Anyone on this do the biomed masters in university of ulster?

jimjoe23

Anyone on this do the biomed masters in university of ulster and have any advice on doing it? as I have just started it

creeper1

Thought about it but really the whole biomedical sciences laboratory has become CRAZY competitive recently. You really need the sandwich year in your undergrad course I would have thought.

I guess you could go into research (PhDs and stuff) and get success there.

Good luck man.

Jimoslimos

Competitive in the UK or Ireland, or both?

Is the Ulster MSc IBMS accredited? Starting my MSc in the UK in Jan and hoping to progress onto research - the ability to get HPC registration is just a bonus.

ancapailldorcha

Alright lads, I was the class rep of '09-'10 so feel free to ask me any questions. Just saw this thread.

It IS accredited by the IBMS & AMLS. However, you will ALSO need a Biomed undergrad. A lot of people overlooked this. Make sure you have a proper undergrad if being a medical scientist is what you want to do.

Finally, make sure you know the Recombinant DNA Technology and Oncology module well. About a third of my year failed it.

Jimoslimos

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

It IS accredited by the IBMS & AMLS. However, you will ALSO need a Biomed undergrad. A lot of people overlooked this. Make sure you have a proper undergrad if being a medical scientist is what you want to do.

It wouldn't effect my choice anyway but I was under the impression you could qualify with a suitable non-biomedical sci degree (Biology & Chem in my case), plus work exp in a laboratory (which I also have) and/or the approved MSc.

Also aware that further training *may* be required in the case of the non-accredited degree.

Tree

Basically it's at the discretion of the AMLS, who have too many qualified candidates w/o jobs, that people w/o hte masters have to be particularly outstanding to be considered. Either way, I reckon the biomed stuff is a good start for a research career (which you dont need accrediation for phew)

ancapailldorcha

I was explicitly told it would by a Senior Medical Scientist in Dublin who suggested I do the course. However, as Tree says, they've tightened things up. You need an accredited undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science. Alternatively you can fill out the IBMS Form B (it's £250) to find out what modules you need to complete before you qualify. University of Ulster to a PGCE in Biomedical Science which "upgrades" your degree to BMS. However, do check with the AMLS/IBMS first. You'd still need to find a trainee position as BMS students spend a year on placement in a hospital lab.
On a more positive note, Portstewart is quite small and has a superb social scene and going out is quite cheap.

creeper1

It is hard nowadays to know exactly what field to go into given that most aren't a bed of roses.

I haven't heard many success stories recently of biomed graduates landing jobs as trainee Biomedical Laboratory Scientists unless they done a sandwich year as part of their undergrad degree.

This is certainly the case in England and I wouldn't have thought it much different in Ireland though someone could correct me on that.

You could go into research but please before you do check Science magazine's job forum.

You will find that there IS a oversupply of Phds and many complain about an academic "pyramid scheme"

I don't want to put anyone off. God knows the people reading this could all be more intelligent than myself with a better finger on the pulse of the job market than myself.

Anyway I just want to give you the "heads up."

Talk to real researchers on the Science magazine forum.;)

http://scforum.aaas.org/

Good Luck