I chose to study biostatistics as I was deeply unsatisfied with the state of my knowledge on evidence in medicine. Specifically, I wanted to be able to understand the working details of medical research, and I saw that statistics was the (my) major hurdle to achieving this understanding.

Little did I know that the BCA studies would completely change my career trajectory. I have now left my prior permanent employment in pursuit of research work in which I get to continue learning about data science and contribute to research in oncology (and sometimes other fields). I am happy to share that I am content and proud of my newly gained capacity to better understand medical research. For this, I am deeply grateful to my BCA co-ordinator (A/Prof Salter) and the many wonderful teachers throughout the BCA program.

Bridging statistical theory with practical implementation of methods is the greatest strength of almost every unit in the Master of Bioststistics. I found the depth of content and formal treatment of fundamental theory underpinning statistics to be a difficult but very satisfying aspect of this course. Prior to the course I considered myself to be a competent statistician, working as a quant in financial trading. But this course greatly broadened my knowledge of statistics, particularly working with extremely small and extremely large data sets. The opportunity to engage with and learn from experts in the field really enhanced the experience. I am certainly much more competent in statistical methods now than I was before.

Post PhD, I was fairly confident in using statistical software packages to perform a specific set of functions but I really wanted to understand the mechanics underpinning complex statistics. With the encouragement of Prof Andrew Forbes, I enrolled in the BCA Master of Biostatistics (at a snail’s pace i.e. one unit per semester in order to balance my fulltime workload). The course has given me a really solid foundation and improved my ability to design research projects with sound methodology and statistical analysis plans. Even though the course is delivered online, the tutors used innovative ways to engage with students which was fantastic! I strongly recommend the course to anyone who is interested in delving further into biostatistics because it is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Undertaking the Masters of Biostatistics was one of the best decisions of my professional career. It enhanced the data analytic skills and knowledge gained during my undergraduate training in medicine and medical science. These skills were invaluable as a biostatistician for clinical trials and during my PhD candidature. In an era where public health and medical trials are on the forefront of news thanks to the pandemic, there is a demand for biostatisticians. I would strongly recommend the BCA Masters for those interested in medical statistics and health science; it is also broadly applicable to many careers. Be warned, undertaking BCA courses may lead to your peers labelling you as the “stats guy!”

The knowledge and skills I’ve developed through my study with the BCA have made me competitive in the industry and have increased my confidence as a biostatistician. I felt overwhelmingly supported as a student undertaking my Master while maintaining full-time work and caring for a young family.

My primary work is as a medical oncologist. I commenced the Master of Biostatistics course whilst undertaking an overseas fellowship, during which I rekindled my passion and aptitude for mathematics, computing and clinical trials research. This was absolutely the perfect match for me, i.e. dedicated biostatistics teaching that I am truly passionate about. It has been personally fulfilling – I discovered my vocation for biostatistics – and as things turn out, it has been invaluable for my part-time academic role at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre. I firmly attest that biostatistics form the foundation of well-designed clinical trials and facilitate an informed interpretation of the literature.

I am grateful for the generous knowledge and wisdom shared by my lecturers, mentors and fellow students during this intensive three-year journey of biostatistical learning and discovery. I am proud of the BCA Master of Biostatistics course and highly recommend it – I hope to see more colleagues pursue this accomplishment.

I have always had an interest in data analytics but my Ph.D. really made me aware that with all the analyses I was doing I didn’t a have a good understanding of what was going on ‘under the hood. So I decided to change that and undertook the BCA Masters (one subject a semester over 6 years due to other work and family commitments). If you have an interest in maths/stats this is a great course and I found it extremely rewarding on both a personal and professional level. While I have always enjoyed the research I have now successfully made the transition to biostatistics and am currently working as a biostatistician in an academic department.

I often think of the quote credited to Karl Pearson (a British mathematician and arguably the father of modern statistics):
“Statistics is the grammar of science”
As grammar in language ensures clarity in communication, so too does statistics to ensure clarity in not only our research but also our thinking, and more broadly to explaining what goes on in the world around us.

I can thoroughly recommend this course

It’s exciting to have completed this! I must say this is the most rewarding and best postgraduate course I have taken so far!
I am getting my daughter to take it in a few years time 🙂

Highly recommended!