Biomedical graduate outcomes unlocked: LinkedIn as a powerful tracking tool.

Abstract

Biomedical Science is a popular multivocational degree that exposes students to body systems knowledge and scientific research skills, preparing them for work or further study in biomedical research and industry or health professions. With a diverse range of graduate outcomes, biomedical students report feeling uncertain about their career prospects. To date, there are limited data on the employment outcomes of Australian Biomedical Science graduates. We recently reported on the use of the professional networking LinkedIn platform to track employment outcomes and enhance career awareness for Physiology Major graduates. The LinkedIn Alumni Function (LAF) extends the capability to track graduate outcomes with high-level insights on what they do and what they are skilled at. The LAF was used in this study to track Bachelor of Biomedical Science alumni, who graduated between 2016 and 2024, from 38 Australian universities (n = 18,413). Alumni from the research-intensive Group of Eight (Go8) Australian universities were compared with those of other universities to assess any difference in the employment outcomes of their graduates. Biomedical Science alumni were mostly employed in the research sector (20%), followed by education (16%) and healthcare services (15%). A greater proportion of alumni from Go8 universities work in the research and education sectors, while relatively more non-Go8 graduates have a profession in healthcare services. Research, communication, and teamwork were the top three promoted skills by Biomedical Science alumni. Data obtained through the LAF could boost course promotion and curriculum design by providing clear indications of career pathways and skill sets to maximize graduate employability.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to report on Biomedical Science graduate employment outcomes, using the novel LinkedIn Alumni Function. The data show that one-fifth of Biomedical Science alumni pursued a career in the research sector, followed by 16% in education and 15% in healthcare services. Research, communication, and teamwork are the top skills publicized by Biomedical Science alumni in professional networking.