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Undergraduate Biomedical Science

If I am applying to an IBMS accredited university with a sandwich placement do my chances of getting STP improve? And I was also hoping to get ideas for a back-up plan if stp doesn't work out what can I do in the year before I reapply?
Original post by Ash723
If I am applying to an IBMS accredited university with a sandwich placement do my chances of getting STP improve? And I was also hoping to get ideas for a back-up plan if stp doesn't work out what can I do in the year before I reapply?

Hi Ash723, I’m currently doing a PhD in Biology, and I did my BSc and Master’s at Oxford Brookes University. While I didn’t study Biomedical Sciences, many of my friends did, and I even took a few of their modules. Oxford Brookes offers an IBMS-accredited Biomedical Sciences course with a popular, well-supported sandwich/placement year. If you’d like to chat more about the course, feel free to reach out!

The Scientist Training Programme (STP) is a three-year NHS programme that includes a fully-funded MSc in Clinical Science and a salaried Band 6 position. You can find more about the accredited universities for the MSc here: STP Academic Courses. It’s designed to train graduates for clinical science roles in the NHS, focussing on integrating genomics and advancing personalised medicine in the UK.

Doing an IBMS-accredited degree with a sandwich/placement year is a strong step toward the STP. It provides valuable lab experience, boosts your CV, and demonstrates commitment to the field. However, the STP is competitive, so there is a focus on achieving strong grades and making the most of your placement year - highlighting and communicating the skills and experience you gained from the placement in your application.

For a back-up plan, I recommend websites like Prospects. An IBMS-accredited degree offers a broad foundation, which is helpful if you decide to pursue roles in lab work, research, or related industries. That said, gaining skills in computational biology or bioinformatics can be a great asset alongside a Biomed degree. Learning coding languages like Python or R - often used in Biomedical Science - could open doors to alternative career paths in health tech, AI, or data analysis. It would also complement the STP and a career in clinical sciences.

Good luck with your application, and let me know if you have more questions!
I'm going to disagree with the previous poster. A biomedical science degree is accepted for some of the STP specialisms, but it's not necessarily the most sensible. It depends which specialism you're applying for and for most specialisms there are better options than a biomedical science degree (https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/programmes/stp/applicants/entry-requirements/).

(I will also say that I'm a clinical scientist with a biomedical science undergraduate degree so it isn't impossible. But an IBMS accredited degree like the one at Oxford Brookes aims to prepare staff to join a career as a biomedical scientist rather than a clinical scientist which is what the STP looks for).

It's also not guaranteed that you would get a sandwich placement while on the degree. Even for students accepted onto the course the placement positions are competitive.

That being said, having work experience does help with an STP application. You can get on straight from final year of university but that's more common in some specialisms than others. If what you're looking for is the STP - then look at the core specification for the job and work backwards from there (https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/publications/scientist-training-programme-core-person-specification/html/).
(edited 1 month ago)
a word of caution - courses recognised by the HCPC will be recognised by IBMS, the reverse is not always true.

St Georges is recognised by IBMS but not by the HCPC. To upgrade to the recognised qualification you need the "certificate of competence" awarded by the IBMS as a part of a training job. These training jobs are exceptionally rare to non-existant. In practice, you get hired as a lab assistant and stick around long enough/pester your manager into facilitating the opportunity.


As for the HCPC courses, it depends massively on your course title and your placement. There have been instances where the supply of IBMS compatible placements is fairly small compared to the number in the cohort.Buyer beware. Do check my post history, including within the epic "biomedical science is a pointless degree"

As for STP, there is massive competition. I tried a long time ago for histocompatibility and immunogenetics - I was one of 1200 applicants. Things might have improved. Another thing to have in mind, *any* bioscience grad can apply for STP. Increasing the competition further.

** Edit **
St Georges biomedical science has not been recognised by IBMS since 2019. That said, their current course offers a placement year which could include a NHS lab opportunities. I studied there in 2008 and I liked the course and the environment, hence my enthusiasm.
(edited 1 week ago)
Original post by captainmandrake
a word of caution - courses recognised by the HCPC will be recognised by IBMS, the reverse is not always true.
St Georges is recognised by IBMS but not by the HCPC. To upgrade to the recognised qualification you need the "certificate of competence" awarded by the IBMS as a part of a training job. These training jobs are exceptionally rare to non-existant. In practice, you get hired as a lab assistant and stick around long enough/pester your manager into facilitating the opportunity.
As for the HCPC courses, it depends massively on your course title and your placement. There have been instances where the supply of IBMS compatible placements is fairly small compared to the number in the cohort.Buyer beware. Do check my post history, including within the epic "biomedical science is a pointless degree"
As for STP, there is massive competition. I tried a long time ago for histocompatibility and immunogenetics - I was one of 1200 applicants. Things might have improved. Another thing to have in mind, *any* bioscience grad can apply for STP. Increasing the competition further.

You need an IBMS certificate of competence to join the HCPC as a BMS. And you cannot get a certificate of competence without working in an IBMS accredited lab (unless you have trained and worked outside of the UK and then you can apply direct to HCPC.)

If you are a UK graduate you need the IBMS piece of paper to get onto the HCPC. The HCPC themselves do not accredit anything. (I am on two HCPC registered and am very familiar with their processes).

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