Biomedical Science students

Right, i'm in 1st year doing biomedical sciences and me and my mates on the course were wondering if anyone else on here is doing it at lancaster and isnt first year too? or does anyone know someone who is?
we noticed a few weeks ago that we've never met anyone doing it in others years above us and asked around and no one else has or knows of anyone doing it either :s thought this was pretty weird. we've only ever come across one guy who knows someone else doing it and that's a lass in 3rd year. there's about 30 or so of us doing it this year so there must be about that in 2nd 3rd and 4th years but cant seem to find them anywhere!

Reply 1

Lou..

When I went to the pre-medical studies/biomedical sciences open day/interview I only ever seen first years ;l

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Reply 2

Impend

i've heard that ''you can only go out once every 3 or so weeks'' and ''it makes you want to die'' in second year haha... just want to see what its actually like and what actually happens

Reply 3

Lou..

oh dear. well I was a bit worried because there wasn't even current pre-medical studies students at the open day because 'they were busy'.

Reply 4

Impend

really? i thought a couple of them did the open day :s
what subjects did you do? because if you've already done science ones like biology and chemistry to A level it isnt all that hard tbh, like i havent put in all that much effort this year, nowhere near as much as i could have done and the lowest i've got on a module over all so far is 60% and thats because i missed the end of module exam for it which was worth 16% haha. I'm not saying its easy work, some is, but it definitely isnt all the time but its not that much of a strain if you're good or atleast competent and enjoy it somewhat. its abit different for you doing pre-med because my first year 'doesnt count' and yours does because you need atleast 60% over all to get into med school. i've got better than that and i've been out two times or more most weeks so if you're doing okay at it all you really need to concentrate on is getting good work experience and all the other non academic things you need to get into medicine.

Reply 5

Lou..

Really? That's a relief! I was worrying because the only science I do to A-Level is Biology and at the open day a biomedical science student said I would struggle! So was slightly worried lol. I only did Chemistry to A-Level though which may be a problem but I suppose if you are determined enough you will make yourself learn it!

Reply 6

Impend

do you mean chemistry to as-level? they say if you've only done it to AS level you have to go to extra chem lectures for the first half of the year until you start the proper ones, but i dont know anyone with AS chemistry who actualy did after the first week or two because it was just pretty basic stuff, nothing more than you learn AS anyway. even if you go to them all it isnt that bad because you just have to sit at the back and listen, you dont have to do any of the exams or coursework for them so it isnt actually any more work, you'll just have 3hrs a week less free time. the first proper chemistry module you do is pretty hard though... it seems more maths than chemistry and some of the equations and that you use and need are getting on for degree level maths ahha, but aside from that the others arent bad, thats the module out of all of them i found hardest

Reply 7

Lou..

aww not that bad then! happy days! feeling a bit better bout it now. thanks :smile:

Reply 8

lsandy

Hi where are you taking Your biomedical science please? I need an advice, I am trying to find the easiest uni to do IBMS approved course, i need a uni which gives a lot of support to students atc or even better somwhere where i can get practical job placement and study part time towards degree..any help please??

Reply 9

Impend

Original post by lsandy

i'm doing it at lancaster and the two unis i would personaly recomend from my own experience are lancaster and hull; lancaster because i'm there and the course is fun, other people doing it are good and the uni is a great place, and hull because the course there is amazing, it was my insurance choice when i was applying. both are aproved by the IBMS and the HPC so thats good and both have the option of a years placement too.
you should go on both the websites and have a look and go to open days to see which you like though, and i'm sure other unis have good biomed courses too, i heard st georges in london is pretty good but then i've also heard people hate it, its just personal preference.

out of the two i mentioned though hull might be the 'easiest'. they do a specific four year course with a guaranteed placement in your 3rd year so its pretty simple to just go to the placement, fill in your diaries and log books and then at the end of your degree send them off for registration with the HPC. the only problem with their placements is that they cover a large area, for example you could be sent to a hospital in lincoln or harrogate or somewhere else with is quite far away, but atleast you're guaranteed a place.

the team doing the course (lectures ect...) also seem pretty good and when i had my interview they were all nice and friendly and helpful. a mate of mine is actually doing biomed there on the same course i applied for and he's really enjoying it, although he says it is hard work, and seems to get quite alot of support and contact time with his lectures and tutors.

the course also has limited places, which is both good and bad. the year i applied (2010) there were i think no more than 25/30 places on the four year placement course. this is good because learning in small groups is much better and easier and you get more contact time when tutors have fewer students to get round, but it also means its much more competative than a biomed course at another uni where there might be 70 places or something. the number of places changes each year up or down a few depending on how many placements the NHS can offer the uni.

also, and maybe best of all, the course is fully funded, so there are no tutuion fees to pay because its all taken care of by the NHS and i even think they give some bursaries out too, so its a very good course to be on financially.

when i applied it also seemed they can be pretty flexible with the entry requirements. On the website i think it said they grades were usualy BBB-ABB or something like but on the open day they said its actually more usualy ABB-AAB. this worried me abit because i did really badly (we're talking like CCDD) in my AS levels and wasnt really expecting many offers espeicaly on the more comperative courses. but after smashing the interview they said they still really wanted me and offered me BBC when the average offer was atleast ABB. to show you what i mean the mate i said is doing the course did well at AS level and they offered him ABB or AAB i cant remember which but still offered me BBC for the exact same course, he was pretty anoyed when i showed him my offer ahha.

just a word of warning though, you have to work alot on that course. if you dont do well consistantly and dont keep scoring above a certain mark they will take you off the 4 years course and put you on the 3year course with no placement, and they do actually do that.

as for why i went to lancaster instead of hull i just liked the uni and place better even though the course wasnt quite as good, dunno why, but i just did haha. hull is also fairly close to where i live at home too and i wanted to move further away for abit of change.

Sorry about all the text ahah :smile:

but hope that helps, pm me if you want anything else