Currently in Sixth Form, unsure of what course I want to study in uni.

I've gotten to the point where I need to start thinking about what career path I want to follow, and I'm stuck. I've thought about going into Biochemistry, but while I really enjoy Biology, I'm not really interested in Chemistry. I've also thought about Medicine, however, I'm more interested in the laboratory side of it. What options would Medicine give me, as opposed to Biochemistry or other biological sciences (salary is also important)? I clearly haven't done much research on this, and don't know much about career paths etc. Any help is much appreciated.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

HoldThisL

21

as always, medicine's not really an option if your heart's not in - you'll struggle with the work and that's if you're even able to pass the interview (despite partial motivation). if you want to do medicine, now's the time to commit yourself

if salary is important to you then the difference between chem/bio/biochem isn't especially great. life sciences don't pay incredibly well. have a look at careers that these degrees facilitate

Reply 2

sleep_supremacy

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by hayu

I've gotten to the point where I need to start thinking about what career path I want to follow, and I'm stuck. I've thought about going into Biochemistry, but while I really enjoy Biology, I'm not really interested in Chemistry. I've also thought about Medicine, however, I'm more interested in the laboratory side of it. What options would Medicine give me, as opposed to Biochemistry or other biological sciences (salary is also important)? I clearly haven't done much research on this, and don't know much about career paths etc. Any help is much appreciated.

It sounds like you're describing biomedical science. It requires both bio and chem but places more of an emphasis on the biology side of it. It's got a lot of emphasis on lab time from what I hear, and isn't as patient-facing as med. Biomed typically has two main branches- research (RG unis) and NHS healthcare (IBMS-accredited degrees).

As for salary, unfortunately life sciences get the short end of the payment stick :redface:

You won't ever make it to six figures, but from what people have told me, you'll have enough to live comfortably.

(Obligatory disclaimer because I'm just a biomed applicant :biggrin:

)

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

hayu

OP

2

Thanks a lot. I have also looked into biomed as an option before, and it seems pretty interesting.

I've heard from someone that biomed students are essentially "failed med students", is there any truth to that? Does Medicine open similar career paths?

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

sleep_supremacy

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by hayu

Thanks a lot. I have also looked into biomed as an option before, and it seems pretty interesting.

I've heard from someone that biomed students are essentially "failed med students, is there any truth to that? Does Medicine open similar career paths?

Most med applicants put biomed as their non-med uni choice when applying. I will not deny that. But those people typically aim for GEM after their undergrad, so their aspirations are completely different from someone who actually wants to study the course, and shouldn't detract from your uni experience. Why would you care about why someone else was studying the course?

As for med, I'm not sure, though if you want to go for med, please research well beforehand, as it is extremely competitive and time-consuming to even apply. (Not to scare you off, but it's the truth.)

Reply 5

McGinger

18

Good careers site with hundreds of career / job profiles - https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles
NHS career roles - https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/explore-roles

Reply 6

Anonymous9795

13

Original post by hayu

Thanks a lot. I have also looked into biomed as an option before, and it seems pretty interesting.

I've heard from someone that biomed students are essentially "failed med students", is there any truth to that? Does Medicine open similar career paths?

in America medicine is a post graduate degree most first do what's known as pre med which is biomed so a lot of people who do biomed do it with hopes of applying to medicine as a graduate similar to in America that's where the failed med applicant comes from

as for biochem its a lot more biology than it is chemistry.

a medical degree allows you to specialise into something you're interested in and practice it face to face with patients. BSc's allow you to be behind the scenes working on new treatments/testing etc. If you're interested in working directly with patients then medicine is the only way to go (excluding other things like nursing paramedics etc)

What are you interested in biology? cancer? diseases? ecology?

Reply 7

StudyMind

8

Original post by hayu

I've gotten to the point where I need to start thinking about what career path I want to follow, and I'm stuck. I've thought about going into Biochemistry, but while I really enjoy Biology, I'm not really interested in Chemistry. I've also thought about Medicine, however, I'm more interested in the laboratory side of it. What options would Medicine give me, as opposed to Biochemistry or other biological sciences (salary is also important)? I clearly haven't done much research on this, and don't know much about career paths etc. Any help is much appreciated.

Heya!
Check out prospects, they list lots of careers you can check out :h:

Have you considered other scientific courses like pharmaceutical or biomedical sciences? Pharmaceutical is a big industry with plenty of job opportunities!

I hope this helps!
Milena
UCL PFE
Study Mind

Reply 8

myaqoob1957

4

If anybody is interested in a career in Biomedical Sciences, I would highly recommend the Bsc Health Care sciences degree at University of Bradford. It is a very targeted course for those interested in a career in Healthcare Sciences and you have a work placement at an NHS lab which means you get to do your portfolio and that increases your chances of gaining a full time job. This goes across all sections for example Microbiology, Biochemistry, Haematology etc.

Currently in Sixth Form, unsure of what course I want to study in uni.

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