Biomed degree, whats the workload like?

In my first year i had 30 hours a week, with Labs on monday and tuesday, a half day on wendesday and then full timetable thurs and friday. That is at essex uni. This year i think it was about 25 hours last term as i was doing 5 modules, less in the first term as i only had 3. The workload isnt bad if you dont leave everything to the last minute.

The uni suggested that we did 1.5 hours reading per a lecture but i didnt do near that and still did well, so the work outside the lectures just depends on your understanding

my friend at St georges has a similar timetable too.

Reply 3

OP

Thank-you for your answers.

It seems to vary depending on which university even though it is the same course. I have a friend who's recently graduated and he said it was only two days a week at uni.

I've also e-mailed two universities for sample timetables, one has said it is basically six mornings or afternoons a week and the other sent me their actual timetable for the semester just gone and it seems they do two full days and a bit each week.

Reply 4

fairy spangles

1

two days a week where did your friend go??
I was in everyday apart from a wed afternoon.

Reply 5

****ING TONNES. That's at least right now where an avalanche of deadlines is fatally approaching.

Reply 6

OP

Iscariot, I hope it all goes well for you over the next month.

I got an e-mail back from the uni I'm interested in (Brighton) with their Year 1 Semester 1 timetable. It's four mornings and two afternoons a week. It says there's a maximum of 18 hours contact time and the same amount of study is expected out of university time equalling a weekly workload of about 36 hours.

I wonder why they are all so different, surely it's the same course whichever uni it's at?

Reply 7

Not really, biomedical sciences degrees vary massively between universities. Different courses focus on different things, there are HPC accredited vs. unaccredited courses, the accredited courses generally being more laboratory orientated, etc. I have about 18 contact hours a week spread over 3 days.

Reply 8

fairy spangles

1

Ive done the accredited courses and did about 25 contact hours per week and about the same in assignments each week!
I think i went to the wrong university for the contact hours thingy. Then again i can use my degree instantly to work in any hospital lab etc well after one year training whilst an unaccredited course cannot and basically im not sure what they are for - not in a bad way but theres only 4 or 5 accredited isnt there?
So OP if you wanna do lab work after then bear that in mind!!

Reply 9

OP

I'll be wanting to do the HPC accredited course. There's a couple of ways they do it at Brighton, either as a four year course with the 3rd year spent working in a lab or doing the 3 year course and spending two days a week in a lab. Maybe there'd be more university contact time with the applied course but I got the impression that it was the same course except for some students spending two days a week in a lab on top.

Reply 10

Not really, for instance at KCL, after the 1st year core modules, they can basically choose modules out of everything and anything from anatomy and dissection to public health awareness and pharmacology. Other courses (especially HPC ones) are far more concentrated as there is quite a wide range of topics which need to be covered as part of a HPC-accredited biomedical sciences degree.

Reply 11

fairy spangles

1

yeh we didnt have a choice of which modules to take it was all compulsory.

Reply 12

Yeah all my modules are compulsory except for the last semester of the 3rd year where you can choose between applied immunology or infectious disease control. Boo.

Reply 13

Bathwiggle

We don't get a choice of modules in first year, but in 2nd we could choose between genetics or cell biology, and based on this we can choose one 2 two modules related to the course in 2nd year i think ( i got a year out so not sure)
Im on an accredited course, its the same as the non accreditied run at essex, but just has the year in hospital

Reply 14

OP

What bits/modules did people find the hardest?

Does anyone have some pre-course suggested reading?

Reply 15

Biochemistry isn't a bad place to start. However I'm not really sure it's worth it since typically the first term involves getting the basics of biology and chemistry covered so everyone is at the same level.

So far I've studied...
Year 1: Human Physiology, Cellular Biology, Skills for Biosciences (Pretty much just encompassed stuff like lab skills, maths, chemistry, etc), Cellular Processes, Microbiology and Human Health & Disease. Cellular Processes was probably the hardest and I got my worst mark of the year on that module.

Year 2: Molecular Biology, Physiological Dysfunction, Biochemical Techniques (like year one but way more lab based stuff...), Molecular Genetics, Medical Microbiology and Metabolism. This year I'd say Molecular Biology was pretty intensive and Metabolism this semester.

I'd say the one major difference between the years isn't necessarily understanding concepts etc, just simply a x10 increase in workload etc. Everyone is expected to do 10 times more in the second year than they are in the first. Remember the first year is the easiest year but it's important to do well on it so that it puts you in good stead for the following years. People talk about the first year not mattering but I think it does...

Reply 16

OP

Thanks again!

I'd be hoping to make my foundations as sturdy as possible in the hope of smoothing the way for when it gets harder.

Reply 17

zari

Original post by Bathwiggle

In my first year i had 30 hours a week, with Labs on monday and tuesday, a half day on wendesday and then full timetable thurs and friday. That is at essex uni. This year i think it was about 25 hours last term as i was doing 5 modules, less in the first term as i only had 3. The workload isnt bad if you dont leave everything to the last minute.

The uni suggested that we did 1.5 hours reading per a lecture but i didnt do near that and still did well, so the work outside the lectures just depends on your understanding

my friend at St georges has a similar timetable too.

Dear friend,

I am going to choose biomedical science for next year, I contacted with uni and they said you will be expected to study 35 h per week at uni. I do not know the exact timetable . Do you think do I have time to review and be prepared for exams?

Any other help would be appreciated.
Zari

Reply 18

Bathwiggle