[Valentraettino]

Hi everybody!
I'm applying for a biomedical science, genetics career. Can someone tell me about the course in general? I'm very interested in it, but i'd like to have some advices from people studying it or someone who already done it.

Thanks!!

[Nattatouille]

Hey,

I didn't do Genetics myself (I did Molecular Medicine-- basically Biomedical Science) but we were attached to them and I chose a lot of genetics modules (and I am good friends with a lot of the Molecular Genetists too).

Basically our Molecular Genetics course did:
-basic cell and molecular biology (that was about understanding general cellular lifecycles and what makes up the cellular system-- so a lot on DNA/RNA),
-introduction to genetics (a massive overview of what genetics is, what it does and where it can go in the 'bigger picture', mitosis/meosis)
-introduction to molecular genetics (introduction to the techniques in genetics like: plasmids, PCR cloning, functional genomics, cloning, sequencing)
-research methods in biochemistry (which introduced you to the lab throughout all sorts of techniques; also included report writing)
-essential skills in biomedical science (lab practices, calculations, abstract writing, report summaries, reading articles critically)
-advanced cell and molecular biology (which just built upon those key principles and took them further),
-human molecular genetics (learning about single gene disorders, inheritance, multifactorial gene disorders, penetrance, genome analysis)
-genes and genomes (learning about genes and genomics in all different organisms)
-molecular genetics (cell cycles, cellular regulation, genetics in model organisms-- we did a detailed project on mice, genetics in bioengineering)
-genome stability, genetic diseases and cancer (how the genome is repaired, how stability can be maintained, what happens when it goes wrong re: cancer, what happens when stability is no existent in diseases)

They also got the choice of some modules which could be more biology/ecology and biomedical based. Some of the options were developmental biology (how genetics underlie organism development as a whole), organism development and interaction (which was more about population migration, speciation), cell regulation and cancer (learning how the cell grows and regulates growth and how if it fails it causes cancer), cell signalling (cellular interacting an overlapping pathways).

Hope this helps to some degree!

[Jyouie]

Can I ask something about the career prospects of a genetics degree holder?


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[Nattatouille]

^Yeah, I'll help as much as I can from what I know.

[Jyouie]

What are the jobs available for a genetics/human genetics degree holder? I'm quiet confused about this.

[Llamageddon]

I'm a genetics graduate (UCL, 1st) with a masters at Liverpool (molecular biology pathway). In terms of getting a job it is one of the best branches of biology to go down but the work as a research assistant is very monotonous.

Most jobs are in cancer research with plant genetics coming second. You're in a good position to move towards bioinformatics at post-graduate level and if you're that way inclined I couldn't recommend it more.

I am currently a research assistant but moving to police staff soon. There are a lot of transferable skills and many people I graduated with have done very well in whatever field they've entered. Accountants, phd, medicine, army officer, all sorts.

[Nattatouille]

You can go in to:

Research (in general life-sciences or in medical sciences specifically)
Scientific lab technicians (in universities, in companies-- which could be agricultural or medical or life sciences, in the NHS)
Clinical Molecular Geneticist (in the NHS, using the NHS STP programme)
Cytogeneticist
Genetic Counselling

Also a BSc can be used to go in to a lot of other general fields such as Intellectual Property Rights Lawyers, scientific politics (such as in the government, regulation), postgrad medicine, law, finance...

Basically a good BSc from a decent university allows you to open doors to anything.

I know one Molecular Genetics student going in to scientific regulations, one going on to do a PhD and one who is working in the NHS. And one is looking at going on to a graduate program for a bank.

[Jyouie]

(Original post by Llamageddon)
I'm a genetics graduate (UCL, 1st) with a masters at Liverpool (molecular biology pathway). In terms of getting a job it is one of the best branches of biology to go down but the work as a research assistant is very monotonous.

Most jobs are in cancer research with plant genetics coming second. You're in a good position to move towards bioinformatics at post-graduate level and if you're that way inclined I couldn't recommend it more.

I am currently a research assistant but moving to police staff soon. There are a lot of transferable skills and many people I graduated with have done very well in whatever field they've entered. Accountants, phd, medicine, army officer, all sorts.

Thank you so much. Actually I'm going to study biological sciences at UCL in this coming September, I'm taking the MSci Genetics/Human Genetics. I would like to go for bioinformatics at post-graduate level, thanks for your advice
BTW, did you apply for any summer research internships during your years at UCL? Would you recommend MSci over BSc?

[Jyouie]

(Original post by Nattatouille)
You can go in to:

Research (in general life-sciences or in medical sciences specifically)
Scientific lab technicians (in universities, in companies-- which could be agricultural or medical or life sciences, in the NHS)
Clinical Molecular Geneticist (in the NHS, using the NHS STP programme)
Cytogeneticist
Genetic Counselling

Also a BSc can be used to go in to a lot of other general fields such as Intellectual Property Rights Lawyers, scientific politics (such as in the government, regulation), postgrad medicine, law, finance...

Basically a good BSc from a decent university allows you to open doors to anything.

I know one Molecular Genetics student going in to scientific regulations, one going on to do a PhD and one who is working in the NHS. And one is looking at going on to a graduate program for a bank.

Thanks I hope I could get research-related jobs in the end, or maybe I'll go for a PhD. (but I'll need scholarships or studentships for that)

[Llamageddon]

(Original post by Jyouie)
Thank you so much. Actually I'm going to study biological sciences at UCL in this coming September, I'm taking the MSci Genetics/Human Genetics. I would like to go for bioinformatics at post-graduate level, thanks for your advice
BTW, did you apply for any summer research internships during your years at UCL? Would you recommend MSci over BSc?

I was in the category of people who needed to work and live at home during the summer which if you're not a london local you'd need to take into consideration. Paying for accommodation is expensive enough before you make it 52 weeks a year.

Always get the masters if you can. Getting funding for a masters is a MASSIVE PITA. Of course if you GOT funding for a masters you'd be better off doing a BSc before a masters, but trust me when I say it's no walk in the park to get funding. Take the student loan route.

Word of advice: unless you are fluent in a foreign language don't take that module option. A lot of people fail it.

[Nattatouille]

(Original post by Jyouie)
Thanks I hope I could get research-related jobs in the end, or maybe I'll go for a PhD. (but I'll need scholarships or studentships for that)

No problem.

If you look in to PhD's around September-December that's when a lot of the funded ones become available and applications are considered.

I'd also advise you, if you get the chance, to do some lab-based research... Be it a research dissertation or/and a summer internship (there are multiple societies that offer studentships over summer for people; all you have to do is find a supervisor willing to have you in their lab for ~6 weeks of summer and help you put together a research proposal and then you can get paid to get massive employability boost. Look at the Biochemical Society because you can get published off that too). They are hugely useful.

[Jyouie]

(Original post by Llamageddon)
I was in the category of people who needed to work and live at home during the summer which if you're not a london local you'd need to take into consideration. Paying for accommodation is expensive enough before you make it 52 weeks a year.

Always get the masters if you can. Getting funding for a masters is a MASSIVE PITA. Of course if you GOT funding for a masters you'd be better off doing a BSc before a masters, but trust me when I say it's no walk in the park to get funding. Take the student loan route.

Word of advice: unless you are fluent in a foreign language don't take that module option. A lot of people fail it.

Which module are you talking about?
Yeah, I'm an international student whose English is not my native language, will the degree require a lot on language skills? Would you recommend any preparation before the course starts?

Many student loans and studentships are not open to international students, that's why I'm so worried. So what do you think, a direct masters or a separate one?

THANKS.


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[Jyouie]

(Original post by Nattatouille)
No problem.

If you look in to PhD's around September-December that's when a lot of the funded ones become available and applications are considered.

I'd also advise you, if you get the chance, to do some lab-based research... Be it a research dissertation or/and a summer internship (there are multiple societies that offer studentships over summer for people; all you have to do is find a supervisor willing to have you in their lab for ~6 weeks of summer and help you put together a research proposal and then you can get paid to get massive employability boost. Look at the Biochemical Society because you can get published off that too). They are hugely useful.

Thanks, bro. Yeah I will check the website for more information, I hope it's not difficult to get a place for that.


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[Llamageddon]

(Original post by Jyouie)
Which module are you talking about?
Yeah, I'm an international student whose English is not my native language, will the degree require a lot on language skills? Would you recommend any preparation before the course starts?

Oh, there's the opportunity to study a foreign language as a module in your first year. A lot of people took it thinking it looked fun. It was actually very hard. If English is not your first language and your mother tongue is available in this module then take it. It that scenario it WOULD be easy.

Many student loans and studentships are not open to international students, that's why I'm so worried. So what do you think, a direct masters or a separate one?

I'd still take the direct one, but this time because applying to masters programmes in your final year is a distraction from doing your dissertation, etc.

[Jyouie]

(Original post by Llamageddon)
Oh, there's the opportunity to study a foreign language as a module in your first year. A lot of people took it thinking it looked fun. It was actually very hard. If English is not your first language and your mother tongue is available in this module then take it. It that scenario it WOULD be easy.
I'd still take the direct one, but this time because applying to masters programmes in your final year is a distraction from doing your dissertation, etc.

Oh I see, thanks for your advice!!! I think I'd take modules that are related to my course, despite the fact that I'm interested in language too. And probably I'll take the 'further statistical methods and computing' during my second or third year, guess that'll build a foundation for my future studies. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[Nattatouille]

(Original post by Jyouie)
Thanks, bro. Yeah I will check the website for more information, I hope it's not difficult to get a place for that.

There are about 6 or 7 societies that do it... And some universities also do it internally. If you apply to all of them you stand in good stead-- I applied to 5 and got 2 offers so it is certainly doable!

Good luck!

[Jyouie]

(Original post by Nattatouille)
There are about 6 or 7 societies that do it... And some universities also do it internally. If you apply to all of them you stand in good stead-- I applied to 5 and got 2 offers so it is certainly doable!

Good luck!

Hmm, is it available for first year students? I think it'll be a good idea to stay at the UK during summers

[Nattatouille]

(Original post by Jyouie)
Hmm, is it available for first year students? I think it'll be a good idea to stay at the UK during summers

The university one may be... The societies are normally only between your second and third year.