The Student Experience

Jennifer Langford

"Through the program, I deepened my understanding of the ethical considerations that underpin clinical practice, while developing strong academic and communication skills that complement my clinical training. I feel very grateful because it has opened so many doors for my future and helped set me up for a career as both a clinician and researcher." Find out more here.

"While Honours can be challenging at times, especially during thesis writing, it’s an incredibly rewarding experience. You’re surrounded by supervisors, peers, and mentors who genuinely want to see you succeed. My advice to future students is to embrace the process, stay curious, and make the most of every opportunity to learn. You’ll finish the year with far more confidence, knowledge, and skills than you could ever anticipate."

"These experiences have been instrumental in shaping my scientific thinking and technical capabilities. This year has been invaluable for both personal and professional growth. It has strengthened my passion for research and gastroenterology, opened doors for future opportunities, and helped me refine my lab and scientific writing skills. For students considering Honours, I’d suggest focusing on what you want to learn, rather than fixating on a specific topic. I’m incredibly grateful to my supervisors for their support and can’t overstate the importance of finding a good mentor."

Zeineb Abbaci

"This journey taught me that even the best evidence doesn’t mean much if it never reaches the bedside, and that’s exactly where implementation science comes in. This year pushed me to think differently, see the bigger picture of healthcare change, and develop skills I’m genuinely excited to carry forward. If you’re thinking about Honours, I’d say choose a project that excites and intimidates you in equal measure. The best kind of learning rarely feels just easy, and that’s what makes it worth doing."

Shogo Trevena

"I completed my BMedSc(Hons) after wanting a change from clinical medicine following a busy year 4C. The academic process of conducting research demanded critical thinking and specific skills beyond what I had needed to call on so far in my medical training. While challenging, the overall process was satisfying and rewarding, and I can say that I would not have developed many of these skills otherwise. The year also provided me with an extended and unique exposure to anaesthesia, reinforcing my interest in the specialty as a potential future career path."

"Research always had a mysterious air about it, and whilst we have a bit of exposure throughout the course, I thought it best to dive headfirst into an honours year to truly understand what it’s all about. From learning how to read the literature, write a protocol, submit ethics (and revisions), interact with consumer advocates, create a survey on Qualtrics, trawl through electronic medical records, code using R to perform all my own statistics, present my findings, and write a thesis, I have learned so many invaluable skills this year that have strengthened my understanding of how to conduct research. It is a steep learning curve, but a rewarding one."

“I couldn't have wished for a better year. Taking a break from medical school to immerse myself in research not only refreshed my passion for medicine but also inspired me to pursue a future as a clinician-scientist. I had the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in both wet lab and bioinformatics research while also shadowing my supervisors in a clinical setting. As an international student, this exposure to the Australian healthcare system was incredibly insightful. This year has truly broadened my perspective and reinforced my passion for both research and medicine.”

“My honours research year was an intense but incredibly rewarding journey. At the start, I felt excited and nervous about diving into research, unsure of what to expect but eager to discover. The first few months were challenging, as I grappled with analysing the existing literature and narrowing down my research question.”. Find out more from Sam's profile.

“Initially, I didn’t have much idea of what the Honours year involved but past students gave me the 101 of what to look for in a project – that it had ethics approval, the supervisor had a successful track record with past Honours students and the project was going ahead. I was also focused on the skills and networking that would come out of the project I chose.” Find out more from Tash's profile.