Biomedicine

Is there someone who works or studies in Biomedicine in Belfast (UK/ Ireland)? If so, could you please share your experiences, such as job opportunities, salaries, companies, and whether the job/ course is what you expected?

Reply 1

Scienceisgood

I work as a trainee Biomedical Scientist (Clinical Biochemistry department) if that’s what you mean?

BSc and MSc in Biomedical Science. 🙂

Reply 2

angelalcantara

Original post

by Scienceisgood

I work as a trainee Biomedical Scientist (Clinical Biochemistry department) if that’s what you mean?
BSc and MSc in Biomedical Science. 🙂

Hello, yes exactly. If is it possible you share about your experience and thoughts. Please.

Reply 3

Scienceisgood

Original post

by angelalcantara

Hello, yes exactly. If is it possible you share about your experience and thoughts. Please.

Hi;

Here is a link to a response to a message I responded to last week for a more in depth conversation (I also want to make it clear that taking a Biomedical Science degree does not automatically make you a Biomedical Scientist as is a common misconception, more explained below):

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7658444&p=101154337

Before I begin, I was to make it clear if you want to work as a BMS in the UK, your degree HAS TO BE IBMS accredited. There are no exceptions as a Biomedical Scientist is a protected title (it is illegal to claim to be one and not). The acceditation is needed to take on the IBMS portfolio which you need to do to become a member of the Institute Of Biomedical Science (IBMS) which you then use to become a member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is the organisation which protects the public from a range of healthcare professions including dieticians, biomedical scientists, paramedics etc... as they monitor people to determine if they have performed a range of medical malpractices to determine if they have done anything to warrent losing their registration i.e. if a Biomedical Scientist starts playing the role of doctor.

Anyway, Biomedical Science is effectively there to help provide service users (Clinicians, Surgeons, Doctors etc...) with the results needed to aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients. In my course where I attended (I attended UWE), the course was heavily case study based (translation, diagnose the patient and say the reasons why it is likely disease X and not disease Y or Z). The reason for the biomedical science course is to teach you the pathology of disease (pathology = study of disease) and whereby the reasons why one condition could lead to another. My favourite part of the course was clinical biochemistry, hence why I work in the field.

Below is a few examples of exam questions (these are all final year questions, so please don't feel overwhelmed but you will be taught how to answer these) we were given as well as coursework. I graduated in 2018 from my BSc and 2024 in my MSc (I went back to help me with further progression career wise). Be aware that not all questions are case study based as you can see, there is a 100 mark question asking you to explain the different diagnostic markers.

BChem Q1.PNG

MSc Coursework Question:

MSc Coursework.PNG

In reality you'll never get this kind of detail on your results in a pathology lab, however, you are expected to know how one result can lead to another result. It is my job (hopefully very soon) to make calls to doctors when I see a particularly alarming result in order to make them aware as sometimes results simply can't be left until the doctor sees them or the doctor may call the lab saying they need to make an urgent add on test to a result or one needs to be put at the front of the queue for results ASAP.

You are also not expected to work only on blood but things like spinal fluid, tissue fluid, urine, faeces etc...

Careers:
With careers, I took my degree as to put it simply, I found the degree interesting but wanted to be a teacher, having gone into a teaching course, I learned it wasn't for me (I was too nice). I then went onto working in a lab and 3 years later, I am about to get my government registration to become a legally registered BMS (hopefully by the end of next month).

You could go into research if there are any research positions available in different companies (including universities but this would effectively require you to get a PhD), go into biomedical engineering (becoming an engineer on the analysers) or become a specialist BMS or enter the NHS STP route to become a clinical scientist.

(edited 1 month ago)

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