Twice the impact for medicine
by Rebecca Gill
They
have the same DNA, haircut, friends and clothes – and on March 28 they
gained matching degrees in laboratory medicine.
"It’s never been a case of us copying each other – we just have the same interests," Kim Windram said.
"Just because my twin wants to do something, it doesn’t stop me from wanting to do it."
Rebecca Windram agrees. "We both wanted to study lab med at UniSA because we liked the idea of being able to diagnose diseases and help with an outcome… so it felt like we were making a difference."
Medical research is a fast-growing industry, with a high demand for graduates. By the time both Windram girls had finished studies last year, they had been snapped up by the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, based in Adelaide. However this month Kim will take up a job in the Forensics Team of South Australia – a move which came about due to a summer vacation project she heard about through UniSA.
"We initially chose lab med because of the clinical placement. But in the end, Bec opted to do honours," Kim said.
"I found it great to get into the workforce before graduating, because I could see what it was like, and if it was definitely what I wanted to do."
It also provided a great opportunity to test her skills outside the classroom.
"On the first day, we were expected to know how to do a gram stain. Because of uni I could just go and do it, whereas some other students didn’t know what to do. I was really happy, because what you learn in the classroom is what you need in a real lab."
Not surprisingly, Rebecca again agrees with her sister.
"Our practical skills were so developed that we had no problem getting full-time employment. It’s sad that we aren’t doing the same thing anymore, but at least we can still talk to each other about similar things."
The Bachelor of Laboratory Medicine program is fully accredited by the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists. For information or enquiries about the program, please contact program support officer, Barb McFarlane, telephone (08) 8302 2326, or email pmb.enquiries@ unisa.edu.au