Curious to know more about the Bachelor of Oral Health at Melbourne Uni?
Well, we got to chat with Isabella, a Melbourne Uni Oral Health Graduate, about the pros and cons, and everything else students should know before starting the degree.
Check it out!
Why should you study a Bachelor of Oral Health at Melbourne Uni?
Top 3 Pros of an Oral Health Degree
Top 3 Cons of an Oral Health Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting a Melbourne Uni Bachelor of Oral Health
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying a Melbourne Uni Bachelor of Oral Health
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Bachelor of Oral Health at Melbourne Uni?
Oral health therapy is something that can’t just be taught theoretically. With the Bachelor of Oral Health at Melbourne Uni, you’ll develop your clinical skills at the Melbourne Dental School, in a super high-tech environment!
With a small cohort and a close-knit group of industry recognised tutors and lecturers, this degree is amazing for people who really want to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Isabella shares her reasoning for choosing the university.
Top 3 Pros of an Oral Health degree
#1: The number of experiences you will have
Melbourne Uni prides itself on allowing students to have hands-on experiences when completing their degrees! You will embark upon many placements but you might also have the opportunity to learn in environments aside from just the uni itself.
“You come out of the degree really grateful for your experiences — we get a lot of different experiences that you may have not anticipated prior to commencing this degree. One example of this is that we got the opportunity to go to a Nursing Home and educate the staff and residents there about oral and dental health,” Isabella says.
#2: The small and close-knit cohort
Only a select amount of students can enrol into the Bachelor of Oral Health, so because there isn’t a large cohort, students are able to engage better and have greater access to equipment.
“It is a very small course compared to other disciplines — it is slowly growing, however! Our year level started with around 40 students in the first year, and it dwindled down to around 28 or so in the final year. The other year levels I am aware of now have the capacity to start with around 65 students,” Isabella says.
#3: The Industry Recognition
Isabella was able to take her degree knowledge far and bring it with her across the world!
“I can take this degree to most places in the world and it will be recognised! I actually did a placement in Nepal — it was an amazing opportunity that I will cherish for a lifetime,” Isabella says.
Top 3 Cons of an Arts degree
#1: The long hours
This degree requires quite a hefty commitment, so you’ll be spending a lot of time in class. With placements especially, you could be doing a 9-5 stint five days of the week!
“You will have to have this degree as your main priority as it takes up a lot of time. It is great to have the amount of support and resources that you do but it is important to be able to take breaks too. The final year of study actually is completely a placement with a research task,” Isabella says.
#2: Balancing work and study will really be a challenge
As mentioned previously, you’ll be on campus a lot. Because of how content-heavy this degree is, it’s not really encouraged that you take on a job while studying — your degree should be your main priority in order to be successful.
“I wish I knew I couldn’t work as much outside of the course as much as I wanted to. They do recommend that you don’t have a job or part-time job while studying and put prioritising your degree first. I was still working on weekends and had odd jobs during after office hours,” Isabella says.
#3: Your placements may involve travel
There’s no doubt that placements are essential to the degree and are great for your learning, but with these benefits come some costs (literally). If you go on a rural placement, you’ll have to travel and cover your accommodation costs if necessary.
“The placements vary from the public, to private, to orthodontics. You will also have an opportunity to experience rural placements,” Isabella says.
Any regrets?
While Isabella does not have any regrets about commencing this degree, she does have one aspect of the degree she doesn’t love.
“I don’t have regrets about this degree! The only thing I wish was different about this degree is the massive contact hours. But, in the grand scheme of things, this course has lots of challenges, and we have amazing people to support us,” Isabella says.
What do you wish you had known before starting a Melbourne Uni Bachelor of Oral Health?
Oral health isn’t just about all things dental. It’s also about taking care of your patients well and communicating with them effectively.
“You will learn lots of patient management — yes, lots of it is also things such as learning to pull out a tooth or do a filling. But, you will also learn how to complete adequate patient care and communication that is appropriate and positive within the clinical environment,” Isabella says.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
“The opportunities and world recognition. This degree is one that I am so lucky to have embarked on at Melbourne Uni! I don’t think any of the other unis have the same capacity for opportunities that Melbourne Uni has,” Isabella says.
So if Melbourne Uni is a school you’re considering for a Bachelor of Oral Health, just know that you’re in safe hands and you’ll receive a quality education!
What inspired you to choose a Melbourne Uni Bachelor of Oral Health?
“Initially I wanted to be a paediatric doctor but I found it may be too much for me. I began to look around some more and fell into Dentistry and really enjoyed that!” Isabella explains.
She adds, “If you want to do a job that is still involved within the healthcare sector and you want to make a positive difference, but perhaps you may find medicine too full-on, then I say that dentistry is a great career choice for you.”
What are the possible career paths?
Graduating from the Bachelor of Oral Health at Melbourne Uni will set you up for various career opportunities within the dental field! Some of the different paths that can be taken include:
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- An oral health therapist
- Orthodontics
- Paediatric dental work
- A dental hygienist
- A dental therapist
Matilda Elliott is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and a Communication graduate with a major in Journalism at Western Sydney University. You can find some of her published work in a range of platforms including SBS World News, The Music Network and within her own creative exploits with her twin sister. Matilda is a lover of listening, helping people to tell their stories, making genuine connections, clowning around in her circus troupe and dancing like no one is watching at live music shows!
