Laboratory medicine applies scientific investigations to diagnose, treat and better understand disease processes. It's estimated that up to 70% of clinical decisions doctors make are based on information provided by medical scientists. As a graduate of the laboratory medicine program, you'll be qualified as a medical scientist and play a vital role in the healthcare system. You'll use diagnostic and scientific procedures on samples like blood, urine, tissues and swabs to investigate, identify and treat diseases. This is a 4-year degree with a clinical placement (40 weeks) providing you with work-ready skills and experience in diagnostic pathology. RMIT is the only Victorian university that offers all of the following areas of study: haematology transfusion and transplantation science cytopathology histopathology medical microbiology clinical biochemistry. You'll have flexibility in choosing your major course disciplines. In your final year, you'll have the opportunity to study a discipline-focused laboratory medicine project to hone your research skills.

Medical scientists are in high demand. Graduates have excellent employment opportunities in Australia and overseas. Major employers are diagnostic laboratories in teaching hospitals including Monash Medical Centre, St Vincent's, Royal Melbourne, Royal Children's, the Alfred and Austin hospitals. Graduates are also employed in private pathology laboratories and in regional laboratories throughout Victoria. They can be employed as technical sales representatives, or in research laboratories, forensic laboratories, academic organisations and scientific organisations like CSIRO and CSL. RMIT graduates are highly regarded internationally, especially in the UK where there are staffing shortages.