Help!! Biomedical science to medicine?

Scroll to see replies

I graduated with Bsc biomedical science degree two years ago. I'm still jobless and even though I wrote to various hospitals regarding voluntary work just so I can get experience, I never heard back from any of them. I had sent out these letters via people that knew the heads of departments. So those that say you get to where you want with connections, unfortunately doesn't work in this field. I find it rather disrespectful that a hospital based near Cambridge took on a friend of mine with a BSc degree, at the same time hiring someone with no Alevels and only medical related experience this person had was working at Boots. Where is the sense in employing people with this standard. Or is there any standard at all?

Another scenario where a friend has got a masters degree after completion of biomed. He too is now working as an MLA around Birmingham.

There is no scope for biomedical scientists. And a waste of your 3 years at uni plus the 2 years A levels.

If someone can get an MLA position without a degree or Alevels or relevant work experience then why bother waste 5 years of your life studying when it won't even guarantee to land you a decent job.

Reply 61

endzone123

i think it should just be said that studying for a different first degree is a terrible idea if your primary goal is to become a doctor, even if it's in a related discipline.

in doing this you use up your entitlement to funding for an undergraduate degree, therefore ruling out a second 5 year medical degree unless you have significant family support. you would need to pay 9k every year in fees. this leaves you the option of GEM, for which entry is even more competitive.

the UKCAT cut-offs for GEM courses are higher than any 5 year course. to get an interview at Warwick you need to be in the top 10% of test-takers. so you'll just prepare really hard and everything will be OK? unfortunately, both UKCAT and the GAMSAT are essentially IQ tests so there is only so much you can do to improve your score. if you're scoring around the median on your first go, you are unlikely to ever get a score that will get you an interview. if you weren't good enough to get a 5 year place, a GEM place is an even less likely. do you want to gamble on being an exception?

i also would like to note that GEM is graduate entry not a postgraduate course. it is an accelerated 5 year course, and does not assume much if any prior learning. therefore, an undergrad in biomed is serious overkill as preparation, certainly not worth jeopardising your chances of a medical career altogether.

Reply 62

SiMan

Original post by Becca-Sarah

Have you got any work experience in medicine? Or are you saying you want to do medicine based on a fantasy of doctors being highly paid, respected people? Grad med is incredibly competitive. You'd be looking at possibly 40 applicants per place. How much do you know about the career structure in medicine? MMC/MTAS? I would not say that being a doctor was a respected profession, in terms of the lack of thanks, the bitchiness of multidisciplinary co-operation, and the litigious situation you'd find yourself in if you do something wrong.

Would you be prepared to sit GAMSAT/BMAT/UKCAT? Have you done voluntary work long-term to demonstrate a commitment to the healthcare profession and an insight into the views of the patient? Have you spoken to doctors about how they feel about their jobs? Currently a lot of them are looking at not having a job in a few weeks. How's that for job security? Could you cope with 7 years at uni (mentally and financially)? Currently, GEP Med is funded by the NHS for years 2-4, but this will end soon.

You could do a lot with a BioMed degree; working as an NHS Biomedical Scientist, do research work, or work in other sectors that don't mind what subject your degree is in. I don't agree with what Sammi22's friend says (not saying you're wrong, I just don't agree) about being more employable due to having two relevant degrees. A biomedical science degree is worth nothing once you have a medical degree, because it supplies no additional knowledge to what is covered in the pre-clinical years. The hospital sponsor thing is almost unheard of; there are plenty of doctors to go around, they don't need to pay out to keep them there. And F1's get free accomodation at their hospital anyway.

A med student currently doing an intercalation told me it helps in the future when you come to apply for the speciality you want to advance in after FY2? Is that true? I mean it makes sense as I'm sure these places can be competitive since you're competing with medics all over the country. But in the short term I can understand it puts no weighting on getting through as junior doc

Reply 63

Becca-Sarah

Original post by SiMan

You've quoted a post from 9 years ago, seriously?

Reply 64

SiMan

Original post by Becca-Sarah

You've quoted a post from 9 years ago, seriously?

Yeah realised that after I quoted

Came up in my google search and was just curious aha

Reply 65

Sheazaa

Original post by CleverCloggz

I want to study medicine but I am doing a biochemistry degree what would be a better route to apply for medical school?? Is a biomed degree a best way to do medicine?

Reply 66

Biomed student_1

Do Physicians Associate diploma, its just 2 yrs and you can work as a gp

Reply 67

Mvagabond

One of my lecturer who are biomedical science graduate earn probably millions by publishing his own research during his phd level and sell it as a healthcare product.. Most of my lecturer actually doing this.. The advantage of biomedical science students are more exposed to research field compare to medicine.. You just have to know how to apply it

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 68

studentshavefun

What A level subjects would you need to choose to do BioMedical Science? Would Biology, Pyschology and Physics be good?

Reply 69

Nautic4l

Original post by studentshavefun

What A level subjects would you need to choose to do BioMedical Science? Would Biology, Pyschology and Physics be good?

Biology with Chemistry/Maths instead of one of the others.

Reply 70

studentshavefun

Original post by Nautic4l

Biology with Chemistry/Maths instead of one of the others.

But Physics or Psychology still counts as a science?

Reply 71

_poori

Original post by Sammi22

I'd always kind-of wanted to be a doctor, and planned on doing medicine. However due to personal circumstances, I left school too early so therefore couldn't go into medicine. So I'm planning on doing something like biomed and then doing a postgraduate medicine course too.

Anyway, my bit of advice is actually coming from someone who did this. She's juts qualified as a doctor and did biomedical science and then postgraduate medicine and she says that this was the best way to do it. Yes you're at uni for a whole lot longer than if you just did medicine but she said it benefited her in the long run. Medicine is a hard course, but with the background knowledge of biomedical science, she said she found it pretty easy. And also once she did qualify, she was more desirable to employ as she had two relevant degrees.

She also said it was a good way of embracing student life. She partied mostly during her biomedical science degree where the workload wasn't too high, and then was bored of partying by the time she got to doing medicine and so she worked damn hard at it and passed everything with flying colours.

Another point, she had a part-time job in a hospital lab during her biomed degree when she had plenty time to work and wasn't weighed down with work. This not only helped her to get into medicine, as they like candidates to have experience, but the hospital she worked with actually agreed to sponsor her and pay her tuition fees for her medicine degree, and offer her accommodation if she continued to work in that hospital after she qualified. I don't know if this happens often or not though.

Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck. :smile:

Hi
I am doing level 2 applied science and decide to do access to science next year and after access course I wanna go for biomedical science at university and transfer to medicine.But I have one question??? If I do access to science instead of Alevel it Btec, can I transfer to medicine from biomedical science with access to science qualification?!?
It makes my mind busy and I haven't found anything to answer my question.
I hope you help me
Thank you very much.

Reply 72

_poori

Original post by sheen-bean

im doing that too..ive got offers from Aston..southmpton and UWE bristol for biomedical sciences... nd hopefully get a 1st in that and proceed to medicine tbh its only 2 years longe then going straight to medicine so thats not 2 bad..nd there r plus sides..like the medicine degree will be much easier after doing biomed?! x

I am doing level 2 applied science and decide to do access to science next year and after access course I wanna go for biomedical science at university and transfer to medicine.But I have one question??? If I do access to science instead of Alevel, can I transfer to medicine from biomedical science with access to science degree?!?It makes my mind busy and I haven't found anything to answer my question
Hope you help me
Thank u

Reply 73

Minnie786

Hi I'm currently in S6 I was wondering what I should do to do a biomedical science course e.g would have have to college to do it as I don't have enough highers for uni

Reply 74

The Medic Portal

Original post by Sheazaa

I want to study medicine but I am doing a biochemistry degree what would be a better route to apply for medical school?? Is a biomed degree a best way to do medicine?

Hi all!

You may find it useful to look at our Biomedical Science to Medicine page - it lists some of the universities in the UK that allow you to transfer to Medicine after one year of Biomedical Science - plus some other routes into Medicine!

Hope that helps! :smile:

The Medic Portal

Reply 75

Marianette16

Do you know which university she went to? That would be of great help if you could say

Reply 76

biologyismylife

Which hospital did your friend work at?

Reply 77

lalaland808

Original post by zahid_786

Hi everyone,

I just joined this website in order to get some help from all you good people.

I have graduated with a Biomedical Science degree at 2.1. However, i really want to do Medicine but i can't afford it.

I am really stuck as what to do from now on. I believe that whatever i choose to do now, i have to stick with it for the rest of my life.

Keeping in mind that i wanted to become a doctor, could you please inform me of any careers that i can do which are very much similar to Medicine - earning around £40,000 at start.

Or can i do a masters, where i maybe able to carry out similar duties to a doctor.

The bottom line is that i want to do hospital based work, working with patients etc. But NOT A NURSE.

PLEASSSEEEE HELP ME?!!?

What about Physicians Associate Masters degree?