Biomedical Scientists

MedMan101

Hi, Im looking for information on what biomedical science is like as a course and as a job. What topics do you cover in college and all that, where you can work and what the money's like?! Thanks

hats199

Hello,
Generally, you would study microbiology, pathophysiology, haematology, genetics and vast amounts of biochemistry. As a job, it's very much dependant on where you work. In a larger hospital in a highly automated department (such as biochemistry) it could be a bit factoryish and I imagine quite dull, as you would be basically performing the same task repeatedly, without ever seeing a specimen through from beginning to end. If however you are lucky enough to get into a smaller lab, the job can be quite satisfying as you get to see specimens through from beginning to end and have more variety in the tasks you perform each day. The money is ok, I'm not sure what it starts at now what with all the cuts, you could get onto the academy of med lab scientists to find out.

line_of_fire

I studied Biomedical Science in DIT for five years, however it is now a four year course. The first year is basic science and from second year onwards it gets more interesting as you cover biochemistry, microbiology, haematology, transfusion, cellular patology, immunology and genetics.

The course is intense but interesting. also a practical placement in hospital in incorporated into the course. I spent the whole third year of college in lab in tallaght hospital. However im not sure how long the placement is on the new four year course. After your placement, a major and a minor subject are picked and these are then what you spend your final years focusing on and carry out your thesis, which again is lab based in one of these subjects.

The main disciplines are haematology, transfusion, microbiology, biochemistry and cell pathogy and to a lesser extent immunology.

the starting wage in the HSE for a medical scientist is 31k a year. Howver the job situation at the min is very bleak there a vey few if any permanent positions available and most of us are working on temp contracts covering maternity leave.

Hope this helps.

EugeneOnegin

line_of_fire wrote: »

I studied Biomedical Science in DIT for five years, however it is now a four year course. The first year is basic science and from second year onwards it gets more interesting as you cover biochemistry, microbiology, haematology, transfusion, cellular patology, immunology and genetics.

The course is intense but interesting. also a practical placement in hospital in incorporated into the course. I spent the whole third year of college in lab in tallaght hospital. However im not sure how long the placement is on the new four year course. After your placement, a major and a minor subject are picked and these are then what you spend your final years focusing on and carry out your thesis, which again is lab based in one of these subjects.

The main disciplines are haematology, transfusion, microbiology, biochemistry and cell pathogy and to a lesser extent immunology.

the starting wage in the HSE for a medical scientist is 31k a year. Howver the job situation at the min is very bleak there a vey few if any permanent positions available and most of us are working on temp contracts covering maternity leave.

Hope this helps.

Ditto. I'm just out of Biomedical Sciences at UCC-CIT. Only thing I would add to what line_of_fire has said is that Biomed graduates are generally very well placed for PhD opportunities and well regarded.
Same goes for jobs in industry.

Although things at the moment look bleak, laboratory medicine is going to be a big component of clinical practice in the near future. So although the slump is currently bumming everyone out, a wealth of opportunity is soon expected.

Also, plenty of clinical lab jobs are to be found in North America and elsewhere, so good opportunity to travel once you've passed whatever competency exams required to practice in the various jurisdictions.

If you've any questions, drop me a pm be I'd more than willing to help

mad al

I have just completed second year of biomedical science in DIT Kevin Street. Its an interesting and fairly intense course with some long days.

Although there are not many jobs at the minute about 40 percent of the profession are due to retire in the next ten years.

As mentioned before starting grades are between 30 and 50 grand with the top of the pay scale being around 100 grand for lab managers (not an easy position to get). The profession is constantly changing at the minute. Lab aids are now begining to do quite a large amout of the bench work Medical laboratory scientists do and there is talk of creating courses for them so there is a question mark as to what direction the profession should move:

1: Fight to hold on to basic bench work (more jobs for us, same pay)
2: Hand over the bench work to lab aids and focus on clinical advisory roles, intrepretation of results and also create consultant positions allowing us to become specialists and also allowing us in the room with the big boys.(Less jobs, more pay).

3rd year is still as mentioned above, hospital placement form September to March with exams every 5 weeks and taught modules from March to June.

If you want to become a medical laboratory scientist DIT, GMIT and UCC/CIT are the only options due to their accreditation. Not sure about the other IT's but DIT's biomedical science degree is held in high regard due to the teaching, its history and its accreditation. Biomedical science degrees in the universities do not offer all the qualifications of the IT's.

Any other questions send me a PM.

darwinswhore

i've just finished first year biomedical science and would have loved to do some work experience but fractured my ankle in march so didn't get round to applying anywhere... i'd say it's too late now for summer work but if anyone has any advice for now or the future that would be brilliant ... i'm kinda thinking my best option is to concentrate on the subjects i've chosen for next year so i at least get good results even though i haven't much experience (so far!) any advice?

EugeneOnegin

darwinswhore wrote: »

i've just finished first year biomedical science and would have loved to do some work experience but fractured my ankle in march so didn't get round to applying anywhere... i'd say it's too late now for summer work but if anyone has any advice for now or the future that would be brilliant ... i'm kinda thinking my best option is to concentrate on the subjects i've chosen for next year so i at least get good results even though i haven't much experience (so far!) any advice?

You could speak to a lecturer whose classes you find interesting about the possibility of doing a summer research studentship with them in one of their labs. Wellcome-Trust, HRB, Biochemical Society and SFI all offer such scholarships.

Failing that, you might try contacting some of hospital labs and offer to work on a voluntary basis or even try a few pharma companies and see if they are taking on summer students in their labs. Best time to start looking is around November/December.

Hope this helps

kermicrzy

darwinswhore wrote: »

i've just finished first year biomedical science and would have loved to do some work experience but fractured my ankle in march so didn't get round to applying anywhere... i'd say it's too late now for summer work but if anyone has any advice for now or the future that would be brilliant ... i'm kinda thinking my best option is to concentrate on the subjects i've chosen for next year so i at least get good results even though i haven't much experience (so far!) any advice?

Yeah def try contacting you lecturers. I know sometimes they are looking for people, but dont necessarily advertise. Its no harm worth trying!

Best of luck, Im sure you'll be able to find something

MedMan101

thanks a lot for this! so would ye recommend biomedical science as a course and an occupation? there seems to be mixed feelings about it.

Tree

The course: totally recommend it, loved it. Very useful for the research I do now.

Occupation: not for me, but i always wanted to get in to research instead though.

mad al

Check out the Biomedical science course thread on page 2 of the DIT forum. There are some very detailed posts on the course and profession there. Also trying to contact an experienced med lab would be a great idea if you wanted the most accurate information on what the profession is like.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055459310

watawaster

I'm just qualified from GMIT med science. It was the first 4 year version and by god we all hated almost every minute. 1st year was grand, 2nd year saw me fail 5 of 12 exams, 3rd year was mostly paid hospital placement (nice number, we got paid for watching people all day), 4th year was hell on earth.

I did like the job during placement, but then I was kept on for the summer in a lab last year and it drove me insane! Think of boredom, repitition, controls, patient name, date of birth, sample underfilled, call ward, nurse very unhappy, me apologising for what is her fault, ughhhhhh....

HOWEVER I only finished on the 1st june and 5 of 23 in my class have jobs in hospitals around the country. They are getting paid a whopping 700euro per week for basically 9-5 monday to friday and thats the most basic level of pay. Irish Medical Scientists are (even now) the highest paid in the world.

EugeneOnegin

watawaster wrote: »

I'm just qualified from GMIT med science. It was the first 4 year version and by god we all hated almost every minute. 1st year was grand, 2nd year saw me fail 5 of 12 exams, 3rd year was mostly paid hospital placement (nice number, we got paid for watching people all day), 4th year was hell on earth.

I did like the job during placement, but then I was kept on for the summer in a lab last year and it drove me insane! Think of boredom, repitition, controls, patient name, date of birth, sample underfilled, call ward, nurse very unhappy, me apologising for what is her fault, ughhhhhh....

HOWEVER I only finished on the 1st june and 5 of 23 in my class have jobs in hospitals around the country. They are getting paid a whopping 700euro per week for basically 9-5 monday to friday and thats the most basic level of pay. Irish Medical Scientists are (even now) the highest paid in the world.

Haha I just replied to one of your posts on a different forum Watawaster :eek:

Being a med. scientist isn't that bad, it really depends on which discipline you end up working in (if you're in blood transfusion or histology, prepare to be zombie-fyed). I've worked in a lot of different labs through the 5years of my undergraduate and I can say clinical labs were the best places.

Lab jobs are quite routine and repeatitve regardless of the nature of the work (although research can be a bit more exciting).

In essence, Biomed is a fantastic undergrad degree to have and a great springboard for a wealth of opportunities. Personally for me, the day job doesn't live up to expectations, but then again I never planned on sticking with Biomed.

check out the IBMS or AMLS website for further details about the profession Med Man 101. If you want to contact any lecturers or course directors I'd be happy to provide contact details for you. Best of luck

watawaster

EugeneOnegin wrote:

Haha I just replied to one of your posts on a different forum Watawaster :eek:

I've just noticed that too... :eek::eek:

And iv just checked up on the GAMSAT and GEM forums.. we have wayy too much in common. You don't have UL 1st choice for sept? Now that'd be freaky

Cara Bean

hi guys im goin to college next school year and im planning to do biomed sciences. although am not sure which institute is better in general terms. is it DIT or CIT?

Tree

The teaching quality in both is very good, as are lab facillities and links to hospitals. Having studied in both, I could not recommend one over the other, I enjoyed my time in CIT and DIT.

CIT has a better canteen but DIT has some good places to eat nearby. CIT has parking, DIT does not. Neither has good coffee. If you're the sort who travels home everyweekend, that'll probably have a bigger impact on where you choose. If you don't travel home, both cities have plenty to offer.

Cara Bean

I also have in mind biological and chemical sciences but am not sure what is it exactly about. i need help please.

Dingle_berry

(Biomed hasn't been CIT since the level 8 degree became a requirement. CIT doesn't award the level 8, UCC does. CIT used to organise the placements as part of the level 7 degree. The level 7 is gone and both institutions are joint providers of the degree. )
The Cork degree is multi-disciplinary. Its also still 5 years including placement AFAIK.
In the DIT degree students chose a major and a minor after their hospital placement. The degree is only 4 years including (a shorter) placement.
There is a lot of talk over which is better but in the end you come out with a level 8 degree in biomedical sciences that is recognised by the AMLS - all you need to be a medical scientist in Ireland. The DIT degree is also recognised by the IBMS - the British version of the AMLS.
I don't know of any major, glaring differences between the degrees. Both are taught in reputable institutions. It may be as simple as choosing between cork and Dublin. (Most people's first jobs are back in the hospital that they did their placement in so if you go to DIT this is likely to be Dublin)

Biological & chemical sciences is almost general entry science. It's essentially most of the biological degrees and most of the chemical degrees put together in first year. After first year you start to specialise by choosing optional modules. It means that you don't have to choose between chemistry or biology on your cao form.

Cara Bean

I have another question. What is the career difference between biomed sciences and biological and chemical sciences? I mean what will you end up like if u did biomed or the other? Can u do a PHd after? Sorry if i have silly questions ..

Dingle_berry

The biomedical science degrees are targeted at making Medical Laboratory Scientists. These are the people that analyse blood, urine, feces, swabs and tissue and produce reports on them for doctors to make clinical decisions on. (Eg how many red cells, is there MRSA there, what blood type is the patient, would the tumour respond to a certain therapy, how much of a chemical is in the patient, etc)

Biological & chemical sciences it depends on which stream/major you choose but you would specialise in an area like microbiology or chemistry of pharmaceutical compounds.

Both degrees courses provide good foundations for PhDs. "They" say that the reason UCC got involved in the biomedical degree was to gain access to students with a broad foundation in human pathology for cancer research PhDs.
If it's chemistry, zoology, ecology or plant sciences that you're interested in Biomed isn't for you - it focuses on human pathology.

Cara Bean

and what would be the maximum salary for biomed sciences? i also have another question about medicine. lets say you did not get enough points from the leaving cert to do medicine. is there a way or a course that you can do so that you can end up as a medicine student if you get me?

Dingle_berry

Cara Bean wrote: »

and what would be the maximum salary for biomed sciences? i also have another question about medicine. lets say you did not get enough points from the leaving cert to do medicine. is there a way or a course that you can do so that you can end up as a medicine student if you get me?

There are 4 grades of biomedical scientist. A new entrant basic grade starts out on €31000. Some of these participate in on call and other out of hours work which earns more. The highest earning medical scientists in the public sector would be Laboratory Managers who would earn around €80000. To progress past the basic grade you have to complete a recognised MSc.
I have no idea about courses that allow you to transfer into medicine. I guess that would depend on how similar the course is to the medicine course. It would be easier to do from within the same institution.

Biomedical science, general science or medicine - the course you choose is something you could spend a significant portion of the rest of your life working at. Even after you retire it will be so deeply ingrained in you that you'll never forget it. Don't choose a career based on cash figures or similar perceptions.
If its medicine that you want, go for it. Directly. Beating everyone else in the competition for college places will require a lot but no less than you'll need to become a doctor.

Abby19

Cara Bean wrote: »

and what would be the maximum salary for biomed sciences? i also have another question about medicine. lets say you did not get enough points from the leaving cert to do medicine. is there a way or a course that you can do so that you can end up as a medicine student if you get me?

As far as I am aware the Human Health and Disease course in Trinity is their Biomedical Science degree. When Trinity didn't get awarded one of the Grad Med courses, they set up HHD and the idea was that over the 4 years they would cover everything in 1st Med and a few from the course might be able to enter 2nd Med on graduation as accelerated entry. However this year is the first year that there will be any graduates, so not sure if that route was ever finalised.

Afaik the only accelerated entry options in Trinity are Dental Science graduates who can apply and enter as accelerated entrants in 3rd Med. These are generally planning to go down the Maxillo-Facial Surgery route for whom a double degree is required (Med and Dent). There are Physios and pharmacists among other health scientists who have to do the whole 5 years in Trinity, but may be able to get exemption from a subject here or there.

I don't think there is any way to transfer into Med say if you get 100% in your 1st science exams, as you won't have covered all subjects. I think the only way to become a medical student if you do another course is to either
a) get a 2.1 and apply for Graduate Medicine or
b) complete the course and apply as a mature student (over 23)
And you would be liable for fees under a or b as you would already have a degree.