University: Curtin University

Degree: Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Pharmacology (specialising in Microbiology), Minor in Corporate Governance

School Subjects: Mathematics Methods, Chemistry, Human Biology, English, Engineering Studies, Economics

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After high school, I knew I wanted to work in the health field, but I was not sure in what career. This uncertainty led me into the Bachelor of Advanced Biomedical Sciences (Honours) course, purely due to it having an introductory physics unit in first year.

Biomedical Science

First year introduced me to a variety of foundation medical units, such as biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and optics. I did optics for the first time in PHYS1006, which became my favourite out of all the first-year units (second being biochem). I didn’t enjoy anatomy, especially ISAP (HUMB1001), and knew that I wouldn’t enjoy a career that would involve intensely memorising human body parts. If you do enjoy rote memorising from Human Biology ATAR or HUMB1001, there is a good chance that you’ll continue to do the Human Biomedicine major and enjoy it.

Having done these foundational units, I realised optics was what intrigued me and decided to work towards getting into the Doctor of Optometry (OD) postgraduate course at UWA. To do so, I course-switched to second-year Biomedical Science, which had a very similar first-year structure to Advanced Biomedical Sciences. I chose to major in Pharmacology as not only did I like biochemistry, but also because it’s a prerequisite for Optometry. I chose to specialise (minor) in Microbiology, purely due to it also being a prerequisite, and corporate governance to have a nice change of pace from all the medical units.

Like most people, I found the jump from first to second year to be the biggest. The workload and depth of knowledge significantly increase, so I highly recommend building strong study skills and working out what works best for you in first year. Third year got easier, maybe due to a more realistic expectation as well as improved organisation and time management. This year focuses heavily on developing research and practical skills, in preparation for honours.

Pharmacology at Curtin is still a new major (roughly three years old as of 2025). As such, the course can feel a bit disorganised and chaotic, but the knowledge and practical skills obtained are worth it. Luckily, the lecturers are all passionate about teaching the content and really do wish you the very best in your exams and future. This major also provides you the opportunity to develop networks, preparing you for a career in Pharmacology.

For Microbiology, the theory component was sound, but at times I didn’t find it as engaging as Pharmacology. But the practical parts were a lot of fun and educational. The technology at Curtin is top-notch, and they make you complete intensive research. If you are interested in a career in medical research, then Curtin is the right university for you.

Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance is a specialisation consisting of mostly law units. Despite not doing Politics and Law ATAR (and not particularly enjoying it in general prior to Year 11), I surprisingly found myself really enjoying studying for it. The workload wasn’t as intense as the other biomedical units and assessments mainly revolved around law essays. Picking up Corporate Governance led me to consider doing Juris Doctor (JD) as postgraduate study.

What I found useful to determine whether JD or OD, I volunteered at a community legal centre. The people there were the sweetest people, and I genuinely enjoyed volunteering there. However, there were many shifts where I felt drained afterwards as a lot of it involved talking and listening, which yes, you do as an optometrist, but to a lesser extent. In law firms, you don’t finish when the clock hits 5pm but when you get the work done, which can lead to very long and strenuous hours. Plus, as I had done the prerequisite for it, I decided to continue on with OD.

Advice for Future University Students

If you’re in school and are stressed about selecting which degree to pick, just don’t worry about it. It is nowhere near as deep as you think it is, as course switching and second-guessing what postgraduate degree to pursue is natural and very common among university students. If anything, switching degrees/majors will lead to better outcomes as you’re moving towards a career that genuinely makes you excited.