Students learn about life beyond biomedicine

Almost 80 Bachelor of Biomedicine students met with alumni at the School’s Careers Roundtable Breakfast to learn about the diverse pathways on offer in 2023, and beyond.

Resilience, mentorship and maintaining peripheral vision were hot topics at today’s Life Beyond Biomedicine event.

Second and third year students heard from Head of School Professor Jenny Wilkinson-Berka, Biomedicine Program Director Associate Professor James Ziogas and eight esteemed alumni, who returned to the University to share their lived experiences and career advice.

The alumni have taken diverse career pathways since completing their undergraduate studies. Attendees heard from professionals now in medicine, medical research, physiotherapy, law, nursing, optometry and biomedical engineering.

Third year student Matthew Hird said the event opened his mind up to the array of career pathways possible after the Bachelor of Biomedicine. “I have been focusing on medicine but I enjoyed meeting Edwin Kwong, who is a research assistant at the Burnet Institute and also studying a Masters of Public Health.

“I am also interested in commerce and was pleased to hear Edwin is focusing on a healthcare economics stream. Today made me realise it is possible to merge your passions as your career evolves.”

Professor Wilkinson-Berka opened the event with some key advice for the undergraduates. “You can never underestimate the importance of mentorship throughout your career,” she said.

“You also have to be resilient in this industry because there will be challenging times, but if you are persistent and ask for help from your mentors, you will keep moving forward to great things.”

A/Prof Ziogas shared his journey from aspiring to become an architect, to learning about the environment and in particular salinity and the impact of salt on the environment, to studying salt in a different form including its impact on human health.

He also encouraged students to take advantage of the School’s location within the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct.

“Networking at events like this allows you to connect with people who have gone before you. You never know who you will meet from across the Precinct and what that encounter might lead to,” he said.

“I encourage you to pause and think about the avenues you might have before you. You might have your eye on a prize, but don’t forget your peripheral vision. If you’re looking in one direction something will pop up – it may be an obstacle, an opportunity or a reason to just take a diversion. Hopefully the conversations that you’ve had today will allow you to reflect on that.”

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