Abigail has always dreamt of being a GP in a rural community.
She’s never wanted to move into the city. She has no interest in being part of what she sees as the hustle and bustle of city life.
But having grown up in a rural area, she’s also experienced the unfortunate challenges of accessing healthcare outside Australia’s major cities – like enduring ‘ridiculously long’ waiting times, or having to choose between your personal boundaries and healthcare because there’s no female GPs available.
That’s a big part of why she’s studying La Trobe’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical). Taught on our Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga campuses, the degree allows her to experience the latest medical and scientific technologies while remaining close to home.
‘This new science facility is equipped with everything we could need,” she says of Bendigo’s high-tech anatomy labs. “Instead of using an actual cadaver, we can use virtual reality to be able to learn from that and to have really in-depth, hands-on experience.’
La Trobe has invested over $500 million in advanced science learning and research facilities, and our research is rated well above world standard in 15 different scientific fields.1
For Abigail, this means she’s building the most up-to-the-minute skills and expertise – and it means that she’s preparing to tackle a real-world problem that affects communities just like hers.
‘With this degree from La Trobe, I’ll definitely be able to make a positive impact in my community,’ she says.
‘I will have been equipped with the skills that I need. I will be leaving with confidence that what I have learnt is applicable, and that what I’ve learned is relevant, and that I’m going to be able to succeed.’
Want to help solve the world’s most pressing problems? Discover our science degrees.
1. Australian Research Council, 2019, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Outcomes 2018
