Alice Yeh

Through the hands-on experience received at Monash University, Alice has been able to fast-track her career as a medical technologist at Singapore General Hospital. A role she finds both challenging and exciting.

A Monash University degree has fast-tracked Alice Yeh into a prestigious job at Singapore's largest and oldest hospital.

The 21 year old is a medical technologist in the haematology lab at Singapore General Hospital.

She is responsible for quickly and accurately processing blood tests for patients at SGH and neighbouring hospitals.

Alice says her job is busy and exciting. Urgent requests to supply doctors with test results must be given priority.

Alice was offered a job at the hospital almost immediately after returning to Singapore from a year of study at Monash University

"I think it is a very rare experience for me, to be in one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Singapore," she says.

Before leaving for Australia, education agents informed Alice of the benefits of attending Monash University. As Australia's largest university, Monash is able to offer a wide range of comprehensive study options. It has campuses in Australia, Asia and South Africa, 56,000 students, 7000 staff and an enviable reputation for teaching and research excellence forged in just 50 years.

Alice took advantage of an arrangement between Monash and Singapore's Republic Polytechnic, where students complete a two-year Advanced Diploma of Biomedical Sciences in Singapore, then study another year at Monash in Australia to gain a Bachelor of Biomedical Science qualification.

Students are taught be experts in their field and gain the skills they need to understand and investigate human biology and health.

Alice says the Monash course was life changing.

She says the work was challenging, but the course had a strong emphasis on practical experience in the laboratory. She was attached to a different Monash University laboratory for every module of study she undertook, meaning she gained a wide range of experience in a short amount of time.

"You can see it in books, but I actually got to experience it in real life," she says.

"I actually managed to visit Australia's stem-cell labs; I think that was a really very good opportunity for me."

Back home in Singapore, employers were impressed by the quality and strength of her training at Monash.

"They were very surprised when I told them of the experience I had, the lab experience I had. They were surprised how I was able to get a degree in such a short time," she said.

Alice was offered a scholarship to stay in Singapore, but preferred to travel and gain an international qualification from Monash University, a decision that she would happily make again.

"It is definitely worth the investment. It is just a year. Try it, you can do it, it is a very good experience," Alice says to those considering study at Monash.

Alice also saw different parts of Australia in semester breaks, travelling to Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Right now she is focused on building her career, but hopes to go back to Monash University in several years.

"It is quite multi racial there in Melbourne, at Monash, so I actually made a lot of friends, did a lot of team work, so I will definitely go there again to do my masters or my honours."

Monash Uni is the best school I have been to in my entire life. It was a very memorable year for me when I was there.

Find out more about studying at Monash University.