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OnTrack was my second chance to become a vet

Two students in the Student Hub

Even if you studied hard throughout Year 12, your ATAR can fall short for a variety of reasons. For Saba, getting scaled down in every subject was a huge shock and threatened to derail his dreams of becoming a veterinarian.

As someone who had a lifelong ambition to become a vet, Saba was all too aware that the Veterinary Science degree was competitive to get into. So, he did what any driven student would do: he threw himself into his studies, often to the detriment of a social life. Unfortunately, forces outside his control made a mess of his carefully laid plans.

“I remember I got my predicted ATAR – it was an excellent rank – but on ATAR release day, I logged on and got the shock of my life reading my score. All my subjects were scaled down. I thought there must have been an error,” Saba says.

“I was distraught; I'd always assumed I would be a high ATAR achiever and get straight into university.”

An unexpected but welcome direction after ATAR

Feeling lost after receiving the disappointing news of a heavily scaled ATAR, he contemplated what to do next. Fortunately for Saba, Murdoch offered him the opportunity to apply for the enabling program, OnTrack. As someone who excelled in high school, these sorts of uni entry pathways weren’t on his radar.

“I never ever thought I’d need a prep course. I always kind of thought it was for people who didn’t try hard enough or care about their studies,” he says. “I was wrong.”

“The universe put it on my plate, in my life journey, and I'm so thankful.”

After one semester with OnTrack, he was admitted into the Bachelor of Science in Animal Health and Animal Science at Murdoch. He plans to use this qualification to apply for his dream course, Veterinary Science.

“Animal Science and Animal Health degrees are great ways of getting into Vet Science," Saba says. “I am a big believer in working hard to achieve goals so I promised myself that whatever the challenge may be, I'll keep going, step-by-step, until I attain a placement in the vet program.”

The surprising benefits of OnTrack

Although it isn't exactly the path he envisaged, it's been a blessing in disguise. Rather than disrupting his career plans, he realised the course could actually help in the long run.

OnTrack is designed to give people the chance to demonstrate their academic potential, and to provide them with the skills that are expected of university students, such as:

  • how to use academic resources,
  • analysing texts, and
  • creating effective oral presentations.

“At first, when I was thinking of signing up, one semester seemed like a long time, but I would recommend OnTrack Flex 110%,” Saba says.

“At the end of the program, the class you’ve studied with starts to feel like one big family and it helps you build those social skills needed for university life. We were all each other's support systems, which I really enjoyed and benefited from.

Don't second guess it – just do it. One semester will fly by and, before you know it, you’ll be eligible for a bachelor’s degree.

Saba reports that the tutors were always available to answer questions and guide students, and it was particularly helpful that they themselves are experienced university students and understand the OnTrack students’ situation.

He has his sights firmly set on Murdoch's popular vet course

Murdoch University was always Saba's end goal, because of the reputation of the veterinary degree, but he found a lot more to like once he enrolled.

He appreciated the multidisciplinary approach Murdoch has with its students. In both OnTrack and in his undergraduate units, he made friends from different degrees. This, Saba points out, is exactly the approach that sets Murdoch apart.

“Everyone is very down to earth, supportive and there’s a sense of community with the people here. I also really appreciate the dedication of the academics and staff at Murdoch. We're not just a number,” he says.

“And I love that Murdoch is the only university in Australia with a farm on campus. It makes it so easy to do practical classes right on your doorstep with all the state-of-the-art veterinary equipment and technologies.

Start your university journey. Learn more about enabling programs like OnTrack Flex and OnTrack Sprint, and explore how Murdoch’s Animal Science degree can help you achieve entry into Vet Science.

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OnTrack was my second chance to become a vet

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