Alumni Profile DR. JESSICA AU
a professional soccer career, having just signed my first professional contract with the Melbourne Victory Women’s Squad in my first year of university. Two years into my degree, I applied for Monash University’s Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (BMedSci/ MD) course and was 1 of 50 offered early entry into medical school. What advice would you give to someone considering taking this study path? I would recommend that anyone wanting to study medicine really put in the work during high school to help them get directly into the undergraduate medical degree or undertake a Bachelor of Biomedical Science or Bachelor of Science degree to allow you to apply for a post-graduate medical school. Although medical school is highly competitive, all it takes is hard work and motivation and you will definitely get there! What influenced your choice of career?
What study did you undertake after Year 12?
I think there were two big influences in my choice of career, the first was due to my sporting background as I had a keen interest in how the human body functioned and the mechanics behind sporting movements. The second was having family live with medical conditions and feeling helpless when they were unwell. I wanted to improve my medical knowledge so that I could help them in anyway possible.
After Year 12 I studied a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (BBiomedSc) at Monash University while also juggling
The choice to enter medicine wasn’t one I had right from the outset of high school. I always wanted to pursue a full-time career
What year did you graduate? 2013.
12 Always Aloysius – Winter Edition, 2021
in football (soccer) and was faced with a difficult decision in Year 12. I was going so well in my football career and was being scouted by clubs across Victoria and told to train full-time and not attend university, but I knew I was also strong academically and that university was also a priority for me. In the end I chose to do both, although it was a lot of hard work and very tiring, in the end it really paid off and I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made. I’m currently a Doctor at the Alfred Hospital and have been selected for the Australian Women’s Futsal Squad to travel overseas to play in international competitions. Study/Career/Travel/Sporting highlights? Study highlights would definitely include getting early entry into medical school in the 2nd year of my Biomedical Science degree and being ranked in the top 50 students. Monash University has a program where the top 100 highest performing students in the Biomedical Science degree get an interview for their medical school, with only the top 50 being selected for post-graduate entry. My fondest sporting memories include having won the National Premier League with both Calder United and South Melbourne for outdoor soccer. Whereas, in futsal my greatest achievement would be travelling to Orlando, USA to compete in the World Futsal National Championships where my team placed 2nd overall against teams from around the world. In regards to my career, I believe getting into the Alfred Hospital was a huge step
