Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours)

While completing fourth year in 2021, I discovered an Honours research project that was the perfect combination of my interests – rural medicine, women’s health, and improving access to healthcare in rural areas. After meeting the supervisors I decided to go ahead with the project.

My project looked into identifying the breastfeeding support services that are available to women in regional/rural Gippsland. I have researched the many complications that a breastfeeding woman may experience, and interviewed mothers and clinicians from Gippsland to better understand the existing support services and the barriers to accessing these.

Undertaking this research, I really enjoyed learning more about my topic (breastfeeding) and meeting a great number of health professionals who are passionate about supporting breastfeeding. My two supervisors were very experienced researchers and I was well supported through weekly meetings and frequent email communication.

The experience developed my ability to find relevant research papers and critically appraise these. Also, I improved my academic writing and ability to refine an important issue into a succinct summary. I appreciated the opportunity to understand the career pathways of the doctors I spoke with, and I hope to do further study or research in breastfeeding.

I would advise prospective students to consider their strengths and weaknesses, and the topics that interest them. I feel that I had a positive experience since I was passionate about my topic, and it suited my skill set.

Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours)