Sophie Clare

Bachelor of Science graduate, Sophie Clare, talks about her time at Melbourne and what drew her to major in Pathology.

Sophie Clare

Every time I come to the University of Melbourne I immediately feel comforted and energised by being a part of such a stimulating environment. It really is contagious. You know that all around you, new discoveries are constantly being made, and it is inspiring to be at the forefront of such progress. By being challenged and exposed to new ideas, you certainly feel like you are growing a lot intellectually.

Initially I decided upon studying science as I’ve always had a keen interest in human biology and psychology and enjoyed studying in an analytical, logical and critical way. Being such an all-encompassing course, studying a BSc allowed me to keep my options open and to explore my broad interests. Over the years I was lucky enough to study lots of engaging and stimulating arts subjects – namely gender studies, French and history.

I was drawn to major in pathology because it incorporated a lot of aspects of science, like anatomy and biochemistry, under its main umbrella of disease. The third-year pathology research subject was a nice conclusion to three years of undergraduate science and allowed me to spend a semester in a biomedical laboratory studying a specific project. It was eye-opening to gain a taste of everyday life inside a real living and breathing lab, and was a great primer for my honours studies the year after.

Don’t be too worried about trying to plan everything out to a tee. Often you find that your interests will change, so be open to new directions and see where the path will lead you. One of the exciting things about undergrad is that you can test the waters and explore around for what best suits you.

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