Awaba is an undergraduate student here at the University of Bradford. In this blog, she tells us why she chose to study Biomedical Science and gives us an insight into some of her favourite aspects of the course.
Awaba Mussadiq
Choosing Biomedical Science
When choosing to study something in university I believe the most important thing to consider is whether you will enjoy the subject or not, hence why I chose Biomedical Science for my course at the University of Bradford. Science was a subject that I always enjoyed in high school and sixth form, particularly Chemistry and Biology. I chose Biomedical Science on the understanding that as a whole it is a biology degree, there is some Chemistry involved which fits well with my tastes and I liked both the subjects quite a bit.
I was particularly keen on anatomy and how it works, all its mechanisms and whilst looking through the modules of the course, I had seen some very interesting ones that I was already excited about – first year modules such as ‘human physiology’ and ‘introductory microbiology’, and second year modules such as ‘pathology’ and ‘immunology’ were ones that I was very enthusiastic about upon seeing the names.
Career options
An important thing that many students, I included, worry about is job prospects for the degree that they are studying. On the Biomedical Science degree, there are a large variety of jobs available, both in the NHS and private sector. That is one reason why I chose to do this degree, it does not limit you to certain things and allows for a wide variety of choices. For example, there are options to go into research, become a biomedical scientist, an analytical chemist, a biotechnologist and many more.
There are also options for students who want to carry on their studies. With this degree, there are options to do a Physician’s Associate master’s, go into teaching or even do Medicine in the future.
Diverse learning
The Biomedical Science degree consists of a mix of labs, lectures, seminars, and tutorials. In every module there are lab sessions that can help you to develop skills related to that module. So, there are always chances to be hands on in the lab on this degree.
An exciting thing about these modules is that a few of them overlap with other degree subjects such as Forensic and Medical Sciences, Healthcare Sciences and Clinical Sciences. So, it allows you to make new friends from different courses and work together with them.
Within this course there is a module called PLL (Peer-Led Learning). In this module, students from the year above help students from the year below to revise. So, for me being a first year, students from the second year would help us to revise and we would also get a chance to maybe reiterate subjects that students found difficult, get advice on what the best way to revise is and sometimes learn about their experiences on the course and what they liked best. I found this module extremely helpful and the students who were teaching us were very friendly and understanding. It was nice to relate to them as they had been through what we are going through right now.
Varied assessment
I like the approach to assessments on this degree as they are a mix of exams and coursework. The coursework can consist of writing essays and lab reports and other different types of assessments, depending on the module. Not having all the pressure of a grade relying upon exams definitely relieves pressure when revising. There is also lots of support available for both the exams and the coursework, with lectures specifically related to them and students have a PAT (Personal Academic Tutor) whom they can go to for anything, and they will always find a solution to their queries.
Professional accreditation
Another great thing about this degree is that is is accredited by the IBMS (Institute of Biomedical Sciences). This means that by the end of the degree, students are at the same level and same standard as the HCPC (Health Care and Professional Council). For most students, this is very important as it is required as part of the process for becoming a Biomedical Scientist; it also means that within that course, students receive a wide-ranging and research informed scientific education, where they are able to develop the practical skills and experience that employers value.
Final thoughts
I chose to study Biomedical Science because I was intrigued by the modules within the course and I enjoy the working in the labs and gaining that hands-on experience. There is also help all around you if you are ever struggling with something, whether it be your lecturers, your PAT or the lab technicians from within the lab, who are more than willing to help.
Leave a Reply