Work experience for biomedical science or biotech
I’m currently looking for companies to email, but it seems all of them don’t offer an exact work experience place
Anyone who’s done the degree or is looking into the course can you share your experience?
Have you been able to find work experience if so how so and where
Further on did it help you at all or is work experience in this area really helpful?
Anyone who’s done the degree or is looking into the course can you share your experience?
Have you been able to find work experience if so how so and where
Further on did it help you at all or is work experience in this area really helpful?
Reply 1
Have you reached out to universities to see if you can shadow a researcher or looked at related positions in hospitals?
If you cannot find anything then i suggest looking at virtual programs. You can find them on Springpod, unifrog and the forage
If you cannot find anything then i suggest looking at virtual programs. You can find them on Springpod, unifrog and the forage
Reply 2
Original post
by conquering-houseI’m currently looking for companies to email, but it seems all of them don’t offer an exact work experience place
Anyone who’s done the degree or is looking into the course can you share your experience?
Have you been able to find work experience if so how so and where
Further on did it help you at all or is work experience in this area really helpful?
Anyone who’s done the degree or is looking into the course can you share your experience?
Have you been able to find work experience if so how so and where
Further on did it help you at all or is work experience in this area really helpful?
Hi @conquering-house
Work experience before applying isn't necessary, no university will reject an application because of a lack of relevant experience, especially as it is so hard to get lab-based experience as an under 18. However, work experience during university is really important.
I did a placement year in biotechnology (early drug discovery and development) as part of my degree, this role was advertised by the company on their website. I also applied for a research internship at my university which was advertised by a dementia research charity based at Lancaster University, however, my department also advertised other summer internship opportunities.
I think work experience is really important. It can help you understand what it's actually like to work in a lab (I experienced both an academic and industry lab, which are very different) and if you actually like working in science and want to pursue it after graduation. You can learn new scientific techniques and contextualise the content you've learnt at university. Additionally, it can make you much more competitive when applying for graduate roles or further study.
With how the job market is right now, I think getting any work experience during university is essential, even if it's part-time or unrelated to your degree.
Best of luck with finding an opportunity, please let me know if I can help you with any other questions.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Reply 3
Original post
by Lancaster Student AmbassadorHi @conquering-house
Work experience before applying isn't necessary, no university will reject an application because of a lack of relevant experience, especially as it is so hard to get lab-based experience as an under 18. However, work experience during university is really important.
I did a placement year in biotechnology (early drug discovery and development) as part of my degree, this role was advertised by the company on their website. I also applied for a research internship at my university which was advertised by a dementia research charity based at Lancaster University, however, my department also advertised other summer internship opportunities.
I think work experience is really important. It can help you understand what it's actually like to work in a lab (I experienced both an academic and industry lab, which are very different) and if you actually like working in science and want to pursue it after graduation. You can learn new scientific techniques and contextualise the content you've learnt at university. Additionally, it can make you much more competitive when applying for graduate roles or further study.
With how the job market is right now, I think getting any work experience during university is essential, even if it's part-time or unrelated to your degree.
Best of luck with finding an opportunity, please let me know if I can help you with any other questions.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Work experience before applying isn't necessary, no university will reject an application because of a lack of relevant experience, especially as it is so hard to get lab-based experience as an under 18. However, work experience during university is really important.
I did a placement year in biotechnology (early drug discovery and development) as part of my degree, this role was advertised by the company on their website. I also applied for a research internship at my university which was advertised by a dementia research charity based at Lancaster University, however, my department also advertised other summer internship opportunities.
I think work experience is really important. It can help you understand what it's actually like to work in a lab (I experienced both an academic and industry lab, which are very different) and if you actually like working in science and want to pursue it after graduation. You can learn new scientific techniques and contextualise the content you've learnt at university. Additionally, it can make you much more competitive when applying for graduate roles or further study.
With how the job market is right now, I think getting any work experience during university is essential, even if it's part-time or unrelated to your degree.
Best of luck with finding an opportunity, please let me know if I can help you with any other questions.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Is it possible to get work experience u-18 in labs? Also how do you find your current work in biotechnology is it enjoyable?
Reply 4
Original post
by DerDracologeHave you reached out to universities to see if you can shadow a researcher or looked at related positions in hospitals?
If you cannot find anything then i suggest looking at virtual programs. You can find them on Springpod, unifrog and the forage
If you cannot find anything then i suggest looking at virtual programs. You can find them on Springpod, unifrog and the forage
I can find a lot of stuff online, however when it comes to in person work experience it seems like not many are accepting unless I do work experience in a medical area such as pharmacy but even so those are still competitive
Reply 5
20
You don't need 'relevant work experience' to apply for these degree subjects - it is not an entry requirement and would make no difference at all to your application.
A degree is an academic course - so its not like applying for an apprenticeship where you need to show 'relevant prior experience'. Unis will state clearly on each course page exactly what their 'entry requirements' are for that degree, and it won't include work-experience because this is no indicator of whether or not you can copewith the course, or will be a 'better student'.
For these degrees you need to show that you are interested in studying that subject beyond just school / A level. You need to do relevant reading at a more advanced level so that you have examples of higher level topics that interest you to discuss/explain in your Personal Statement.
Suggestions :
Suggested Subject Resources | University of Oxford (good for all Unis)
Resources to study Biomedical Science - ARU
Taster Lectures | Faculty of Biological Sciences | University of Leeds
Relevant Radio 4 podcasts - BBC Radio 4 - Inside Health - Available now
A degree is an academic course - so its not like applying for an apprenticeship where you need to show 'relevant prior experience'. Unis will state clearly on each course page exactly what their 'entry requirements' are for that degree, and it won't include work-experience because this is no indicator of whether or not you can copewith the course, or will be a 'better student'.
For these degrees you need to show that you are interested in studying that subject beyond just school / A level. You need to do relevant reading at a more advanced level so that you have examples of higher level topics that interest you to discuss/explain in your Personal Statement.
Suggestions :
Suggested Subject Resources | University of Oxford (good for all Unis)
Resources to study Biomedical Science - ARU
Taster Lectures | Faculty of Biological Sciences | University of Leeds
Relevant Radio 4 podcasts - BBC Radio 4 - Inside Health - Available now
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 6
Original post
by conquering-houseIs it possible to get work experience u-18 in labs? Also how do you find your current work in biotechnology is it enjoyable?
Hi @conquering-house
I did manage to get some shadowing in labs u-18, but it basically requires you to know the right people. The company my mum worked at had a small chemistry lab, so I went in for a day and shadowed the chemists as they collected samples and ran titrations which was cool. I also managed to get a few days shadowing in a lab at the University of Warwick. Basically one of the scientists there was married to one of the teachers at my school, so she came to give a talk about the work she did in her lab (plant science). A few people who went to the talk went to ask if there would be an opportunity to shadow in her lab and she arranged something for us, which was very kind of her.
These weren't opportunities that were available out there, it required asking the right people the right questions and also having the right network connections. I wouldn't have been in that chemistry lab if my mum didn't work in the same building, and if I'd cold emailed that plant scientist with no connection to her I doubt she'd have offered me the shadowing opportunity. This is why lab experience/shadowing u-18 is not expected at all and won't give an advantage on applications.
I loved my year working in biotechnology. You don't realise how collaborative science is until you're sat in the project meetings and hearing everyone bring their research in to solve one problem. I was given my own project and I was responsible for my own work and other scientists in the company relied on me to produce results to contribute to the department. I was in the lab every day, and got experience in documenting all my work to an incredibly high standard - every experiment I did had to be counter-signed by another scientist. I learnt so much, and I managed to network with some amazing people who gave me great advice for my future career. I cannot recommend a placement year enough - it was my favourite year of university.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Reply 7
Thanks this clears up a lot of questions I had appreciate it
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