WELCOME TO THE START OF A SERIES CALLED TIPS & SNIPS. The first part of my upcoming blogs will include tips and stuff I would’ve personally loved to know when I was in high school and the second part of my upcoming blogs will focus on snippets of my life right now.

This week and last week I’ve had three mid-term tests thrown at me from all directions! This past fortnight, those doing biomed have been living in constant dread and those doing health sci just want to cry. Today…I will be answering one of the most philosophical questions ever asked: BIOMED OR HEALTH SCI?

THE BASICS

 

 

 

The rank scores and subject requirements. You can check the table A and B subjects here. If you need any help to reach your full potential in your final year, here are some resources that saved my life last year:

For Maths: Nayland MathsStatistics Learning Centre

For Sciences: NobraintoosmallBestchoice Chemistry, Pass Biology

For everything: Learn Coach, StudyTime, Studyit

BREAKING IT DOWN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myth: Health Sci is more chill / easier than Biomed

There are four core Papers (in green above) which are common between BOTH biomed and health sci. Then there is your gen-ed paper which you get to choose. There are 3 different, non-core papers (in yellow above) between the two courses. The courses are very similar in the first year (differing by just 3 papers!), so of course health sci is by no means easier than biomed. The only difference between those three non-core papers is that the health sci non-cores are more english-based while the biomed non-cores are more science-based. You can search any of these courses up on the Uni website to find out more about them 🙂

*By the way, all the papers in each course listed above are for those intending to apply for medicine, pharmacy or optometry. If you want to do a BSc majoring in Biomed or BHSc with no intention to apply for any of these, then there is much more flexibility in choosing your papers.

What the heck is a Gen-Ed?

A gen-ed is a paper that gives you the opportunity to learn something new outside of the field you are studying. The range of Gen-eds are so diverse – from arts to commerce to law to languages!  For both biomed and health sci, you can choose a gen-ed from here or here.

*Make sure it’s offered in Sem 2 by clicking on it, as this is when you have to take it

PATHWAYS TO EXCITING PLACES

What makes both Biomed and Healthsci pretty interesting is that not only can they lead to their respective degrees but they also open up heaps of other pathways! Both can lead to medicine or pharmacy, but only biomed can lead to optometry. For pharmacy, you can also apply after doing a first year BSc in other majors like Medicinal Chemistry, Food Science, Nutrition and Pharmacology.

What if I don’t wanna apply for Med/Pharm/Optom?

I understand that not everyone is doing biomed or health sci as a pathway to something else. While the first years of both courses are very similar, it is the next two years where you really get to really differentiate. Health Science becomes more focused on population health whereas Biomed is more focused on medical-based science. You can always do biomed or health sci first year and switch to the other (or many other BSc majors!) in the second year by cross crediting your papers, so nothing you have completed is a waste of time! The great thing about Uni is how flexible it is.

SO…WHY DID I DO BIOMED?

Personally, I didn’t do Health Sci…because I couldn’t get in! I didn’t do table A subject in my final year. I also really enjoy physics and the physics paper in biomed, which is not in health sci, appealed to me. Also I hate writing essays, and biomed has no essays or assignments 😛

Still not sure? Just apply for both Health Science and Biomed because when University offers roll round in January next year, you may have changed your mind. You can apply here!

SNIPPETS OF LIFE

I’ll keep this fortnight’s snips short and sweet because my blog ended up being super duper loooong.

Have any burning questions? Leave a comment 🙂 Happy decision making!