BCA Student Testimonials

I am a biostatistician with the Australasian Kidney Trials Network, based at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. I work in a team that contributes to the design of clinical trials in kidney disease. Later this year we will be launching our first two trials: one to assess the effect of aspirin and fish-oil in the prevention of thrombosis and the other to study the use of wound gel to prevent catheter-associated infections.

I did not have a health or statistics background and found it extremely satisfying to master concepts that grew in complexity and challenge after each unit. The program is highly valued by employers, many of whom are closely involved in its development, and it offers a great balance between theory and practice.

Biostatisticians are in huge demand, especially as the emphasis on evidence-based medicine grows and advances are made in genetics. I work with highly motivated and creative people and enjoy the feeling that the trials we create may make a big impact on medical practice and people's health worldwide. It's an engrossing experience.

I was training to be a cardiologist when I started the program. Cardiology is one area of medicine which is fortunate to have a strong tradition of high quality clinical trials which address key areas of practice. The Master of Biostatistics course has given me a comprehensive understanding of clinical trial design, analysis and interpretation of trial results. This has allowed me to successfully incorporate the available evidence into my clinical practice. It also has enabled me to design, implement and analyse clinical research programs both on my own and in collaboration with others.

I have a degree in sociology (PhD 1990) and just finished my Masters degree with the BCA. Although I had quite solid quantitative training in my postgraduate years in the 80s, I was always looking for an opportunity to learn statistics/biostatistics more formally and systematically. I was very happy to hear about the BCA in 2001 and signed up to do the course immediately. 

Biostatistics in my view is a set of specialized statistical techniques appropriate for analysing data from biomedical and public health sciences and epidemiological studies. I am essentially a public health researcher and use biostatistics to analyse survey data and population based cohort studies. I also give a lot of statistical advice to my colleagues from the health behavioural and social sciences area who conduct a lot of experiments.

I think anyone who does health research and is responsible for data analysis should have a firm grounding in biostatistics. Sloppy data analysis and using common statistical software without a sound knowledge of statistical assumptions and techniques does not contribute to scientific progress. The BCA provides very rigorous training in most essential techniques that data analysts need to know.

Associate Lecturer, epidemiology and biostatistics
I was originally working in General Practice Data Management and needed to update my skills. The Masters of Biostatistics was delivered completely online, and this was what attracted me to the course. As a Biostatistician you'll be asked many different questions and you'll need to have the knowledge to confidently address these. The Masters course provided me with both the depth and range required. The area is highly specialised and as such there are many opportunities for people with such a qualification.

I work in healthcare acquired infection (HAI) research, primarily in risk factor studies. My colleagues and I estimate the economic cost of HAI and implement statistical process control for the surveillance of HAI in all Queensland public hospitals.

The Biostatistics program is taught by experts renowned in Australia and around the world. The program emphasises the analysis of real - that is, imperfect - datasets, so is great preparation for working life. And studying by distance was great. It meant I was able to learn from top biostatistics experts from around the country while still enjoying online class discussions with fellow students who shared insights from their own jobs.

A career in biostatistics is a rewarding one that allows you to make important contributions to many fields of research and development. Opportunities are plentiful and determined by your own personal interests.

I have always been interested in maths/statistics and medicine, so biostatistics is a good combination for me. The course gives a solid grounding in biostatistics overall and is directly relevant to practice as a Biostatistician.