No worries. It’s hard deciding a career and isn’t a single day decision! I’d advise you do your research or try career quizzes, particularly from government websites. For example, here’s a few career resources:
Both are quite broad areas, but I’ll give a quick gist about either and who they might be suited for.
Medicine: generally leads to becoming a doctor or a medical specialist of some description e.g. cardiology, neurology, paediatrics, or is a pathway for further study e.g. surgeon, psychiatrist, medical research lead. It’s many years of study, but allows you to work with patients, providing them health advice, care and support through disease, disorders and other maladies. If you’re good with people, love biology (particularly the human body), don’t mind blood and guts, and want to be able to help heal people, this is probably for you.
Medicine courses are super competitive to get into and often require other tests e.g. UCAT, interview, besides ATAR for entry. There’s only one undergraduate course in Victoria (Monash), so many also apply interstate.
Engineering: you’ll see them doing anything practical, often applying maths and science to solve problems, build/ invent and design things or keep things maintained. This could vary from computer software/ hardware, civil, electrical, mechanical, aerospace, environmental, chemical and so forth. Depending on the area you choose, you could work in industries such as resources (e.g. mining, water, chemicals, environment), construction, vehicles (e.g. planes, cars, spacecraft), IT and government. This might be best for you if you’re good with your hands (especially building/ tinkering with things), practical-minded, or really like maths/ physics/ science.
Engineering courses in Australia are accredited, meaning you’ll be completing the requirements to join an engineering authority body afterwards (I.e. be a certified engineer) and you’ll have similar experiences no matter which Uni you go to (same goes with medicine though). Requirements are lower than med, is less study and time in uni, but you’ll also have to choose your specialisations earlier, typically in first or second year uni.
Hopefully I did them both justice! You’ll need to do your own research and introspection to know which is better for you personally. 🙂 If you have any more specific questions, feel free to add more!
