IRC channel turnout in this thread.
You can do exchange in biomed, just in limited semesters. Biomed is also much better for socializing and meeting people because it's a core subject based course, whereas the thousand people in science are off doing half a dozen pathways and stuff. In biomed you'll have the same lectures with the same people always.
Few will choose Science over Biomedicine (those who are contemplating PG health sciences), the latter confers no advantage in admission to post graduate courses which is why its puzzling. Pride goeth before the fall eh? Although many seem to cope well in general (not some I know). Im not sure what to say about that last point of yours.
It's not puzzling at all, people choose biomedicine because it's a better course for those who are interested in the health sciences. Also because prestige, but the first part is still true.
Interested in health sciences so much so that they would choose a course which can potentially damage their chances to enter an actual health science course not just one where some lame applications of theory are thrown together to make it seem so much more appealing along with 'medicine' in the title?
EDIT:I'm certainly not complaining though, just an observation..
Don't be naive.
I've heard that the BBiomed fees are higher than BSc. Not sure if this is true though.
Only for some subjects. The difference is negligible when you compare it to the total fees paid.
Biomed obviously doesn't ruin anyones chances at getting into PG health science courses. I haven't done it myself but perhaps Russ can confirm that it covers much more biomedical sciences compared to a normal Science course and covers a broad range of disciplines and issues in the healthcare profession - probably gives a much better stepping stone to MD. If I could go back I would have done biomed instead. The BSc is a very broad degree and wasn't able to cover other topics such as Pharmacology and Pathology.
Yeah pretty much, it very definitely supports the melbourne model idea of "know something about everything and everything about something".
By the same token, this is a 3rd year BBioMed friend who said this to me, and it's influenced me to riddle that I'd do better in a BBioMed course.
I have a BBiomed degree and in third year you will spend more time in the presence of science students than just biomed students. That's not to say there won't be pressure on you, but I never found myself to be competing against other students in 3rd year for marks in our core subjects. There is a general sense of competition all throughout the degree, but it's never particularly cutthroat or overt.