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The Alumni Association of The University of Western Ontario is proud to serve and represent more than a quarter million alumni around the world.

We are committed to delivering the finest alumni experience, in keeping with our continued number one ranking as "Canada's best student experience”.

Student Success Centre

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The Student Success Centre is here to help with each step of your journey to a successful future. Our mission is to facilitate the development of career, educational, and life competencies for students and alumni through programs and services that guide successful transitions, foster local and global citizenship, promote leadership opportunities, encourage personal growth, deliver career resources, and ignite active engagement.

Description

Basic Medical Sciences

The Basic Medical Sciences at Western focus on all aspects of science that define and influence the human condition. Emphasis is placed on understanding the normal human health condition, body structure and function, mechanisms of recognizing illness, current treatments and the search for cures. The scientific principles presented are fundamental to all aspects of modern research and technology and thus impact diverse areas of our society.

The Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) degrees are four-year undergraduate degrees, offered jointly by the Faculty of Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and are designed for students interested in advanced study in the basic medical sciences.

Medical Sciences modules are available for students who would like to study one of the basic medical sciences in depth (Honors Specialization or Specialization) or two or more basic medical science disciplines (Double Major or an Honors Specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Science). An Honors Specialization in Neuroscience leading to an undergraduate BSc degree is also offered by the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Skills

Discipline specific knowledge is only one of the many benefits of pursuing an undergraduate degree. However, this knowledge alone is not enough to prepare you for entering the world of work. You will discover that the content of your degree does not restrict your job opportunities.

Being aware of the transferable skills you've developed throughout your studies will better prepare you for entering the job market and allow you to articulate the skills that are so valued by employers.

Knowledge Skills

  • Demonstrate a developed knowledge and application for the critical understanding of key concepts in introductory biology, chemistry, calculus and physics

Communication Skills

  • Construct and deliver a well-organized, logical, and informative oral presentation regarding the use of basic medical science techniques to the study of a clinical problem

Organization Skills

  • The ability to compile and organize facts and information and to comprehend and apply new and/or unfamiliar information to different situations and settings

Management Skills

  • The ability to work effectively as part of a team, developed through group projects and lab work.


For a more complete list of transferable skills click here.


Introduction

Did you know that there are over 2 million job titles and over 900 industries in Canada? That is a lot of possible career options! Understanding the Canadian economy and the types of jobs that are available is one of the best ways to begin your career search.

Students often report feeling limited by their degree choice and worry that they may not have many viable career options. Although your degree can point you in a career direction, it will not necessarily determine the type of job you can pursue. Unlike many college programs, your undergraduate degree is not intended to train you for one specific job. Some students may feel frustrated by this, but the great news is that your degree opens up many more opportunities than you may think!

Employers today are looking for graduates with transferable skills and people who have a sense of where they fit into the world of work. Because of this, it is really important to think beyond your degree when making a career decision. You want to consider all of your interests, the skills you would like to use, what fits with your personality, and the values that you have.

Determining your career path requires a lot of research, both personal and occupational. It's almost impossible to make a career decision if you haven't invested time in both of these things. This section will get you started and will showcase some popular industries and occupational areas related to your degree.

BMSc Graduate

Based on annual exit surveys, which provide data on ~80% of our BMSc and Neuroscience graduates, many graduates are successful in pursuing careers in professional and graduate programs.  On average, of those students who responded to our survey:

  • 30% of students continue their studies in Medical or Dental school;
  • 35% continue in a variety of graduate studies programs and;
  • 10-15% pursue other professional programs such as optometry, pharmacy, education, law and nursing.

Educational Services

The Educational Services sector comprises establishments that provide instruction and training in a wide variety of subjects. This instruction and training is provided by specialized establishments, such as schools, colleges, universities, and training centers. These establishments may be privately owned and operated for profit or not for profit, or they may be publicly owned and operated. They may also offer food and/or accommodation services to their students.

Educational services are usually delivered by teachers or instructors that explain, tell, demonstrate, supervise, and direct learning. Instruction is imparted in diverse settings, such as educational institutions, the workplace, or the home, and through diverse means, such as correspondence, television, the Internet, or other electronic and distance-learning methods.

Sample Job Titles:

Archivist

Career and Technical Education Teacher

High School Teacher

Instructional Coordinator

Instructor

Librarian

Postsecondary Teacher

Preschool Teacher

Supply Teacher

Healthcare Services

The health-care industry provides diagnostic, healing, rehabilitation, and preventive services. The individual physician is often the consumer's (or patient's) primary point of contact with the system. However, it is the health-care organization itself-that is, the hospital or health management organization (HMO)-that finances much of the industry today; it represents the preponderance of the physician's revenues.

Many people are attracted to the health-care industry for its human touch and service-oriented aspects. People are living longer and thus demand more and higher quality preventive and long-term care. The demand for health-care workers is expected to grow faster than the average rate for all occupations

Sample Job Titles:

Dentist

Optometrist

Pediatrician

Pharmacist

Physician

Veterinarian

Medical Management Consultant

Management consulting is the practice of helping organizations to improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external advice and access to the consultants' specialised expertise.

Sample Job Titles:

Biometrician

Biostatistician

Management Analyst

Medical Research

"Research" aims to generate knowledge in the hopes that it will help create or improve a product, process or service. "Development" converts research findings or other knowledge into a new or improved product, process or service.

In concrete terms, R&D brings new knowledge and processes to Canadian businesses — the new, higher value-added products, processes and services that Canada needs in order to thrive in a knowledge-intensive market. Innovative companies can offer skilled employment opportunities for Canada's knowledge workers.

Companies embarking on R&D projects need to adopt focused business strategies, obtain secure financing and undertake risk management.

Sample Job Titles:

Biochemist

Biophysicist

Economist

Epidemiologist

Medical Scientist

Survey Researcher

Pharmaceutical Industry

Public and private organizations involved in the discovery, development, and manufacture of drugs and medications. Historically, medicines were prepared by physicians and later by apothecaries. Today, drug development relies on the collaboration and effort of highly trained scientists at universities and private companies.

The modern era of drug discovery and development originated in the 19th century when scientists learned how to isolate and purify medicinal compounds and developed large-scale manufacturing techniques. As understanding of biology and chemistry improved in the 20th century, the occurrence and severity of such diseases as typhoid fever, poliomyelitis, and syphilis were greatly reduced. While many drugs, such as quinine and morphine, are extracted from plant substances, others are discovered and synthesized by techniques including combinatorial chemistry and recombinant DNA technology.

The pharmaceutical industry has greatly aided med

Sample Job Titles:

Pharmaceutical Salesperson

Pharmaceuticals Buyer

Purchasing Managers

Other Industries

This section has highlighted a number of popular industries and job titles that align with your academic program; however, it was by no means an exhaustive list of all the possible options available to you with the degree you possess. Access the resources below to learn about other industries and job titles that are a fit for you.

Canadian Industries: Browse through over 900 Canadian Industries.

LinkedIn: Search through thousands of Western Alumni by degree.

National Occupational Classification (NOC): The national reference on occupations - organizes over 40,000 job titles.

Informational Interviews: Find out about jobs and career paths you never knew existed.

CareerCruising: Peruse career & further educational options (visit the "Resources" section of CareerCentral for the username & password).

Working in Canada: The leading source for labour market information in Canada.

US Occupational Outlook Handbook: Browse hundreds of occupational profiles.

Featured Employers

Featured Alumni