Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Genetics and Cell Biology Info

Craguls

Hey Guys,

I'm currently in 6th year and was hoping someone here could give me a hand CAO course wise.
(deadline's looming lol)

I'm trying to decide between Genetics and Cell Biology and Chemical Sciences and was hoping to get a inside opinion of either.
(How's the workload, hours etc). How flexible is common entry science after year 1?; Is it easy or possible to change degree choice?

Also If anyones done INTRA in either how was it?

Lastly, is either course geared more towrads the industry or mainly R&D?

Any help appreciated!:D

Brow

Well I did Common Entry and went into Analytical. When I left common entry, it was the first year genetics was available so they were fairly tight on who they were gonna let in as they accepted large numbers initially. At the end of common entry you rank your choices in order of preference but i never met anyone who was upset bu what they got. Our classs was about 30-35 and we got spread out over 5 areas i think it was. Plus people drop out after first year freeing up numbers so i wouldnt worry about not getting aplace on a course.

Also everyone does the same common first year so when you start second year i knew people swapping courses after half a year having spoke to the course head. It s easy enough to swap for the first few weeks but just dont leave it too late and get the course head on a good day (and dont do it frequently!)

As for how theyre geared its kind of 50:50. As you go into industry in 3rd year there are modules that will specifically prepare you for industrial aspects. In 4th year youll do a mini research project to give you a taste of R&D so the courses are geared for both in short. The INTRA jobs for my course were the same ones for chem pharm and I really enjoyed mine. On the other hand i knew people who hated theirs so its luck of the draw really. Sure I even had a genetics person in the same job as me and they loved it so as said, it really is luck on where you get and who you are really!

As for workload, chem pharm have about 35 hour weeks with a lot of those in the lab and then module too and also lab reports on top of that. Genetics was fairly new when i worked in sync with them so they got it kinda easy compared to the rest of us (slightly less hours and lab reports etc) but id say at this stage theyve gotten it up to speed with the other course (ie similar work load).

Whoo, sorry for the long reply but i think i covered everything. Feel free to ask more if you want.

Craguls

That sounds like what I'm looking for

So which did you find more involved in the drug designaspect genetics or chem sciences? I'm looking to do the Pharmaceutical stream in 3rd and 4th year but I hear genetics do modules on therapeutics.
Also how come you switched; personal interests or was it to with the course itself?

Brow

It depends what you really want to do. If you want to do pharaceuticals, do chem pharm, if you want to do biology based targetting therapeutics, genetics will focus on that. For example, I did analytical chemistry and im now doing a PhD in targetted therapeutics (very biology based). Dont let choosing a degree worry you at this stage. Youve plenty of options down the road. My advice would be to do common entry or genetics. Common entry gives you a year to decide and then you worry about what path to take. If you do genetics, your in the class but have the option of changing/trasferring whereas with comon entry im not sure if that is eligible for choosing genetics as a path, id find this out then decide.

I didnt switch, in common entry, you get the choice to choose after first year which class to go into whereas people who went into their classes dont have that option. If they want to change they run the messy risk of being denied. So once I finished my first year, i chose analytical. Every first year is in the same class essentially (huge lecture hall), its only after first year you begin to split off into specific course orientated modules.

Evangelion

I did Chem and Pharma, have a degree a few years now.

One thing I warn people about is make sure you want to go this route, if you dont do a Phd, the jobs out there just arn't that great to be honest, not in this country anyway.

Also, the people on the radio saying there's huge amounts of jobs are lying (though there prob will be some when you grad), there hasn't been any jobs in pharma for 6 months

DemocAnarchis

Evangelion wrote: »

One thing I warn people about is make sure you want to go this route, if you dont do a Phd, the jobs out there just arn't that great to be honest, not in this country anyway.

Wish someone had told me that before I began :pac:

Currently in 4th year of chemical and pharmaceutical science, its a tough course and (after first year) you will have to work fairly hard at it. Its quite interesting bar a few dud lecturers, but the same can be said about any course.

As for the Pharmaceutical stream, you dont actually have a choice; the other stream (Chemical with materials science or some such) hasn't been run for years due to absolutely no interest.

I got lucky for my INTRA and got a placement in a Process Development research lab, but the vast majority of it is analytical, so while useful if you want to be a lab rat, not so much if you are interested in research.

Also, if you are interested in research, jobs are few and far between in Ireland outside universities as I'm currently finding out, so bear that in mind.

I got the feeling from our course that it was aimed for those who wanted to go into further study, but equipped you with enough knowledge to go into QC etc as the majority will I imagine.

Craguls

Thanks guys this stuff is really helpful
This is gonna sound strange but are you happy with the course?
Those of you who got jobs were they difficult to come by and what was the graduate salary if you don't mind me asking?

Brow

Im happy enough but in saying that as previously posted, the jobs are sparse at the moment. I graduated just there and went straight into a PhD so i havent had the pleasures of looking for a job as such. I was happy enough with my course, i mean its pretty hard at times, the workload can be heavy going at times but the work you put in pays off in a variety of ways.

One thing that annoyed me though and its present for all courses is they gift wrap them a little. I remember them doing a stall for my degree showing sixth classers a demonstration that you can do all CSI stuff with my degree. We did a two modules on Forensics and that was it! You really need to look at doing something else with the degree you choose in order to achieve such aspirations. Id say a good 50% of my year are doing PhDs and masters and the remainders are now working and looking to go back to do PhDs and masters now!

Craguls

Yeah I can understand what you mean, I did the young scientist in TY two years ago and was working in the basement labs near the engineering entrance. All the researchers were pretty straight with us as reagrds the state of the industry etc. I'm just looking for a career in medical science that'll get me a job with a course thats chemistry, biology and maths based. (not a major physics fan)
Basically it's between genetics and biotech, or chemicals and pharmaceuticals hence looking for help with my dilemma
Thanks for your help so far guys! Trinity's forum ignored my thread:mad:

Evangelion

Im not happy with it, though a degree in anything will get you into other areas.

From what I've seen of industry, its not bad if you can get into production, and ok in development.

But every science course seems good enough to do QC lab work, which is hugely boring and unfulfilling. I'm just about to leave and move to a new career.

I started on €29,000, which is top end for a graduate. In the current climate, I'm being offer the same for senior analyst positions.....for a degree holder, there just isn't any money in science.

I hear abroad the degree goes further, R&D and that, you'd be "wasted in QC"

sunnyjim

Evangelion, when you say new career, are you leaving science? Or are you gonna take the current RSC party line - 'Management holds great opportunity for science graduates'?

Something tells me that the next few positions for the Public analyst lab, Forensic Science lab and State lab are gonna be hot contests! 950 applied for the last FS GIII position in the FS lab. Yeesh.

napapa

As a degree (Chem and Pharma) and PhD DCU graduate. I can only comment on the Chem and Pharma degree, 50% of graduates went into PhD programs. I believe the degree is designed to produce R&D graduates. I was lucky enough to spend my intra placement abroad at another university, excellent experience.

If you plan to start a career in science, do not on the basis of money. It is an excellent and challanging career but hard work and time is needed to get to a position that suits you.

Best of luck with decision:)

Craguls

Thanks guys it seems that the career prospects for a chemistry degree seem to be limited to quality control, at least in this country.

Thanks for all the help here but I might opt for Biotechnology which I've been reading up on lately since there seems to be more job prospects and career options with the degree at the moment

sunnyjim

To be honest when people say QC, I assume they mean the grunt work of the lab (all the lab work, but little of the analysis). Generally most work you'll do when you start as a grad is going to be this. You have to decide if you want to work pharma or not though.

Personnally, I don't think I'll ever be able to work in a pharma lab. The limitations, the attention to detail and the absolute precision of working under the ISO17025 conditions would probably kill me tbh. Donning the disposable overalls everyday, no radios in the labs, the same repetative tasks everyday... Not sure its for me. My lab isn't QA or QC.... Tis QI. And there'd be mutiny if they took our radio away from us

Actually, has anyone here entered a company and gone upwards from lab analyst? What's the lab work like going up - less I guess?