Biomedical Science (IBMS course) versus Biomedical Sciences (Russell group)?
Hoping this make sense to folks, trying to help my daughter understand the bio-med options at Uni and the career paths beyond.
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
Hi,
The Biomedical science course at York St John is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science and Royal Society of Biology. The duel accreditation enables students to gain a broad scientific knowledge and technical skills which enable them to go on to work in professional laboratory work. After completing the degree they will also be able to complete a postgraduate qualification. Each university may teach the degree in slightly different ways, so i would recommend going down to a few different open days and speaking to the lecturers and current students, as this will give you a greater insight into each course.
The next open day at York St John is on Tuesday 2nd July
Open Days | York St John University (yorksj.ac.uk)
This is the current course specification, which gives a better overview of the course and different modules that you can take in each year of the degree. You will need to select the course at the top the page, and it will take you to the Biomedical Science section.
Undergraduate | York St John University (yorksj.ac.uk)
I hope this helps!
Suzan - Student Ambassador
The Biomedical science course at York St John is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science and Royal Society of Biology. The duel accreditation enables students to gain a broad scientific knowledge and technical skills which enable them to go on to work in professional laboratory work. After completing the degree they will also be able to complete a postgraduate qualification. Each university may teach the degree in slightly different ways, so i would recommend going down to a few different open days and speaking to the lecturers and current students, as this will give you a greater insight into each course.
The next open day at York St John is on Tuesday 2nd July
Open Days | York St John University (yorksj.ac.uk)
This is the current course specification, which gives a better overview of the course and different modules that you can take in each year of the degree. You will need to select the course at the top the page, and it will take you to the Biomedical Science section.
Undergraduate | York St John University (yorksj.ac.uk)
I hope this helps!
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Original post by ChiefBrody
Hoping this make sense to folks, trying to help my daughter understand the bio-med options at Uni and the career paths beyond.
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
Hi @ChiefBrody
I'm a biochemistry student at Lancaster, one of the universities that offers an IBMS-accredited Biomedical Science degree!
An IBMS accredited Biomedical Science degree is one pathway into becoming a Biomedical Scientist in the NHS (I believe you also need to a years worth of experience in an NHS lab to create a portfolio before you can apply to become a Biomedical Scientist). The degree is basically given a thumbs up by the IBMS to say "this teaches the stuff you need to know for this job", but because of this, IBMS accredited degrees tend to have very little flexibility in optional modules.
Whether a university has an IBMS accredited Biomedical Science degree or not is really up to their faculty, more "research-heavy" universities might prefer an non-IBMS degree with a wider range of modules, and some universities might provide both.
Biomedical Science shares a first year with our Biomedicine degree at Lancaster, which is not accredited by the IBMS, so has much more flexibility with optional modules from year 2 onwards. This might be better suited to someone who's research interests lie outside of the structure of an IBMS accredited course. Due to the common first year, there is an opportunity to switch from Biomedical Science to Biomedicine.
However, just because a degree is IBMS accredited does not mean you have to become a Biomedical Scientist, as it's still a well rounded bioscience degree and opens up doors into further scientific research, e.g. Masters, PhDs, or other pathways like teaching, finance, or recruitment as with any other bioscience degree.
I will say (and I don't know too much about this), I've heard that if you do a non-IBMS accredited degree and then decide you want to become a Biomedical Scientist in the NHS, the top-up modules are very expensive.
I've linked the Lancaster pages for biomedical science and biomedicine below!
Biomedical science - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/biomedical-science-bsc-hons-b990/2024/
Biomedicine - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/biomedicine-bsc-hons-c701/2024/
I hope I could help a little!
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
(edited 9 months ago)
Original post by ChiefBrody
Hoping this make sense to folks, trying to help my daughter understand the bio-med options at Uni and the career paths beyond.
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
Biomedical Scientists are not laboratory technicians. They are completely different careers (and you are likely to cause offence to Biomedical Scientists by referring to them that way. Biomedical Scientists are able to sit the same consultant exams that medical doctors in pathology do.)
More background. Biomedical Scientist is a protected title in the UK. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/professions-regulated-by-law-in-the-uk-and-their-regulators/uk-regulated-professions-and-their-regulators). To work as a BMS you must be registered with the HCPC. That's nothing to do with the NHS, it's a UK wide law.
It's not actually the HCPC that issue registration (caveat: this is not true if you have worked and trained abroad but I am assuming that your daughter is planning on UK education and work), for BMS registration you need a certificate of competence from the IBMS. This involves either:
•
Completion of an IBMS accredited degree and the IBMS registration portfolio whilst working in an IBMS accredited laboratory.
•
Completion of another similar degree, assessment by the IBMS (£350 ish) and completion of any required top up modules (can easily be £10k and are not covered by any student loan) and completion of the IBMS registration portfolio whilst working in an IBMS accredited laboratory.
•
IBMS equivalence. Evidence that you have been working at a BMS level via a workbased portfolio. Incredibly rare and not a simple process.
That being said, there are other things you can do with a BMS degree. Lots of people go into graduate schemes (scientific or not), work in industry or continue in academia. Becoming a BMS is important for any role that involves issuing patient results or working with patients.
The most important thing is for your daughter to have an idea of what she wants to do after university (I recommend this generally because a degree can cost £50k and it's really vital to make sure this isn't considered money wasted later on in life). If she knows that she would never become a Biomedical Scientist then the IBMS accreditation isn't important. If she thinks she would or might - then I would always recommend IBMS accreditation and ideally finding work in an IBMS accredited laboratory during the degree.
The hill I will die on is this: A "good" degree is the one that will get you the career you want. And it doesn't matter where it comes from. Anyone that shows snobbery towards the Institution shows their lack of understanding. For clarity, I have four degrees. Two from Russell Group universities and two from post-92 Polytechs. I have seen all ends of the university ranking spectrum.
Quote "The hill I will die on is this: A "good" degree is the one that will get you the career you want. And it doesn't matter where it comes from. Anyone that shows snobbery towards the Institution shows their lack of understanding. For clarity, I have four degrees. Two from Russell Group universities and two from post-92 Polytechs. I have seen all ends of the university ranking spectrum."
Okay, thanks for the judgement - ignoring the snobbery you see in the first post, which simply is not there - how come Russell group type Unis typically don't offer IBMS accreditation and the degrees are Biomedical Sciences, rather than Biomedical Science (no 's') - I assume it is an important distinction and/or different career path?
My early career was as a research scientist, but not in this field and many years ago, so I am trying to understand how things work in this arena.
FWIW I too have studied at 4 Universities across a spectrum, consulted to several and have been teaching at a post-92 Uni for 12 years.
Okay, thanks for the judgement - ignoring the snobbery you see in the first post, which simply is not there - how come Russell group type Unis typically don't offer IBMS accreditation and the degrees are Biomedical Sciences, rather than Biomedical Science (no 's') - I assume it is an important distinction and/or different career path?
My early career was as a research scientist, but not in this field and many years ago, so I am trying to understand how things work in this arena.
FWIW I too have studied at 4 Universities across a spectrum, consulted to several and have been teaching at a post-92 Uni for 12 years.
Original post by ChiefBrody
Quote "The hill I will die on is this: A "good" degree is the one that will get you the career you want. And it doesn't matter where it comes from. Anyone that shows snobbery towards the Institution shows their lack of understanding. For clarity, I have four degrees. Two from Russell Group universities and two from post-92 Polytechs. I have seen all ends of the university ranking spectrum."
Okay, thanks for the judgement - ignoring the snobbery you see in the first post, which simply is not there - how come Russell group type Unis typically don't offer IBMS accreditation and the degrees are Biomedical Sciences, rather than Biomedical Science (no 's') - I assume it is an important distinction and/or different career path?
My early career was as a research scientist, but not in this field and many years ago, so I am trying to understand how things work in this arena.
FWIW I too have studied at 4 Universities across a spectrum, consulted to several and have been teaching at a post-92 Uni for 12 years.
Okay, thanks for the judgement - ignoring the snobbery you see in the first post, which simply is not there - how come Russell group type Unis typically don't offer IBMS accreditation and the degrees are Biomedical Sciences, rather than Biomedical Science (no 's') - I assume it is an important distinction and/or different career path?
My early career was as a research scientist, but not in this field and many years ago, so I am trying to understand how things work in this arena.
FWIW I too have studied at 4 Universities across a spectrum, consulted to several and have been teaching at a post-92 Uni for 12 years.
I said people, not you. The statement was generic. I didn't make a judgement on you.
As for the accreditation, I don't know. Part of it I suspect is historic and part I suspect is that IBMS accreditation doesn't allow for much choice in modules and research focused universities would prefer flexibility in content.
Apart from medicine, it's also common across courses that lead into healthcare professions - nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy etc. They are courses that focus heavily on taught courses and that is often more in the post-92 universities than those that push heavily for research. But at this point I'm guessing. If someone wanted to go into "basic" (I hate the word but don't know a better one) research then places that are internationally recognised for research make more sense. For translational research in healthcare then there's a debate that getting a clinical role first can be better. Particularly when it comes to PhD funding as there are opportunities to get full salary funding through doctoral fellowships which is far better than the PhD stipend offered by the UKRI. But it's a longer route in and highly competitive.
The thing I advise students to avoid is ending up with a degree that they can't do what they want with. Or need to retrain at a significantly hefty cost (e.g. UWE are currently charging £2312 for 30 credit top up modules and they need to be funded without a student loan).
Original post by ChiefBrody
Hoping this make sense to folks, trying to help my daughter understand the bio-med options at Uni and the career paths beyond.
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
I notice that IBMS accredited courses in Biomedical Science tend to be at the mid ranking / post 92 Unis etc, with mostly entry requirements as Bs / Cs and maybe Ds - for example York St John Biomedical Science is BCC or thereabouts
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science/biomedical-science-bsc-hons/
https://www.ibms.org/accredited-degrees/accredited-degree-courses/undergraduate-uk-courses/
Whereas, the Red Brick / Russell Group (or whatever term you want for the more selective / elitist Unis) offer Biomedical Sciences with higher entry requirements (but usually no IBMS accreditation) - for Example Uni of York Biomedical Sciences is AAB or thereabouts
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-biomedical-sciences/
The Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (note the 's' ) seem to be rather different
So, I assume, the IBMS qualifications (York St John) take you down an NHS lab technician career path? Whereas the other (eg Uni of York) qualification will prepare you to go to a post grad qualification and maybe bio med researcher?
Former lab technician here studying Microbiology at "Russell group uni" Glasgow (UofG)
NHS lab technician posts don't require a degree usually unless it's a research lab technician post. I have interviewed twice and been offered NHS lab technician jobs and I only had a HND.
I entered my last technician role in a private lab with my HND intending to become a scientist and found I was unable to progress to scientist because I lacked the thorough academic training a full degree gives. I was promoted once in the company to a higher salary but could not progress beyond that because I lacked the academic know of year 3 and 4 of university. Hence I've now returned to uni to do Microbiology with the intention of becoming an NHS Microbiologist.
The hypothesis UofG doesn't IBMS accredit it's courses to enable research flexibility is correct. If I had changed my mind about Microbiology with the modules I chose this year I could've gone into human biology, genetics or immunology this year. The flexibility has also allowed me to learn about parasitology this year which has been fascinating. Such flexibility doesn't exist in the IBMS accredited Strathclyde uni Biomedical scientist degree (the equivalent red brick uni in Glasgow) where if you had second thoughts after year 1 you would have to start a new degree from scratch.
My Microbiology lecturer in UofG actually experienced this first hand, she did Microbiology BSc at Glasgow then realised she wanted to be a biomedical scientist - as the course wasn't IBMS accredited she had to go to to another uni to get the accreditation then enter the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist, then after a career of being an NHS Biomedical scientist she returned to Glasgow to be a lecturer and researcher.
If there's any chance you want to be a biomedical scientist, go IBMS accredited. If you want to be a researcher or climb the ranks in commercial pharma, non IBMS degree gives you better research training in my opinion.
Original post by Sparklygreentea
Former lab technician here studying Microbiology at "Russell group uni" Glasgow (UofG)
NHS lab technician posts don't require a degree usually unless it's a research lab technician post. I have interviewed twice and been offered NHS lab technician jobs and I only had a HND.
I entered my last technician role in a private lab with my HND intending to become a scientist and found I was unable to progress to scientist because I lacked the thorough academic training a full degree gives. I was promoted once in the company to a higher salary but could not progress beyond that because I lacked the academic know of year 3 and 4 of university. Hence I've now returned to uni to do Microbiology with the intention of becoming an NHS Microbiologist.
The hypothesis UofG doesn't IBMS accredit it's courses to enable research flexibility is correct. If I had changed my mind about Microbiology with the modules I chose this year I could've gone into human biology, genetics or immunology this year. The flexibility has also allowed me to learn about parasitology this year which has been fascinating. Such flexibility doesn't exist in the IBMS accredited Strathclyde uni Biomedical scientist degree (the equivalent red brick uni in Glasgow) where if you had second thoughts after year 1 you would have to start a new degree from scratch.
My Microbiology lecturer in UofG actually experienced this first hand, she did Microbiology BSc at Glasgow then realised she wanted to be a biomedical scientist - as the course wasn't IBMS accredited she had to go to to another uni to get the accreditation then enter the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist, then after a career of being an NHS Biomedical scientist she returned to Glasgow to be a lecturer and researcher.
If there's any chance you want to be a biomedical scientist, go IBMS accredited. If you want to be a researcher or climb the ranks in commercial pharma, non IBMS degree gives you better research training in my opinion.
NHS lab technician posts don't require a degree usually unless it's a research lab technician post. I have interviewed twice and been offered NHS lab technician jobs and I only had a HND.
I entered my last technician role in a private lab with my HND intending to become a scientist and found I was unable to progress to scientist because I lacked the thorough academic training a full degree gives. I was promoted once in the company to a higher salary but could not progress beyond that because I lacked the academic know of year 3 and 4 of university. Hence I've now returned to uni to do Microbiology with the intention of becoming an NHS Microbiologist.
The hypothesis UofG doesn't IBMS accredit it's courses to enable research flexibility is correct. If I had changed my mind about Microbiology with the modules I chose this year I could've gone into human biology, genetics or immunology this year. The flexibility has also allowed me to learn about parasitology this year which has been fascinating. Such flexibility doesn't exist in the IBMS accredited Strathclyde uni Biomedical scientist degree (the equivalent red brick uni in Glasgow) where if you had second thoughts after year 1 you would have to start a new degree from scratch.
My Microbiology lecturer in UofG actually experienced this first hand, she did Microbiology BSc at Glasgow then realised she wanted to be a biomedical scientist - as the course wasn't IBMS accredited she had to go to to another uni to get the accreditation then enter the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist, then after a career of being an NHS Biomedical scientist she returned to Glasgow to be a lecturer and researcher.
If there's any chance you want to be a biomedical scientist, go IBMS accredited. If you want to be a researcher or climb the ranks in commercial pharma, non IBMS degree gives you better research training in my opinion.
Does this mean it's harder to get into research if your Biomed degree is accredited? Also, if I chose to do my portfolio and become a registered BMS and then decided to go into research and become a researcher, does it make it hard to become a researcher if your degree was accredited (because as you mentioned, with an IBMS accredited degree, there's not much flexibility when it comes to research)?
Original post by A.111
Does this mean it's harder to get into research if your Biomed degree is accredited? Also, if I chose to do my portfolio and become a registered BMS and then decided to go into research and become a researcher, does it make it hard to become a researcher if your degree was accredited (because as you mentioned, with an IBMS accredited degree, there's not much flexibility when it comes to research)?
Hiya, no the accreditation shouldn't have any impact on getting into research. Accreditation just means you can go into NHS Biomedical Scientist roles without extra training or study.
There were scientists in my old work who did have accredited biomedical science degrees, however I noticed those in higher scientific roles tended to have degrees like biological sciences, applied sciences, Microbiology, immunology etc. I don't think a biomedical science degree would prevent a research career, but the reason I caution is you may be more limited in what you can study/research as you've only covered health science related subjects if you see what I mean. And I'm pretty sure you can do research in the NHS itself if you've progressed far enough in the internal ranks.
To take an example, from job descriptions I've seen employers tend to favour a candidate for a Microbiologist if they have pure Microbiology as a degree, rather than Biomedical science, as pure Microbiology has more specificity to the role. However if I were applying to be a histologist (scientist who looks at thin slices of tissues) in a company the biomedical scientist candidate would be preferred because they have the more relevant study than me.
Hope this makes sense!
Original post by A.111
Does this mean it's harder to get into research if your Biomed degree is accredited? Also, if I chose to do my portfolio and become a registered BMS and then decided to go into research and become a researcher, does it make it hard to become a researcher if your degree was accredited (because as you mentioned, with an IBMS accredited degree, there's not much flexibility when it comes to research)?
I want to add as well that the reason I personally believe it's better to do a non accredited degree for a research career is because the uni doesn't have to operate within the constraints and targets of accreditation, meaning we got more lab time and the uni was freer to educate us based on what they think we need to know and the latest scientific discoveries.
The requirements for accreditation are quite rigid understandably (as you want a consistent standard of education for NHS practitioners naturally). You will be taught how to research in biomedical science as it's important, but you'll get a more in depth understanding of how to research in a non accredited degree in my experience.
Original post by Sparklygreentea
Hiya, no the accreditation shouldn't have any impact on getting into research. Accreditation just means you can go into NHS Biomedical Scientist roles without extra training or study.
There were scientists in my old work who did have accredited biomedical science degrees, however I noticed those in higher scientific roles tended to have degrees like biological sciences, applied sciences, Microbiology, immunology etc. I don't think a biomedical science degree would prevent a research career, but the reason I caution is you may be more limited in what you can study/research as you've only covered health science related subjects if you see what I mean. And I'm pretty sure you can do research in the NHS itself if you've progressed far enough in the internal ranks.
To take an example, from job descriptions I've seen employers tend to favour a candidate for a Microbiologist if they have pure Microbiology as a degree, rather than Biomedical science, as pure Microbiology has more specificity to the role. However if I were applying to be a histologist (scientist who looks at thin slices of tissues) in a company the biomedical scientist candidate would be preferred because they have the more relevant study than me.
Hope this makes sense!
There were scientists in my old work who did have accredited biomedical science degrees, however I noticed those in higher scientific roles tended to have degrees like biological sciences, applied sciences, Microbiology, immunology etc. I don't think a biomedical science degree would prevent a research career, but the reason I caution is you may be more limited in what you can study/research as you've only covered health science related subjects if you see what I mean. And I'm pretty sure you can do research in the NHS itself if you've progressed far enough in the internal ranks.
To take an example, from job descriptions I've seen employers tend to favour a candidate for a Microbiologist if they have pure Microbiology as a degree, rather than Biomedical science, as pure Microbiology has more specificity to the role. However if I were applying to be a histologist (scientist who looks at thin slices of tissues) in a company the biomedical scientist candidate would be preferred because they have the more relevant study than me.
Hope this makes sense!
Hi, Thank you so much for replying! I appreciate it!
This has helped a lot!
At the moment im in the middle of wanting to be a BMS and/ or go into research. I think being a BMS for me might get a bit repetitive after a few years and although I like labs, I also like research, so I am leaning towards getting into research even though my degree would be accredited.
Just out of curiosity, if you want to work as a microbiologist, does your degree still have to accredited under the IBMS? Do you think you would go into research since you have that flexibility in your degree? (Ik this is a personal question, so you don't have to answer it).
Thank you!
Original post by A.111
Hi, Thank you so much for replying! I appreciate it!
This has helped a lot!
At the moment im in the middle of wanting to be a BMS and/ or go into research. I think being a BMS for me might get a bit repetitive after a few years and although I like labs, I also like research, so I am leaning towards getting into research even though my degree would be accredited.
Just out of curiosity, if you want to work as a microbiologist, does your degree still have to accredited under the IBMS? Do you think you would go into research since you have that flexibility in your degree? (Ik this is a personal question, so you don't have to answer it).
Thank you!
This has helped a lot!
At the moment im in the middle of wanting to be a BMS and/ or go into research. I think being a BMS for me might get a bit repetitive after a few years and although I like labs, I also like research, so I am leaning towards getting into research even though my degree would be accredited.
Just out of curiosity, if you want to work as a microbiologist, does your degree still have to accredited under the IBMS? Do you think you would go into research since you have that flexibility in your degree? (Ik this is a personal question, so you don't have to answer it).
Thank you!
Hiya, ah I'm glad I helped! You don't need IBMS accreditation to be a Microbiologist as there's a different pathway to entering the NHS - you need to do the NHS scientist training programme or do a masters degree. I'm hoping I can do the scientist training programme as it guarantees a job and fully funds a masters degree but we'll see what happens when I graduate!
I'm in year 2 of a Microbiology BSc so I'm not yet sure what my end career will be, just it will be Microbiology! I do have a strong interest in research though so yes this is why I kept this option open
Original post by Sparklygreentea
Hiya, ah I'm glad I helped! You don't need IBMS accreditation to be a Microbiologist as there's a different pathway to entering the NHS - you need to do the NHS scientist training programme or do a masters degree. I'm hoping I can do the scientist training programme as it guarantees a job and fully funds a masters degree but we'll see what happens when I graduate!
I'm in year 2 of a Microbiology BSc so I'm not yet sure what my end career will be, just it will be Microbiology! I do have a strong interest in research though so yes this is why I kept this option open
I'm in year 2 of a Microbiology BSc so I'm not yet sure what my end career will be, just it will be Microbiology! I do have a strong interest in research though so yes this is why I kept this option open
Hi, thank you for replying. Again this was helpful info to know and it's quite interesting how becoming a microbiologist vs a biomedical scientist is different from each other!
Original post by Sparklygreentea
I want to add as well that the reason I personally believe it's better to do a non accredited degree for a research career is because the uni doesn't have to operate within the constraints and targets of accreditation, meaning we got more lab time and the uni was freer to educate us based on what they think we need to know and the latest scientific discoveries.
The requirements for accreditation are quite rigid understandably (as you want a consistent standard of education for NHS practitioners naturally). You will be taught how to research in biomedical science as it's important, but you'll get a more in depth understanding of how to research in a non accredited degree in my experience.
The requirements for accreditation are quite rigid understandably (as you want a consistent standard of education for NHS practitioners naturally). You will be taught how to research in biomedical science as it's important, but you'll get a more in depth understanding of how to research in a non accredited degree in my experience.
I was thinking of going the IBMS way, as the placement will give me valuable work experience. Depending on whether I find it fulfilling or too repetitive, I can always choose to pursue a PhD or change my career direction afterward. I'm not sure if it makes sense in real tho
Not sure why anyone would limit their career choices by studying in a non-IBMS accredited course. Russel group Uni's have a lot to answer for since their degrees are not acceptable by the NHS. Alot of students who go for the prestige Uni's will find out the hard way when they actually start looking for jobs.
Just searched online and majority of Biomed jobs are in the NHS and private healthcare providers who all require IBMS.
Just searched online and majority of Biomed jobs are in the NHS and private healthcare providers who all require IBMS.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by Darky121
Not sure why anyone would limit their career choices by studying in a non-IBMS accredited course. Russel group Uni's have a lot to answer for since their degrees are not acceptable by the NHS. Alot of students who go for the prestige Uni's will find out the hard way when they actually start looking for jobs.
Just searched online and majority of Biomed jobs are in the NHS and private healthcare providers who all require IBMS.
Just searched online and majority of Biomed jobs are in the NHS and private healthcare providers who all require IBMS.
Sort of agree, but not everyone wants to be an NHS lab tech, even though there is plenty of work - the issue seems to be some prospective students don't know what they are signing up for and what consequences their (degree) choices bring in the future - which is why I started this thread.
The non-IBMS Biosciences courses seem to offer a wider range of subject matter (presumably because they don't have to follow the IBMS curriculum). For someone straight from A levels, who has good grades and an interest in the subject area (but they don't really know what career choices they want) Biomed Sciences offers a lot. Its why my daughter has this top of her list.
The other folks looking at Biomed courses seem to be folks who would like to do Medicine (or their parents want them to do Medicine) but they don't have the high grades required. Notice that Newcastle (and possibly others) actually allow you to transfer from their Biomed Sciences to Medicine after year 1 if you do well . . .
Original post by ChiefBrody
Sort of agree, but not everyone wants to be an NHS lab tech, even though there is plenty of work - the issue seems to be some prospective students don't know what they are signing up for and what consequences their (degree) choices bring in the future - which is why I started this thread.
The non-IBMS Biosciences courses seem to offer a wider range of subject matter (presumably because they don't have to follow the IBMS curriculum). For someone straight from A levels, who has good grades and an interest in the subject area (but they don't really know what career choices they want) Biomed Sciences offers a lot. Its why my daughter has this top of her list.
The other folks looking at Biomed courses seem to be folks who would like to do Medicine (or their parents want them to do Medicine) but they don't have the high grades required. Notice that Newcastle (and possibly others) actually allow you to transfer from their Biomed Sciences to Medicine after year 1 if you do well . . .
The non-IBMS Biosciences courses seem to offer a wider range of subject matter (presumably because they don't have to follow the IBMS curriculum). For someone straight from A levels, who has good grades and an interest in the subject area (but they don't really know what career choices they want) Biomed Sciences offers a lot. Its why my daughter has this top of her list.
The other folks looking at Biomed courses seem to be folks who would like to do Medicine (or their parents want them to do Medicine) but they don't have the high grades required. Notice that Newcastle (and possibly others) actually allow you to transfer from their Biomed Sciences to Medicine after year 1 if you do well . . .
Perhaps it may be ok for those wanting to get into medicine later one but for anyone else who just wants to be a biomed scientist then it makes no sense to forego the IBMS accreditation and become unable to work in the NHS. If the wider range of subjects offered were including everything taught in the IBMS accredited courses + more then why wouldn't they be automatically eligible to be IBMS accredited? As it stands, people who go for the Russell group degrees have to pay extortionate amounts to complete modules on top of their non-IBMS degree to gain HCPC registration.
I have yet to find more than 10 job vacancies that do not require IBMS/HCPC registeration.
(edited 6 months ago)
Why some unis choose not to pursue IBMS accreditation is an interesting question that only the (non-accredited) unis could answer I guess.
Having been a part time academic for many years, I know decisions about stuff like this aren't made lightly, there must be some good reasons (like onerous paperwork) if lots of unis don't go after IBMS.
Its possible that its as simple as 'free market' principles at play, if they can recruit plenty of students without IBMS then why would they bother - but it would be very interesting to hear a uni explanation - finished doing Open Days now, but I will ask if we get to any Applicant days this year
Having been a part time academic for many years, I know decisions about stuff like this aren't made lightly, there must be some good reasons (like onerous paperwork) if lots of unis don't go after IBMS.
Its possible that its as simple as 'free market' principles at play, if they can recruit plenty of students without IBMS then why would they bother - but it would be very interesting to hear a uni explanation - finished doing Open Days now, but I will ask if we get to any Applicant days this year
Original post by Sparklygreentea
Former lab technician here studying Microbiology at "Russell group uni" Glasgow (UofG)
NHS lab technician posts don't require a degree usually unless it's a research lab technician post. I have interviewed twice and been offered NHS lab technician jobs and I only had a HND.
I entered my last technician role in a private lab with my HND intending to become a scientist and found I was unable to progress to scientist because I lacked the thorough academic training a full degree gives. I was promoted once in the company to a higher salary but could not progress beyond that because I lacked the academic know of year 3 and 4 of university. Hence I've now returned to uni to do Microbiology with the intention of becoming an NHS Microbiologist.
The hypothesis UofG doesn't IBMS accredit it's courses to enable research flexibility is correct. If I had changed my mind about Microbiology with the modules I chose this year I could've gone into human biology, genetics or immunology this year. The flexibility has also allowed me to learn about parasitology this year which has been fascinating. Such flexibility doesn't exist in the IBMS accredited Strathclyde uni Biomedical scientist degree (the equivalent red brick uni in Glasgow) where if you had second thoughts after year 1 you would have to start a new degree from scratch.
My Microbiology lecturer in UofG actually experienced this first hand, she did Microbiology BSc at Glasgow then realised she wanted to be a biomedical scientist - as the course wasn't IBMS accredited she had to go to to another uni to get the accreditation then enter the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist, then after a career of being an NHS Biomedical scientist she returned to Glasgow to be a lecturer and researcher.
If there's any chance you want to be a biomedical scientist, go IBMS accredited. If you want to be a researcher or climb the ranks in commercial pharma, non IBMS degree gives you better research training in my opinion.
NHS lab technician posts don't require a degree usually unless it's a research lab technician post. I have interviewed twice and been offered NHS lab technician jobs and I only had a HND.
I entered my last technician role in a private lab with my HND intending to become a scientist and found I was unable to progress to scientist because I lacked the thorough academic training a full degree gives. I was promoted once in the company to a higher salary but could not progress beyond that because I lacked the academic know of year 3 and 4 of university. Hence I've now returned to uni to do Microbiology with the intention of becoming an NHS Microbiologist.
The hypothesis UofG doesn't IBMS accredit it's courses to enable research flexibility is correct. If I had changed my mind about Microbiology with the modules I chose this year I could've gone into human biology, genetics or immunology this year. The flexibility has also allowed me to learn about parasitology this year which has been fascinating. Such flexibility doesn't exist in the IBMS accredited Strathclyde uni Biomedical scientist degree (the equivalent red brick uni in Glasgow) where if you had second thoughts after year 1 you would have to start a new degree from scratch.
My Microbiology lecturer in UofG actually experienced this first hand, she did Microbiology BSc at Glasgow then realised she wanted to be a biomedical scientist - as the course wasn't IBMS accredited she had to go to to another uni to get the accreditation then enter the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist, then after a career of being an NHS Biomedical scientist she returned to Glasgow to be a lecturer and researcher.
If there's any chance you want to be a biomedical scientist, go IBMS accredited. If you want to be a researcher or climb the ranks in commercial pharma, non IBMS degree gives you better research training in my opinion.
Hi there, I am currently a 1st year undergraduate international student at Uni of Glasgow studying microbiology too! I apologise that my question is not really related to this thread but I wanted to ask you a question but couldn't private message you.
I have seen tons of posts online saying that the career prospect for microbiology has always been more limited and lesser pay when you compare it to other courses, say biochemistry, which is usually the go to due to its versatility. From what I know, microbiology usually leads to two paths, food industry or medical, in which I prefer the latter, though the former is much more common.
So, I am wondering if you enjoy your job and whether you are satisfied with the pay etc as I too am really interested in parasitology. Also, is it rather hard to find jobs from your personal experience or colleagues'? I am also intending to do masters though not sure on what specific subject. May I know if its possible to become a forensic scientist or clinical laboratory scientist?
Would really appreciate your reply
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