Prepare for a career in health or biomed by getting hands on in these RMIT facilities

Prepare for a career in health or biomed by getting hands on in these RMIT facilities

RMIT’s cutting-edge facilities are equipped to give you the skills you need for a future-focused career in health or biomedical science.

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Getting hands on and technical is an important part of many RMIT courses, but it’s particularly important when you’re preparing for a career in health or biomed. Getting practical experience is an important part of preparing for specialised healthcare job and it is an excellent way to build your confidence working in health facilities, labs or hospital environments.   

Check out these hands-on learning opportunities you can experience in a biomedical science or health course at RMIT.  

1. Practice caring for a patient with the ALS SimMan  

The ALS SimMan, also referred to as a high-fidelity manikin, is an immersive piece of tech that simulates an almost real patient in a hospital environment. RMIT’s manikin and its surrounding facilities are used to teach nursing, but also in other disciplines such as pharmaceutical science.  

These manikins help students experience the fundamentals of a healthcare job, from learning about specific health conditions to practicing interacting with patients. The manikins are so realistic that you can even measure their physiological parameters, including blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. The manikins can also be asked questions that they will respond to as if they were a real patient. Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences students will even get the chance to provide them with medication in simulated testing environments.  

Interacting with the ALS SimMan gives you a taste of what working a healthcare job is really like before you’ve even gone on a real-world placement.  

2. Make industry connections and gain real-world experience in placements 

Many of RMIT’s biomedical science and health courses, such as the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Laboratory Medicine) and the Master of Laboratory Medicine, give you the chance to undertake industry-connected placements in real-world environments. 

What’s next stems from here with the addition of new majors and minors in our undergraduate health courses, as well as new first year foundational subjects.

Called the foundations in health, these subjects are designed to help you learn the fundamentals of human anatomy and physiology, as well as develop your communication skills and professional skills. They will also introduce you to factors that impact the health of individuals, particularly our First Nations people. This common first year block gives you the skills to pursue a broad range of careers and makes it easier than ever to transfer into another course in health or biomedical sciences.

Industry placements give you the chance to put your studies and experiences into practice. During your biomedical science or health bachelor’s degree, placements will give you a chance to cement the skills you’ve learned and see what a healthcare job will be like first-hand.   

Through placements, you will also get the chance to work with RMIT’s industry partners, such as Northern Health or VetCheck Technologies, who will enrich your learning experience and give you professional contacts for your future career in health.   

Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Laboratory Medicine) Cassandra Kennedy described placement as being one of the most valuable and meaningful parts of her studies.

“I had the privilege of undergoing a work placement at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the haematology and transfusion laboratory,” said Cassandra. 

“I was able to make valuable contacts and gain essential experience within the laboratory which enabled me to gain full-time employment as a Trainee Scientist at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne before even graduating from my degree.”

3. Be at the cutting-edge of technology by using the Anatomage Table

Health facilities aren’t the only places to find the latest technology. Introducing the Anatomage Table, a 3D anatomy visualisation and virtual dissection tool that is used in the digital human bioscience facilities at RMIT.   

The Anatomage Table acts as a digital cadaver, allowing students and academics the opportunity to digitally explore and dissect the anatomical systems of the body. The table allows users to ‘remove’ various elements of the body, such as skin, the cardiovascular system or specific organs in an interactive and immersive way.   

This tool makes it easier than ever to prepare for a career in health by gaining practical experience in anatomy and dissection. With this advanced technology, you can study the anatomical systems of the human body without ever needing to lift a scalpel.  

4. Get hands-on with specialised equipment in the medical radiation labs

Studying courses such as the Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiations) and the Master of Medical Physics, means you will learn specialised skills in RMIT’s medical radiation labs.  

These expansive labs contain many facilities, from the Medical Imaging to the Nuclear Medicine facilities. RMIT’s Nuclear Medicine learning spaces house equipment for specialised practices such as the delicate process of combining a radioactive isotope with a pharmaceutical component to produce a radiolabelled-pharmaceuticals. In these labs, students engage in practical learning that demonstrates how some of the most delicate medical manufacturing occurs, from syringe shields to lead vial pots.

The medical radiation facilities also contain simulation spaces that use VR technology. Called the Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Trainer system, these simulations include planning, image-guided radiation therapy and radiation therapy delivery. This is just one of many simulated teaching experiences in the medical radiation labs that will prepare you for a specialised healthcare job.

What’s next stems from here in biomedical science and health courses that allow you to pursue your passion, while also gaining the practical skills you need to make a difference in your future career in health. 

Story: Jacob Johnston

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RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information