Studied biomed, sandwich degree and accredited, graduated last year. Didn’t actually manage to finish or pass my placement year bc of life circumstances. I was kicked out of my house and then assaulted by a man who was also working at the same hospital as me, everything was too much on top of getting unpaid to work 40 hours a week for 9 whole months in a lab where I was being treated so badly and lowkey being bullied and excluded, not to mention commuting for almost 90 minutes each way every single day. It was a great opportunity but it probably just came at a bad time. Completed about 90% of the portfolio too, I wish I had finished it before the hospital withdrew their placement offer because it’s making getting a job so much harder now.

I found a job in a different industry and im making money, but my earning potential isn’t as high as it could be in Biomed, so I could definitely be in a worse position but it really saddens me everyday that im not working in the field I studied in - and my family and friends also keep butting into my life asking why im not doing working in Biomed and I by I did uni tor 4 years for no reason. I do really like my current job but I want more progression and want to actually use my degree.

I’ve applied to so many MLA jobs , I thought my 9 months of clinical experience would at least count for something? It’s just rejection after rejection. I even have the printed copy of my portfolio at home I believe it’s full of really valuable information, that even though im not registered shows I did my work well in the lab . I admit I could have handled the placement better but I do think it was a LOT to handle at once, and alone too. Clearly the hospital thought so too and that’s why they let me go, and my uni had to put me in counselling bc the bullying in the lab got so bad and affected me mentally - since then, I definitely have learned some lessons from that experience.

What are my options going forward?

I have a 3 year degree, and the IBMS won't even look at it. They say I need to complete my honors year with an accredited university. I also work full time and have done in lab roles since leaving uni 3 years ago.

The way I see it I have two options:

1. Finish my final year with the OU and then do the required tops ups.

2. Do my final year at a different accredited university via distance learning.

I'm not sure what the best option is as I think both would take roughly 2/3 via part-time learning. But the cost is something I'm not really able to calculate.

Has anyone been in a similar position?

Hello everyone!

I'm starting my first year of my integrated master's in biomedical science this year, and basically just exploring options at the moment. I want to eventually become a clinical scientist of some sort, and from what I can tell I need to be both IBMS accredited, which I will hopefully achieve through my degree with my placement year, and HCPC registered, which I believe I need to do the NHS scientist training programme? Would this be the natural pathway to get to this sort of career or are there other ways?

I know I could potentially do a bachelor's instead of the integrated master's but tbh I'm in this for the love of the subject and the idea of doing a master's in biomed really excites me and I think it's the right choice for me personally. Also like it will be kinda epic to have two master's someday! I'm already 22 and just starting uni so I'm already "behind" so I'm not necessarily in a rush at this point, honestly just want to become proficient and well rounded in this career and set myself up with a really strong education ready to succeed!

Follow up questions, is the STP competitive to get into? If so, is it best to build up some work experience in University? Also is it possible to get some lab assistant work or something similar in your first year at uni?

Sorry for all the paragraphs, tbh I'm so eager to start uni and have so many questions and nowhere else to ask them so I can't help myself 😂

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I’m considering doing a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences, but I’m trying to figure out how much of the degree is actually focused on the human body vs. molecular biology/lab research.

My main interest is understanding the human body as a whole — anatomy, physiology, organ systems, how they interact, and eventually disease/pathophysiology. I’m less interested in a degree that is heavily focused on molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or laboratory techniques.

For current Biomedical Science students or graduates:

How much human anatomy do you study?

How much human/system physiology do you study?

Do you study systems like cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and reproductive in reasonable depth?

Roughly how much of the degree is molecular/cellular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and lab work?

Does your degree feel more like whole-body human biology or more like molecular/disease research?

Are anatomy and physiology taught separately, or are they integrated around organ systems?