Why do research at the Department of Surgery, Austin Health?
Supervision
top of pageEach student is assigned at least two supervisors from amongst the full time scientists and academic surgical staff. In addition each student is also assigned a mentor from the doctoral students. The Honours co-ordinators are available at any time. Formal meetings between supervisors and students are scheduled each week and all supervisors are easily approachable on a daily basis. Specific meetings for each of the four research groups occur each week where students and staff meet together as a group. In addition weekly laboratory meetings, student presentations and lecture series where all students and staff participate provide further avenues for discussion and problem solving.
Scholarships & Travel Bursaries
top of pageStudents who have completed Honours in our department and have enrolled in doctoral courses have been very successful in receiving scholarships, in particular APA, NHMRC and Australian Rotary scholarships. Scholarships for PhD students are also available through the Bladin Scholarship fund. RHD students are encouraged and supported to attend both national and international conferences. This provides opportunities to present their work as well as network with their peers. A travel bursary supports travel to such conferences for selected students.
Environment
top of pageThe Department of Surgery at Austin Health presents a unique environment where basic sciences and clinical medicine intersect. This provides excellent opportunities for basic science, clinical and translational research. The presence of international RHD students and post-doctoral fellows from both the science and surgical backgrounds further enriches the environment. The opportunity to participate in national and international collaborative research adds greatly to the experience.
Facilities and Resources
top of page The Department in particular and Austin Health in general provide students with excellent facilities and close supervision by dedicated staff members. The University of Melbourne has established infrastructure guidelines on PhD candidature for departments, supervisors and candidates, and seeks to continually improve supervision and academic support. Each student is provided with a work station in one of the student offices where high speed internet access is provided through The University of Melbourne network along with IT support for student laptop computers. All software applications available to students at the Parkville campus are also available in the department. All essential laboratory facilities are provided on site. This includes facilities for animal surgery, animal holding and breeding, molecular biology, HPLC, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Immunohistochemistry, Tissue culture and In vivo confocal
imaging. The facilities and resources available for research students within this department are detailed in Department of Surgery Research Resources Summary.
Location
top of pageThe Department of Surgery is located on Level 8 of the Lance Townsend building within Austin Health next to the Austin & Mercy Tower Complexes. Entry is from Burgundy Street or Studley Road which is just across the road from Heidelberg station. It is also just 20 minutes by car or 30 mins by train/tram from the University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus.
Outcomes and Opportunities Available After Honours
top of pageThe ultimate quality and character of any research program is reflected in the achievements of the participants. Although this program is relatively new, the majority of previous students have achieved excellent scores, with most being awarded first class Honours degrees. Honours graduates obtain skills and qualifications which can lead to Research Higher Degrees such as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Master of Science (MSc) by research. An Honours degree is also a strong entry point into careers in science, medical research and industry.
Postgraduate employment
top of pageOne of the major benefits of completing an honours degree is that it enhances the postgraduate employment prospects. Analysis of the UOM graduate destinations for students completing Honours compared with a three year science degree has demonstrated that students are significantly more likely to gain employment that is related to their field of study if they have completed the additional Honours year. Approximately 70% – 80% of University of Melbourne students who complete an honours year gain employment within the first year. The greater exposure to the research process, additional knowledge and wider experiences of Honours graduates are attractive to employers. The honours year helps develop skills that employers seek such as time and project management, communication skills and experience in oral presentations.
Work closely with senior researchers
top of pageStudents will have the opportunity to work with internationally recognised leaders in their fields of research. They will gain insight into the research process through observing leading researchers and postgraduate students up close and gain from their advice as they pursue their own careers in research.
Entry to Reserach Higher Degree
top of pageOne third of students who complete an honours year go on to enrol for research higher degrees. The majority of students who go along this path usually continue their honours research project to greater detail in their higher degree. This is also the preferred pathway for students entering research higher degrees for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
High degree of student satisfaction
top of pageStudent satisfaction for the honours course is due to a combination of the quality of project, the laboratory environment and the relationship with the supervisors. The honours courses consistently produce the highest degree of satisfaction amongst students compared to all other undergraduate and post graduate research courses.