How was it like to study Medical Laboratory Science at UTAS (University of Tasmania)?
Generally, I found it fun. I really appreciated my time there. I also found it very interesting to study Medical Laboratory Science (which was then named Biomedical Science) at UTAS. More than that, my lecturers were really supportive not only when I was there but after I graduated. I really appreciated their help, and I don’t think many other Australian courses will have such support. But let’s start with the reasons I chose Tasmania as my destination.
Why I chose to study Medical Laboratory Science at UTAS
I applied and received 2 offers from UTAS and UTS. I then chose UTAS over UTS, and yes, there were 2 solid reasons for my decision.
Firstly, UTAS was the best option for me to obtain Permanent Residency.
Having chosen my pathway to study Medicine in Australia, getting PR is essential for me as you can read more here. And to do that, I had to maximise my chances. Particularly, for the occupation of Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), I would say UTAS gave me the best opportunity.
As you might be aware of the Australian skilled immigration process, the first thing one has to obtain is Skill Assessment (SA) for their occupations. With MLS, there are 2 pathways to get SA, which are either having 2 years of experience and passed a SA exam or completing an accredited course**. Of course, I chose the easier pathway of getting a course done. So, both courses at UTAS and UTS were accredited by Australian Institute of Medcial Science (AIMS). If I graduated from either of them, I would be able to get my SA straight away.
However, the important part is that UTAS is in Tasmania. Being a UTAS graduate, I was eligible for Tasmania’s state nomination. And I was able to obtain my PR quickly right after my graduation. I will write more in details about how I got my PR, so subscribe to my website and stay updated!
Secondly, it was more affordable to study Medical Laboratory Science at UTAS!
I got a scholarship at UTAS, but even without the scholarship, the tuition fee was still much cheaper than the one of UTS. Furthermore, the course was run at Launceston campus. Hence, despite the grocery was slightly more expensive in Launceston, the rental rate was much cheaper than in Sydney, obviously.
Some might say it is easier to find jobs in Sydney which would then compensate for their spending. But, for me, achieving the best possible GPA is the most important thing. The reason was that I had to prepare for my medical school application. So, spending too much time to work was not a good plan for me.
In hindsight, choosing UTAS has also saved me lots of money that I would otherwise have had to spend to obtain my PR at the time I graduated. Many of my friends had to spend more time and money to do further courses or to relocate to other states in the hope of getting their PRs.
How was it like to study Medical Laboratory Science at UTAS
Being an international student, deciding where to study was not just about the course content but also the cohort, the atmosphere, the community and job opportunities after graduation. So, let’s talk about all those factors!
The cohort, the atmosphere and the community
MLS at UTAS has had a small cohort. And I had many opportunities to get to know my lecturers as well as to let them know me more. I was not so fascinated about this at first. But in hindsight, I must say it was a substantial factor in my journey later. Particularly, when the lecturers know who I am, I could ask them for reference not just for my job applications but also my medical school application. Furthermore, due to the nature of small cohort, the lecturers also run a Facebook group for students to share and discuss about different Biomed-related topics in an informal way. So, the atmosphere was pretty easy-going for students, and the lecturers were very much approachable.
As mentioned, the course was run in Launceston, a medium town in Tasmania. Despite the fact that there was only a small Vietnamese community, I didn’t find it so difficult to find my traditional food or Vietnamese friends. Moreover, I stayed in the Uni’s accommodation, which was really affordable compared with other Unis. So, I made friends with lots of good international friends. Some might say that there was racism in Launceston. Yes, I encountered racial slurs for 3 times. It was quite uncomfortable, but I don’t think it was a big problem for me. Especially, I still found many Caucasians very friendly and helpful most of the time.
The course content
Being accredited by AIMS, the course at UTAS was highly practical with many practical sessions for each and every real-world units, such as Histopathology, Microbiology, Haematology, and Biochemisty. Unlike other Biomedical Science courses of highly ranked Australian universities, which focus more on doing research, MLS at UTAS prepared students for working in a pathology/hospital lab. For example, I had many practical sessions to do blood films, microbiology tests, histopathological staining as well as Transfusion manual testing. And, although I didn’t like it, I had to take practical exams for those units which made me much more confident when I did my placement. Yes, I had a placement in pathology labs for 3 months, which was really valuable for my job application.
If you are from overseas, you might be wondering what the difference between a pathology lab and a research lab is. Pathology/hospital labs in Australia run all the microbiology, histology and blood tests requested daily by clinicians/doctors. Research labs still run tests but mainly for research purposes instead of daily requested test. This is an important factor that actually affect job opportunities for new graduates.
Job opportunities
Ok, the very important part is here. Job opportunities.
Many students, including the 23-year-old me, felt pressured with the ranking of a Uni and worried that the ranking will affect their job application later. But, if I had a chance to go back, I would just tap my younger self’s shoulder and calm him down. No, the ranking does not matter at all. What matters is what you can do and how you can fit.
As mentioned above, in my final semester, I had a placement in pathology labs. I had a chance to expose myself to the real-world lab and the daily tasks of medical scientists. Although the placement lasted for only 3 months, I got to know what I needed to tell the future employer. Furthermore, after I graduated, one of my supervisors even called me to let me know about their vacancies. I would not say it was easy. It was difficult to get a job in Tasmania. But I would say you have a high chance to get a job, especially when you can get PR quickly after you graduate. Some of my friends even successfully got jobs in other states such as NSW and Victoria.
Extra notes
Some might still feel the pressure to achieve the highly ranked status, I would kindly suggest them to think about what is important in their lives. And I would kindly let them know that the courses of highly ranked Unis are not commonly accredited by AIMS. That means those courses don’t focus on teaching practical knowledge and don’t prepare students for working in pathology labs. They mostly focus on preparing students for medical research or for medicine.
Having said that, I would say MLS at UTAS or any other accredited courses will prepare you enough to do further research in their core units. Those courses, in my opinion, can even better prepare you for medicine. Especially, when I worked in a hospital lab, I gained lots of experiences that have helped me in my medicine course now. Furthermore, if you spend enough time living in regional area like Launceston, you will have an advantage in your medical school application. And I wrote about my medical application here if you want to know more.
In conclusion, I would say studying MLS at UTAS was one of my best decisions. And as always, I hope all the details above would help you make the best decision for yourself!
* Australian Institute of Medical Science
** You can check out the list of current accredited courses of AIMS here.