Meet Our Talent
Meet Dan
Dan's interests are in clinical and research science and he has applied for the MD at Melbourne.
"My plan was to complete a Masters/PhD after graduating from Biomedicine – and I’m still hoping to do this but am completing the MD first, in order to pursue my career as a clinician-scientist." he says.
Here's what Dan had to say about his undergraduate experience.
What are the fun aspects of studying at UniMelb?
The events, student societies and sports clubs. Things like my involvement with the student magazine Farago where I have been able follow my hobby of creating and sharing art.
The best thing about BBMED is that we do a lot of subjects together throughout the degree – and this gives more opportunities to make friends.
What was your transition to UniMelb like?
The transition was a bit of a shock - moving from Adelaide to a city as large as Melbourne, without the comforts of living at home. It was initially quite difficult.
I came from a cohort of 20 at high school and my first lectures at uni definitely made me feel like a small fish in a big pond – where everyone seemed smarter, more driven and more focused on exactly what they wanted to do. I was hugely stressed in the first year – knowing I had to compete with my peers for the select number of MD places, whilst feeling unsure of exactly what I wanted to do. I had to dedicate time to think it through, talk with friends, older students who I had connected with and to arrive at the mindset that has helped me to be successful in my studies.
Why is the School – and the biomedical precinct – a great place to study?
With my interest in researching, the biomedical precinct was what attracted me to Melbourne. The number of hospitals, medical research institutes and biotechnology organizations is impressive. The scope of the quality of research output, receiving lectures from world leading researchers and clinicians has really made me realise how special this precinct is. Many of these labs, and their research interests are the only one of their kind in Australia, and only one of a few in the world.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Approach each day with no expectation, and be adaptable – adapt your mindset but also be adaptable to the new challenges that you will be presented with. You can't control what is going to happen in life, you can only ever control your reactions to what happens…
Dan is also involved in the The UniMelb Student Life Podcast: exploring the misconceptions, realities, and developments in careers for our MDHS students, all through the scope of the UniMelb Peer Mentoring and Academic Advising mentoring programs.