Find the perfect balance: a world-class education, a world-class lifestyle

“I saw Perth and thought it was a perfect fit. The weather was good – I’ve always enjoyed sunny days – and it had a nice city centre, but everything else was quite spread out and had a lot of space, which I really liked.”

He was also looking for a medical degree that would prepare him optimally for a career as a general practitioner. He chose Curtin University because it offered a straightforward Bachelor of Medicine degree. Sobi was lucky and was accepted into his first dream university.

Curtin University offers the first degree of its kind to meet the ever-growing need for top-class general practitioners.

The Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is a five-year undergraduate degree program that redefines the way students learn. The faculty are active in their medical practice and the first three years are focused on problem-based learning, which is something that particularly caught Sobi’s attention.

“I love that our lecturers are real practicing health professionals and help students develop a structure in their minds about how they should behave as professionals right from the start,” explains Sobi.

“Instead of learning the theoretical side of things first and then learning to integrate that into some kind of interpersonal sequence.”

This structure made the course much more fun for Sobi and even though he has only been there for a few months, he can already “act like a doctor”.

“I enjoy these things and I think it’s incredibly motivating,” he said.

Once Sobi has completed his first three years, he and the other students will have two clinical years ahead of them, which will include rotations in hospitals, supplemented by sessions on campus. Although he is looking forward to the different components of his course, for Sobi it’s not just about studying – living on campus has meant he has quickly made friends with the people who live in similar student accommodation.

“I met many of my friends here in the campus accommodation because we all have to go to the cafeteria and eat. You inevitably meet new people, like-minded people with similar interests,” he says.

With his new friends, he loved exploring Perth, enjoying the classic Western Australian beach lifestyle and enjoying nature.

“I surfed a bit in Korea and I can do that more in Perth,” Sobi explained. “It’s much more laid back and relaxed in Australia and I 100% prefer that to my old lifestyle where everything was quite tense and very structured.”

“I feel freer. I have more options in what I can do.” He enjoys spending time in the beautiful places Perth has to offer. Kings Park and Elizabeth Quay are two places beyond the beaches that he finds “super beautiful” and relaxing. He also enjoys Perth’s immaculate golf courses, where he has rediscovered his love of golf.