Having a mid 20s crisis about future career and education

I don't know what I want to do in life, but after getting into the NHS recently, it has made me consider all the possible avenues I could go down within the NHS.

My new job is an entry-level position but they say that people in this position can move onto becoming nurses or biomedical scientists. So I looked up biomedical scientists and it's got me wondering.

I'm studying psychology which I think is beneficial to so many jobs, apart from being a scientist. Some modules are interesting, some are boring but I found my last very scientific module (which is included in the health science degree) was challenging yet interesting and I got a couple of distinctions (90%+ on assignments) in that module compared to the counselling module.

I have signed up for a few free Open uni courses in histology, histopathology and microscopy to get a feel for what sort of things I'd learn and if I'd find it interesting. In my recent module, we looked at microscopic slides of a person's brain who had dementia and had to count and measure the amyloid plaques and we had to determine whether that person had dementia or not. I found that really cool and interesting.

I was wondering if you could apply to be a trainee biomedical scientist if you have lab experience (get a job as a med lab assistant) and possibly a IBMS accredited MSc in biomedical science if I decided later on that I enjoy lab work. That's if I could be accepted with a psychology degree. I don't have any A-levels.

Very few IBMS-accredited MSc's meet the IBMS's criteria as the actual criteria is an undergraduate accredited degree. The IBMS actually state outright that an MSc does not usually make up for the lack of an accredited BSc. Talk with the IBMS about it and check whether your MSc of choice would work. The issue is MSc's tend to tackle more specialist themes but the IBMS want you to know about the underlying themes that you would cover in a BSc. I think more than likely you would require a new BSc.

Does the NHS often offer and pay employees to do further training/education? I saw a video of a man who is a med lab assistant who is slowly gaining qualifications. But if I have a psychology degree, the NHS may not fund a second degree.

Rare and when it does occur, very competitive.

I don't know if I should stick out my psychology degree (I'll be about 28 when I finish it) and if after I finish it I think that I would like to go down that route, I could do a masters and gain lab experience. Or switch to another degree or an open degree (which might not be accepted).

I don't want to switch to another degree and then regret it or feel like I've made the wrong decision. Psychology was the first and only topic that I wished to study at university level. If I changed to another degree that was more specific, it couldn't be applied to a variety of jobs like psychology can. Also, a psychology degree would be beneficial if I moved into a more person-centred role like nursing.

I'm finding it really difficult planning my career when I don't know what I want to do. I don't want to work towards something that is very structured and focused, only to find that it's not for me. I know I'm getting way ahead of myself but I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing and not wasting years going down a less structured path.

The route to Biomedical Scientist is a very specific route.


Tagging @RegisteredBMS for some insight.

I don't know what I want to do in life, but after getting into the NHS recently, it has made me consider all the possible avenues I could go down within the NHS.

My new job is an entry-level position but they say that people in this position can move onto becoming nurses or biomedical scientists. So I looked up biomedical scientists and it's got me wondering.

I'm studying psychology which I think is beneficial to so many jobs, apart from being a scientist. Some modules are interesting, some are boring but I found my last very scientific module (which is included in the health science degree) was challenging yet interesting and I got a couple of distinctions (90%+ on assignments) in that module compared to the counselling module.

I have signed up for a few free Open uni courses in histology, histopathology and microscopy to get a feel for what sort of things I'd learn and if I'd find it interesting. In my recent module, we looked at microscopic slides of a person's brain who had dementia and had to count and measure the amyloid plaques and we had to determine whether that person had dementia or not. I found that really cool and interesting.

I was wondering if you could apply to be a trainee biomedical scientist if you have lab experience (get a job as a med lab assistant) and possibly a IBMS accredited MSc in biomedical science if I decided later on that I enjoy lab work. That's if I could be accepted with a psychology degree. I don't have any A-levels.

Does the NHS often offer and pay employees to do further training/education? I saw a video of a man who is a med lab assistant who is slowly gaining qualifications. But if I have a psychology degree, the NHS may not fund a second degree.

I don't know if I should stick out my psychology degree (I'll be about 28 when I finish it) and if after I finish it I think that I would like to go down that route, I could do a masters and gain lab experience. Or switch to another degree or an open degree (which might not be accepted).

I don't want to switch to another degree and then regret it or feel like I've made the wrong decision. Psychology was the first and only topic that I wished to study at university level. If I changed to another degree that was more specific, it couldn't be applied to a variety of jobs like psychology can. Also, a psychology degree would be beneficial if I moved into a more person-centred role like nursing.

I'm finding it really difficult planning my career when I don't know what I want to do. I don't want to work towards something that is very structured and focused, only to find that it's not for me. I know I'm getting way ahead of myself but I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing and not wasting years going down a less structured path.


Tagging @RegisteredBMS for some insight.

How far into the degree are you?

I wish you the best of luck with finding that special job you enjoy. I don't think it's time wasted I'm sure you'll find the end goal you want some day.

I'll reply within in bold to make it easier.

I don't know what I want to do in life, but after getting into the NHS recently, it has made me consider all the possible avenues I could go down within the NHS.

My new job is an entry-level position but they say that people in this position can move onto becoming nurses or biomedical scientists. So I looked up biomedical scientists and it's got me wondering.

The NHS is wonderful to work for. However the NHS is terrible at saying people can move sideways and upwards, romanticising roles. I don't know what your role is, but I would generally be pretty sceptical about someone saying that. Unless it's a fairly beefy lab role, or aseptics or something like that I would be very sceptical of what other people are saying the standard spiel of sidewards, upwards, sidewards, upwards.

Lab work is insanely competitive. Every Theresa, Deirdre and Harriet wants to work in a lab. Health Sciences. Biology. Biomedical. And so on. Fascinating job, why everyone wants to do it.

Best of luck, I never made it into a lab.

Becoming a Biomedical Scientist is actually very easy if you know you want to do it early on and then choose the right route. The market is saturated with applicants that have an IBMS degree but no registration because nobody told them they'd need it, or the view I prefer to take, they didn't do enough research to realise they needed it and that there were courses out there that gave it to them, guaranteed.

Unrealistically big ifs imho. Biomedical isn't the only healthcare with a lot of misinformation. There are others where widely held misconceptions happen. If anyone has a solution to this problem a lot of people that want to hear it. I was talking more generally about lab work with what the OP said they were interested in.

I finished my undergrad degree and like OP worked in the NHS and tried to get into lab work. Many biomedical degree holders applying for entry level lab jobs. Totally mad situation.

The process of trying stuff is fine OP :-)

If think it's a sad reality where wishing people would research what they actually needed in order to reach a certain career is a 'big if'. Many people think "Oh I want to be a Biomedical Scientist, so I'll do a Biomedical Science degree" when 5 minutes of research would show that it's far from all you need.

I am currently studying Bsc Healthcare Science (Life Sciences) at Cardiff Metropolitan university. I have completed my first year. It is an NHS funded course that has training to be a biomedical scientist built into the course if you are interested in becoming a biomedical scientist.

It is 3 year degree with placements spread over the degree to allow you to apply for HCPC registration and work as a band 5 biomedical scientist.

You can specialise in second year in cellular sciences, microbiology, haematology and genetics. It means you get trained on the degree.