Student Stories

My parents were the ones who told me about PSB Academy when I was deciding what degree to pursue. Upon speaking with a PSB Academy’s programme consultant, she shared with me the various career prospects a life science graduate from La Trobe University (LTU) can possibly have.

After researching, I found out that LTU offered a 12-module exemption for the Biomedical Science degree as I had a relevant diploma – Diploma in Biotechnology from Temasek Polytechnic. It was one of the determining factors as it would only require me one year to complete the degree compared to other universities that would require 3-4 years. By saving time, I could also start working earlier and be financially independent. Therefore, I chose to enrol in LTU with PSB Academy.

I remember vividly when my classes started during the Covid-19 period, where it was a mixture of online and physical lectures. I had a more convenient learning experience despite studying behind a screen, as my lecturers were dedicated to answering any class questions. This allowed me to understand and grasp concepts easily. Dr Lee Koon Guan and Dr Seah Seng Wee were among the few lecturers that often intrigued us with thought-provoking questions, which helped me to learn at a greater depth. Moreover, the curriculum at LTU covered many interesting topics at an extensive level, which helped me gain a passion for learning as the topics were engaging and entertaining. Overall, the well-rounded experience has helped me in my current job.

Currently, I’m working at Stronghold Diagnostic Laboratory, a Covid-19 high-throughput testing facility, where I am part of the Sample Registration and Plating team. My primary duties include processing patients’ samples through multiple workflows, and I am a superuser for the Bio Rapid Automated Valence Engine (BRAVE). At PSB Academy, we had many lab sessions where I could hone my laboratory skills. This helped me perform better whenever manual plating has to be done in situations where BRAVE is down.

Looking back, I do not think that graduating from a private education institution had put me at a disadvantage in terms of my career. While I can’t speak for others, I did not receive any discrimination from employers regarding my degree. I feel that everyone works hard to achieve a degree and should not be discredited.