Health Science Reviews

by Hope Hennessy

Reflecting on my honours year in Medical Biochemistry, it’s remarkable how different this year has been compared to my undergraduate studies. It’s been a transformative journey, one that I certainly won’t forget.

One of the things that has stood out most to me during this year is the practicality of it all. Unlike my undergrad years, which was majority theory-based, this year has been all about hands-on experience. It’s incredible how much more I’ve learned when I can see, touch, and manipulate the proteins and processes I’ve studied for the past couple years of my life.

The modules in the first half of the year were fascinating and I loved how relevant the content was to the current state of the world. It was so interesting to learn how the world of medical biochemistry plays such a pivotal role in addressing global health challenges. It’s empowering to know that the knowledge and skills I’m acquiring now have the potential to make a real impact in the world.

I am now in the final stretch of my honours year, finishing up my work in the lab and starting my thesis writeup. While I look back at this year with a positive outlook, it definitely hasn’t been without its fair share of challenges. I’ve become all too familiar with the concept of failure, as I’ve had to repeat experiments multiple times before obtaining meaningful results, and at times, obtained no results at all. It’s been a humbling journey that has taught me the importance of patience and persistence. It has become clear that success in the lab requires hours and hours of hard work.

This year I’ve expanded my scientific knowledge as well as grown as a person. I’ve developed my critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, learned to adapt to unexpected outcomes, and discovered the resilience within myself to keep pushing forward. Now, as I approach the final mountain to climb – the thesis write-up – I am excited to bring together everything I’ve learned and discovered in the lab this year, and I’m eager to see where my new skills and mindset will take me in the future.