Your thoughts on this decision?

[hobbitle]

Hi AN,

I'm in 1st year B Science at UniMelb.  I started it with the intention of doing Bioengineering Systems but since then I have discovered :

1) The career prospects in Biomedical Engineering are awful
2) I'm interested in cancer/human disease/immunology research-type stuff.  Bettering the lives of people with terminal illnesses is my focus.

Here are a few more facts:

3) I'm not interested in being a GP or a surgeon.  Perhaps a specialist of some kind (oncologist?) though.
4) I love the hands-on and innovation aspects of Engineering.
5) I've never had lab experience so don't know what that life is like.
6) Engineering pathway is 5 years (but probably requires PhD, so maybe 8 ); MD pathway 7 years.  I'm 26 now.
7) No guarantee I will get past the GAMSAT/Interview process, potentially extending the whole shebang even more.  Masters of Eng is guaranteed.

In my study plan, I have 3 'free' subjects at Level 2 to take (pre-requisite determining obviously).

Here's the question.

Do I take the 3 MD prerequisite subjects during my undergrad (and watering down the Engineering component)
OR
Do I take 3 more engineering-relevant subjects to try and strengthen my Biomedical Engineering prospects.

Go.

[thushan]

Hi AN,

I'm in 1st year B Science at UniMelb.  I started it with the intention of doing Bioengineering Systems but since then I have discovered :

1) The career prospects in Biomedical Engineering are awful
2) I'm interested in cancer/human disease/immunology research-type stuff.  Bettering the lives of people with terminal illnesses is my focus.

Here are a few more facts:

3) I'm not interested in being a GP or a surgeon.  Perhaps a specialist of some kind (oncologist?) though.
4) I love the hands-on and innovation aspects of Engineering.
5) I've never had lab experience so don't know what that life is like.
6) Engineering pathway is 5 years (but probably requires PhD, so maybe 8 ); MD pathway 7 years.  I'm 26 now.
7) No guarantee I will get past the GAMSAT/Interview process, potentially extending the whole shebang even more.  Masters of Eng is guaranteed.

In my study plan, I have 3 'free' subjects at Level 2 to take (pre-requisite determining obviously).

Here's the question.

Do I take the 3 MD prerequisite subjects during my undergrad (and watering down the Engineering component)
OR
Do I take 3 more engineering-relevant subjects to try and strengthen my Biomedical Engineering prospects.

Go.

Keep in mind that you don't have to take the engineering subjects to get into the Master of Engineering; the engineering subjects just mean that you can do the masters in 2 years (so total 5). If you don't take the engineering subjects, then the masters is 3 years.

I recommend doing the medicine prereqs and if you decide to do engineering, you can still do it except it will be 6 years not 5.

[simpak]

Do some second year Biomedical Science subjects!  Lab stuff is hands on!  That's why I suck at my lab stuff

[mc1316]

Hi AN,

I'm in 1st year B Science at UniMelb.  I started it with the intention of doing Bioengineering Systems but since then I have discovered :

1) The career prospects in Biomedical Engineering are awful
2) I'm interested in cancer/human disease/immunology research-type stuff.  Bettering the lives of people with terminal illnesses is my focus.

Here are a few more facts:

3) I'm not interested in being a GP or a surgeon.  Perhaps a specialist of some kind (oncologist?) though.
4) I love the hands-on and innovation aspects of Engineering.
5) I've never had lab experience so don't know what that life is like.
6) Engineering pathway is 5 years (but probably requires PhD, so maybe 8 ); MD pathway 7 years.  I'm 26 now.
7) No guarantee I will get past the GAMSAT/Interview process, potentially extending the whole shebang even more.  Masters of Eng is guaranteed.

In my study plan, I have 3 'free' subjects at Level 2 to take (pre-requisite determining obviously).

Here's the question.

Do I take the 3 MD prerequisite subjects during my undergrad (and watering down the Engineering component)
OR
Do I take 3 more engineering-relevant subjects to try and strengthen my Biomedical Engineering prospects.

Go.

Could you please post your timetable, I am sure you have tried all options, but I always like messing around with timetables. So please post it so I can have a try.

[hobbitle]

Could you please post your timetable, I am sure you have tried all options, but I always like messing around with timetables. So please post it so I can have a try.

I assume you mean Study Plan...



2013 (First Year)   
Sem 1   
BIOL10004 Biology of Cells & Organism
MAST10005 Calculus 1

Sem 2   
Genetics & Evolution of Life
Calculus 2
ESD 2
Linear Algebra

2014 (Second Year)
Sem 1
Fundamentals of Chemistry
Engineering Computation
GENE20001 Principles of Genetics

Sem 2
Chemistry 2
Engineering Mathematics
Human Physiology (MEDICINE)
Principles of Human Structure (MEDICINE)

2015 (Third Year)
Sem 1
Fundamentals of Biosignals* (M)
Biomechanics & Biotransport* (M)
BIOM30003 Biomed Science Research Project*
OR
NEUR30003 Principles of Neuroscience*

Sem 2
Human & Medical Genetics** (M)
Biosystems Design** (M)
Biocellular Systems Engineering** (M)
BCMB20002*/** Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (MEDICINE)


M indicates subjects for the Bioengineering Major
MEDICINE are the three medicine prerequisites.

The question is whether I should do the three MEDICINE subjects or replace them with stronger Engineering subjects (like Engineering Mathematics etc).

[thushan]

Check my post above Nicola

[Starlight]

Just a heads up nicola_a, you are probably aware but it will be important to work hard in fundamentals of chemistry if you wish to progress onto chemistry 2. They look at your marks and waive the prerequisite of chemistry 1 provided your score is H1. (I got in with an 80 but it could be higher now though).

[mc1316]

I assume you mean Study Plan...



2013 (First Year)   
Sem 1   
BIOL10004 Biology of Cells & Organism
MAST10005 Calculus 1

Sem 2   
Genetics & Evolution of Life
Calculus 2
ESD 2
Linear Algebra

2014 (Second Year)
Sem 1
Fundamentals of Chemistry
Engineering Computation
GENE20001 Principles of Genetics

Sem 2
Chemistry 2
Engineering Mathematics
Human Physiology (MEDICINE)
Principles of Human Structure (MEDICINE)

2015 (Third Year)
Sem 1
Fundamentals of Biosignals* (M)
Biomechanics & Biotransport* (M)
BIOM30003 Biomed Science Research Project*
OR
NEUR30003 Principles of Neuroscience*

Sem 2
Human & Medical Genetics** (M)
Biosystems Design** (M)
Biocellular Systems Engineering** (M)
BCMB20002*/** Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (MEDICINE)


M indicates subjects for the Bioengineering Major
MEDICINE are the three medicine prerequisites.

The question is whether I should do the three MEDICINE subjects or replace them with stronger Engineering subjects (like Engineering Mathematics etc).

In my opinion you should do the medicine prerequisites. You are not really watering down engineering too much by adding the three subjects. Additionally your entry into engineering is not affected by you doing the three med prerequisites. I don't think you will be missing out on any engineering, if you were engineering would have their own prerequisites and they obviously don't. After a three year masters of engineering I highly doubt you will have regrets that you didn't do a couple extra engineering subjects in your undergraduate degree. Also it goes without saying after you finish your BSc you open yourself up to more opportunities if you do the med subjects. Thats just my opinion.

Also I don't get the gaps in the timetable you gave (above), are they like breadth? Plus the two genetics subjects are not required for bioengineering major, you could drop them? Also, don't you need chemistry 1 to do BMEN30007 Biocellular Systems Engineering, or does chemistry fundamentals work for it?

[hobbitle]

Check my post above Nicola

Hi thushan, thanks, I can take both the Biomedical Eng major subjects and the MD prerequisites though; so either way I should be able to do the 2 year Masters. 
I could actually enter the 3 year Eng Masters next year, but I will be missing a lot of prerequisites for Level 3 and Level 9 (postgrad) subjects I want to do if I skip straight there.

Just a heads up nicola_a, you are probably aware but it will be important to work hard in fundamentals of chemistry if you wish to progress onto chemistry 2. They look at your marks and waive the prerequisite of chemistry 1 provided your score is H1. (I got in with an 80 but it could be higher now though).

Thanks El, yeah I knew this, I'm kind of banking on getting that H1 - I know it's perhaps silly to do so but I think I can do it, I'm already studying intro chem. It puts my whole study plan out if I cant complete Chemistry 2 by the end of next year (and taking it over Summer means I have too many Level 1 subjects) so I just need to do it.  I messed up my first year subject choices by not taking Fundamentals of Chemistry straight up, there was a reason but it's boring and complicated.  Basically I changed my mind on some things.

Also I don't get the gaps in the timetable you gave (above), are they like breadth? Plus the two genetics subjects are not required for bioengineering major, you could drop them? Also, don't you need chemistry 1 to do BMEN30007 Biocellular Systems Engineering, or does chemistry fundamentals work for it?

Hey mc, thanks for looking through that so thoroughly.  I think you are right in your opinion about taking the Med prerequisites.  It won't really affect my Engineering skills much if I do decide to do the Masters of Eng. 
There are only 20 subjects listed, yes, the other 4 blanks are breadth - I got 6 breadth credits and rescinded 2 of them because I wanted to take more science subjects.  I already have a Bachelor degree, hence the credit.
I know that the Genetics subjects are not necessary for the major (accidentally marked it with an M in previous post) but I really want to take Human & Medical Genetics (interest in cancer and genetic diseases) and for that I need to have taken the Level 2 prerequisite also, so that's why that is there.
Yes you need Chem 1 to do BMEN30007 but Andrea O'Connor said that Fundamentals would be OK.  By then I should hopefully have done Chemistry 2 anyway (fingers crossed) so that'll be more than enough.

On that note, has anyone taken Fundamentals of Chemistry?  How hard IS it?  Say, I don't know, compared to first year Biology?  Or first year Maths (Calc 1/2, Linear Alg).  I know its very dependant on the individual but we all know some subjects are pretty universally harder than others.

Thanks all for your thoughts and assistance.  It's so easy to miss things like prerequisites in the study plan, too.

[Starlight]

Thanks El, yeah I knew this, I'm kind of banking on getting that H1 - I know it's perhaps silly to do so but I think I can do it

If I could get a H1 then you can. As long as you practice all the questions from the lectures, tutorials and textbook there's no reason why you can't get a H1! They have a learning centre in the chem building where you can go to ask questions to the tutors on help

[hobbitle]

If I could get a H1 then you can. As long as you practice all the questions from the lectures, tutorials and textbook there's no reason why you can't get a H1! They have a learning centre in the chem building where you can go to ask questions to the tutors on help

Haha, thanks for the tips.  I will wait to see my results from this semester to see what kind of marks I tend to average.  I got two H1s last semester but only was taking two (relatively easy) subjects.  The fact that the Fundamentals exam is 'only' 65% is good (better than 80%, damn Maths subjects)....