Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) is the essential first step into Otago’s health professional programmes: Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy. It is also an excellent way to begin a degree in Biomedical Science or any of the broad range of biological sciences at Otago.
Please note: Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) is not the same as Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHealSc).
HSFY is:
- Great preparation for students seeking admission to the degree programmes in Oral Health, Dental Technology, or Radiation Therapy
- Only available at the University of Otago
- To be completed in its entirety in the first year of your university study
- Made up of seven compulsory papers plus an optional eighth paper in second semester
- A busy year, with a timetable that includes lectures, tutorials, laboratories, assignments, tests, and readings every week
Important:
- HSFY should be your first year of university study
- You are strongly advised to contact AskOtago about admissions if you are considering tertiary study before enrolling in HSFY, as failure to do so could jeopardise your enrolment into this course
What will you study during HSFY?
HSFY has seven compulsory papers, these are:
- BIOC 192 Foundations of Biochemistry
- CELS 191 Cell and Molecular Biology
- CHEM 191 The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health
- HUBS 191 Human Body Systems 1
- HUBS 192 Human Body Systems 2
- PHSI 191 Biological Physics
- POPH 192 Population Health
These HSFY compulsory papers:
- Cover a wide range of fields in science and biological science
- Are taught by staff from departments across the University of Otago
- Give a strong foundation in the biological sciences
- Teach you about how the normal healthy body functions at various levels: from the physical, chemical, biochemical, molecular, and cellular levels, through to functional organ systems, and factors affecting health and disease in human populations
Please note:
- All HSFY students will be required to pass a compulsory English diagnostic test in first semester
- Students who do not pass the test will be required to take ENGL 126 English for University Purposes
- HSFY students can take an optional eighth paper in second semester
