk in the park) - but 2nd year gets very hard, I struggled alot doing biom2020/biom2011/biol2200/bioc2000 at the same time...

BIOC courses are in general pretty awfully run, long boring lectures and its impossible to figure out what you need to know. The only real good thing about them is they basically all went open book exams like 2 years ago but didnt actually change the exams so the final exams got super easy. But in BIOC2000 the labs are boring and unhelpful, the course is hard, not because the content is difficult its just really poorly taught, and its just a massive headache.

I did bioc3006 this sem just passed and it was the exact same issue, that being said it is one of the easier 3rd year biomed courses, so realistically the only benefit I see from doing bioc2000 is doing bioc3006 haha - but also I had plenty of friends who didnt do bioc2000 and they did just fine with *minimal* extra effort to catch up

 

[esprioas]

Entering 3rd year biomed this year. BIOM2402 is the best course ive sat at UQ. Very difficult, but i really loved it and am doing BIOM3401 (next step up from BIOM2402 because i loved it so much)

Now. to answer your question. I found neither BIOL2200 or BIOC2000 valuable for BIOM2402 or just in general, UQ doesnt enforce prereqs so you will still be able to do the course.

Alot of the biomed students fall into the trap where they max out their biomed subjects because 1st year is pretty easy (lets be real, 1020 and 1040 was a walk in the park) - but 2nd year gets very hard, I struggled alot doing biom2020/biom2011/biol2200/bioc2000 at the same time...

BIOC courses are in general pretty awfully run, long boring lectures and its impossible to figure out what you need to know. The only real good thing about them is they basically all went open book exams like 2 years ago but didnt actually change the exams so the final exams got super easy. But in BIOC2000 the labs are boring and unhelpful, the course is hard, not because the content is difficult its just really poorly taught, and its just a massive headache.

I did bioc3006 this sem just passed and it was the exact same issue, that being said it is one of the easier 3rd year biomed courses, so realistically the only benefit I see from doing bioc2000 is doing bioc3006 haha - but also I had plenty of friends who didnt do bioc2000 and they did just fine with *minimal* extra effort to catch up

Thanks so much, that is really helpful! Think I will leave bioc2000 haha!

 

[DanielG28]

Hey everyone.
A little background info about me:
I just graduated in 2021 with a 99.90 ATAR and 3160 UCAT which gained me provisional entry in UQ med. I have decided to do engineering (honours) as my undergraduate degree, because engineering has always been of interest to me and i am hoping that i can use the engineering skills i learn in my medical career through potentially becoming a surgeon (e.g. orthopaedic surgeon) and then being apart of or leading team in the design and integration of new biomedical technology into the medical field. As a surgeon and engineer i would be able to give both medical and engineering advice when making the biomedical technology - with this duel specialisation also potentially giving me unique insigns into the medical and biomedical engineering fields.
My questions:
1. Do you think that this career plan where i can be a surgeon and also use engineering on the side is possible?
2. if this is possible what engineering specialty would be most useful to have as a surgeon? Like would i be more useful to be a mechanical, electrical or chemical engineer?

 

[Scrivo_72]

Hey everyone.
A little background info about me:
I just graduated in 2021 with a 99.90 ATAR and 3160 UCAT which gained me provisional entry in UQ med. I have decided to do engineering (honours) as my undergraduate degree, because engineering has always been of interest to me and i am hoping that i can use the engineering skills i learn in my medical career through potentially becoming a surgeon (e.g. orthopaedic surgeon) and then being apart of or leading team in the design and integration of new biomedical technology into the medical field. As a surgeon and engineer i would be able to give both medical and engineering advice when making the biomedical technology - with this duel specialisation also potentially giving me unique insigns into the medical and biomedical engineering fields.
My questions:
1. Do you think that this career plan where i can be a surgeon and also use engineering on the side is possible?
2. if this is possible what engineering specialty would be most useful to have as a surgeon? Like would i be more useful to be a mechanical, electrical or chemical engineer?

Biomedical engineering could be an idea, I know for like Max Fax’s they use biomedical engineers to make the implants and I think with biomedical engineering you could be involved in the process of designing prosthesis’s. However, I think the hospital already designs them so your work with designing prosthesis won’t directly impact your orthopaedic work.

 

[DanielG28]

Biomedical engineering could be an idea, I know for like Max Fax’s they use biomedical engineers to make the implants and I think with biomedical engineering you could be involved in the process of designing prosthesis’s. However, I think the hospital already designs them so your work with designing prosthesis won’t directly impact your orthopaedic work.

i'm planning on doing a biomedical engineering major just not sure what specialty i should do. Do you think i would be able to utilise my engineering skills when i'm also acting as a doctor - like through maybe helping in the design and integration process of biomedical technology into the medical field?

 

[Person]

i'm planning on doing a biomedical engineering major just not sure what specialty i should do. Do you think i would be able to utilise my engineering skills when i'm also acting as a doctor - like through maybe helping in the design and integration process of biomedical technology into the medical field?

Its pretty unlikely those skills will get to be applied directly to what you do as the doctor, as your work is mostly gonna be with the patient themselves rather than the equipment. I guess it would be helpful to have an understanding of the equipment and machinery used in the procedures for yourself. The designing and integration is left to the actual biomedical engineers working for the technology companies. I am not sure whether there would be an instance where a someone would just hire one person to do both jobs - seems unlikely, and likely not very easy.

Also, i hope you have considered that by picking engineering as your undergrad adds one extra year compared to the standard 3 year bachelors degree such as science, biomed, etc.

 

[dotwingz]

Maybe not as a clinician but there is definetely room (and money) for technology outside medicine

As someone who did Biomed and CompSci as an undergrad I can say that i definetely don’t regret the choice and it opens up doors for you outside medicine, which you may find valuable. Engineering adds an extra year to the program so as long as you understand that it should be good.

 

[DanielG28]

I am pretty happy to study for that extra year for 3 reasons
1. It allows me to be 100% that medicine is truly the right field for me
2. It helps me build problem solving skills and can potentially give me a unique perspective on both medical and biomedical problems
3. I could potential be able to use both my surgical/medical skills and engineering skills to make/be part of my own biomedical start up company which really interests me

 

[Crow]

Sounds very reasonable, DanielG28.

All the best!

 

[dotwingz]

I agree with Crow. Sounds like you’ve given it good though.

 

[Tomato]

Engineering adds an extra year to the program so as long as you understand that it should be good.

To my knowledge, many uni's engineering courses (including UQ's) have 3 yrs bachelor of engineering + 2yrs master of engineering. If study engineering as the first degree for provisional MD, do they have to just study the bachelor of engineering or the 5 yr combination?

 

[dotwingz]

From what I understand it’s only UniMelb that does that. UQ is a 4 year bachelors

 

[Gofigure]

To my knowledge, many uni's engineering courses (including UQ's) have 3 yrs bachelor of engineering + 2yrs master of engineering. If study engineering as the first degree for provisional MD, do they have to just study the bachelor of engineering or the 5 yr combination?

UQ's engineering degree is technically a Bachelor Honours degree (AQF level 8) not a Bachelor's degree (AQF level 7) hence taking 4 years to complete.

 

[Tomato]

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Master of Engineering - 717111 - QTAC

As part of the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering program, you’ll be challenged to push the boundaries of the discipline while you develop high-level skills in critical and analytical thinking, research design and project management, and graduate fully prepared for the...

www.qtac.edu.au

The above link is the UQ's Bachelor of Engineering/Master of Engineering info from QTAC. Maybe you guys are correct. That 3 yrs bachelor cannot be a stand alone degree (i.e. must combined with the masters)