Interested in medicine, science, public health or how all of these topics intersect? Maybe you’re thinking about an ANU Health Science degree?
We’ve got you! Whether you’re keen to move into postgraduate medicine, public health or simply gain a detailed understanding of health, we’ve got all the info you need to help you decide if it’s a degree you’d like to pursue.
Keep reading to learn all about it!
What is a Bachelor of Health Science at ANU?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into a Bachelor of Health Science at ANU
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Health Science at ANU?
A Bachelor of Health Science at ANUcovers topics of health, social science and the basics of medicine。It’s a degree thatprovides a well-rounded view of the science behind our bodies, whilst promoting information about the social constructs that affect our health.
You’ll also gain understanding of thepublic policy that backs medicine in Australia.
This broad degree also offers a great advantage to aspiring doctors —each year, up to 30 students will be offered entry into medicine without having to sit the GAMSAT!This will take a lot of stress off as your study progresses.
Honours
Students with a WAM over 70 can study this degree with Honours, which is an additional year of study at the end of the degree. However, this is not a requirement to enter postgrad medicine.
Career Paths
As discussed, this isa course that sets you up for further study。Many students venture into postgraduate degrees once their Bachelor’s degree is completed.
However, there are still some great careers that you can take on right out of study, including:
- Mental health worker (often with further study)
- Wellbeing manager
- Telehealth coach
- Environmental health officer
- Lifestyle coach
- Researcher
Core Units for this Degree
The Bachelor of Health Science is a rather regimented degree, meaningyou’ll be taking on a lot of core units with minimal electives.This may sound daunting, however it assures you’re on the right path for your future.
Units are broken down by levels.Students must complete at least 60 units of 1000-level courses, and 30 units of 3000-level courses。The compulsory subjects include:
First Year
- Biology 2: Molecular and Cell Biology
- Human Biology
- Health in the 21st Century
- Research Methods in Health Sciences
In these first year subjects,students gain an overview of health and biology.
Human Biology gives an overview ofhow we function, with an emphasis on organ systems, infections and immunity.Students then tackle Biology 2, whichbreaks down functioning on a cellular level.
Health subjects in first yearfocus on theories and practice, including identifying a topic for inquiry, reviewing literature and finding gaps in evidence.This is complemented by an understanding of health today.
Second Year
- Health Systems and Policy: An introduction
- Introduction to global health
- 地中海ical Physiology and Pharmacology
- Pathogenesis of Human Disease
Second year is where it starts getting more specific. Studentsstudy two health subjects, which look more at health as a global and social issue.
In Health Systems and Policy, students learn aboutthe World Health Organisation model and the Australian healthcare system.You will also examine the layers that make up such a system, includingfunding, workforce issues, governance and policy process.
This is expanded in Introduction to Global Health, which outlineskey stakeholders in global health and the status of healthcare in other countries.
In Pathogenesis of Human Disease, students deep dive into theunderstanding of illness, including courses of and normal responses to disease。You will also learn aboutmedical theories and ways of giving a clinical diagnosis.
地中海ical Physiology and Pharmacology will teach youkey scientific principles that underpin the function of a healthy body.You’ll be involved in a lot of hands-on laboratories.
Third Year
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
- Professional Practice in Health Science
- Health Promotion Principles and Practice
Third year is really all aboutputting what you’ve learnt into practice and exploring the professions to which your degree could take you。
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthallow students to develop an understanding of issues confronting Indigenous Australia and the solutions that can be found.
In Health Promotions Principles and Practice, studentsgain an overview of factors that influence health in society and how knowledge of these factors can be used to solve problems.Students work within a group to identify an issue and develop a health promotion initiative, with evaluation.
Professional Practice in Health Science, is the capstone subject for this degree, in whichstudents apply their understanding to complex case studies, working on solutions and evaluation.Students develop skills including effective teamwork, self awareness and evidence-based practice.
Whilst completing these compulsory courses,students take on subjects either related to Applications of Health or Pre-Medicine。这些科目可以fo的全面崩溃undhere。
Internships and Work Experience
This degreedoesn’t require students to undertake internships or placements.However, there are a couple of options if you’d like to expand your practical knowledge.
These placements are continually changing, but generally occur during STUVAC in rural places. You can find out morehere。
How to Get into a Bachelor of Health Science at ANU
The minimum ATAR for entry into this degree is 85。However, you will also be assessed on your English language proficiency and your answers to aBachelor of Health Science Supplementary Form。In this form, you will write about your previous achievements, your reason for selecting this course, and any relevant experience.
如果哟u areentering the course straight after Year 12, you’ll also be asked to complete aco-curricular and service requirementdemonstrating your involvement in activities outside the classroom during Year 10-12. This could be sport, work, volunteering and more.
Prerequisites
Whilst there are no formal prerequisites for this degree,some electives do have their own requirements attached.These generally relate to chemistry and maths, which you can find information forhere.
Scholarships
ANU has a variety of health-related scholarships available. TheANU All-Rounder Scholarshipisoffered to students who receive an offer to an undergraduate program and achieve an ATAR of 90 or above。
Other scholarships can be foundhere!
What’s the Teaching Format?
ANU works via semesters, with an Autumn and Spring session each year. Students generally have 8 hours per week per course — that’saround 25 face-to-face hours per week!
Class Structure
Lectures
Lectures average100 people per class, but sometimes climb to 400 for shared science subjects! These classes area great way to learn the theoretical concepts behind subjects in a large teaching setting.
Students learn information that can be extrapolated in smaller classes, later. Lectures are often the time of introduction of a new topic, via the teaching of experts.
Tutorials and Workshops
Tutorials and workshops, which usually have20 to 30 people in a class, arecompulsory。These sessionsrun for 2-3 hoursand are a way toconsolidate all information taught in lectures and readings。
他们是an opportunity to look at experiment results, ask questions about concepts and collaboratewith your class.
Labs
Everyone’s favourite — the practical class! Labs often have100 people broken into smaller groups。These are classes in which peopledesign, evaluate and perform experiments.
他们是very common in science and medicine-based subjects。Labs really let you see different theories in action!
Assessments
As you can see from the subject breakdown,classes are generally split into science, medicine and health classes(with some electives mixed in).
Health/social science classesusually have assessments that are assignment-based and involvewriting, including justifying your rationale for certain kinds of thinking.
Science and medicine classes often have more practical assessments and labs.They generally consist of mid-semester and end of semester exams, with smaller quizzes scattered throughout.
Skills You Refine and Learn
As this degree is a hybrid of science, maths, health and social studies,you’ll develop a broad range of skills.These are honed from class activities, which involve multitasking and working with others.
Some of the skills you will refine include:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Lab skills
- Critical analysis
- Reflection
- Report writing
- Multi-tasking
- Problem solving
- Group work
When you’re in a lab, it’ll be all hands on deck todevelop your science abilities, including designing and drafting of experiments。On an academic level, extended response questions will expand yourwriting skills.This includes evaluation discussion of core concepts.
“Skills stem from the degree being cross-disciplinary.”— Michael Stevens, Bachelor of Health Science III at ANU
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
The Bachelor of Health Science hasa small cohort of only 60 students per year,which gives you a great opportunity to get to know your classmates.
As most people are keen on studying postgraduate medicine, this is a competitive degree.It’s an intimate competition too — you know a lot of your cohort, so naturally you know who you’re up against.
However,students seem to love the vibe of ANU。As an academic university with leading experts and researchers, you know you’ll be in great hands to pursue your Health Science degree.
The Science Society of ANU
TheScience Society of ANU, which is run under the broader banner of ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA), is one you might want to join! This societyaims to foster great friendships among STEM students and provide social opportunities during uni, including pub crawls, sport activities, career talks and activities during National Science Week.
Accessibility Programs
ANU prides itself on being accessible, and as such has a number of programs that are available to new and existing students.
TheANU Access Programis a ten-week intensive course that has a focus on English academic skills. It is ideal for students from an EAL background, or who need to develop key academic skills.
You can also find help throughAccess and Inclusion, whoaim to support ANU students who experience disability, issues of physical access or need special exam arrangements.如果哟u are eligible for help, you may be appointed a DisAbility and Equity Advisor who can help you adjust to ANU life. They may also develop your Education Access Plan.
如果哟u’d just like some general support, including feedback on assignments,you can find student tutors located in the ANU Chifley Library.These are generally older students who have experience in your subject area and are keen to help others learn.
Similarly, you can find Academic Skills help onlinehere,提供给所有注册学生。
Mentoring at ANU
When you commence your study, you can find help from a semester-long mentoring program calledSET4ANU。Here, you can learn more about how to navigate the hefty admin of uni, enrol in courses, find your way around campus and meet other like-minded people. This is a great way to really settle into uni life, right away!
Is a Bachelor of Health Science at ANU sounding like an ideal degree? We hope this article has helped understand exactly what your study experience will be like!
Want to learn about the pros and cons of this degree? Check out our article here!
Lucinda Garbutt-Younghopes to one day be writing for a big-shot newspaper… or maybe just for a friendly magazine in the arts sector. Right now, she is enjoying studying a Bachelor of Public Communication (Public Relations and Journalism) at UTS while she writes on the side. She also loves making coffees for people in her job as a barista, and loves nothing more than a sun shower.
