Michael Evans plans to combine his passion for research and education into a career built on life-long learning and development
Michael Evans is currently in his third year of medical school and looks forward to building a diverse and dynamic career in the fields of medical science, research and medical education.
He says making the choice to complete his undergraduate study in Biomedical Science was an easy one, as it laid the best foundation for his career.
“The content I learned in my degree made the first two years of medical school much easier for me,” he says.
“Graduate medicine is mostly self-directed – you’re basically learning how to learn. You mostly teach yourself the content, and I feel incredibly privileged to have studied my undergraduate with Griffith as the lecture-based teaching method truly prepared me to enter that self-directed environment.”
Michael says growing up on the Gold Coast meant the decision to study with Griffith came down to staying here or moving to study.
“I did consider whether or not I had to move to the city to study, but in the end, I chose Griffith as the facilities here are world-class,” he says.
“The staff are dedicated, the facilities in the Health Centre are exceptional, and with my career goal, access to the Institute of Glycomics for research experience was too great an opportunity to pass up.”
Michael’s ultimate goal in undertaking medical school is to build on his passion for medical research.
“I see research as an opportunity to lay the foundation for the future of medicine,” he says.
“I’ve always loved the way that medicine applies the fundamentals of science in an attempt to reduce the suffering of people.
“I’m hoping I’ll be able to focus most of my career on contributing to meaningful research that benefits our society.”
While he’s confident his decision will get him to that career, he said making that decision became more difficult as he got closer to the end of his degree.
“It certainly got difficult to decide between applying for research or medicine!” he says.
“I considered doing both at the same time by taking the combined PhD/MD route through my Doctor of Medicine, but eventually I decided to give myself the time to really engage with medical school, earning the medical degree first so that I could support myself through a research pathway in the future.
“The most precious resource we have is time, and I realised there’s no need to rush these things.”
Now, Michael is glad he gave himself the time and space to dedicate his studies in one area.
“It allows me to also work on my physical and mental health, which should be an absolute priority for anyone thinking about a career in medicine.
“The workaholic lifestyle isn’t worth it, and for me, it just isn’t necessary.
“My advice to anyone considering a career like medicine is that it truly is a career of life-long learning, so there’s no rush – you can take your time if you want to.”
If like Michael you have a passion for helping people through scientific discovery and medicine, you can start your career with the Bachelor of Biomedical Science or Medical Laboratory Science.
