Biology ? A Level / Degree help'

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AIBU to ask if you did / know anyone who did a Biology degree and to ask what you did afterwards.
DS stuck between Law or Biology and put off by being told only option with Biology is to work in a lab. However he likes Biology more. AIBU to think Biology is broader and you can also work in the city with it ( management consultancy ?) Just chosen A Level options too! Thanks

Biology undergrad and a MSc in molecular biology. I work in biomed teaching labs in universities. From what I can tell, most students go on to either more education (masters, PhD or medicine etc), into a lab or something completely unrelated. Not sure how transferable it is to be honest. I will say science is not great paid to be honest, law can at least be well paid

I'm taking Biology GCSE and a Science foundation degree to get into a School of Medicine next year. Any job career sciency/medical (of which there are masses and masses) they ask for Biology.

Hi! Just looked into patent law and it looks like exactly what he was looking for - being able to keep science whilst incorporating law. Furthemore it seems you actually need a science degree for patent law - even better! Looking through the booklet he was relieved to see lots of successful patent attorneys with masters and PHDs in science which means he can actually continue science to a high level with this career in mind.
Hoping this is a viable path and not a niche ( please say it isn't!)

Definitely viable career. Long training though. Suspect more sustainable than most legal careers.

Science PhD into patent law training (completely separate to standard legal training) is a normal option

Funnily enough this was the exact choice I had to make when choosing my degree path. I went the biosciences route, going on to do a PhD and am now training as a patent attorney (which I see has already been mentioned). Ultimately both degrees can lead to good and varied careers, so the best option is for your DS to study whichever is the most interesting to him. If he does want to consider a career as a patent attorney then getting a training post in the biosciences sector is incredibly competitive. Whilst not impossible to get a job without a PhD, having one does offer an advantage and many firms now require one. If you or your DS want some insight into the career path feel free to DM me.

@AliceThroughTheLookingGlass incredibly helpful - yes that was what we noticed about Being a Patent Attorney- the time to qualify seemed longer than doing a conversion ? ( Unsure if that is correct..?

My DS is chosing A levels too ATM and I was told, only subjects he’s passionate about.
He can still go far with a good science A level.

Yes it does take longer than training as a solicitor, but there's no need to do a conversion course after a non-law degree. On average it takes about 5 years to pass all the exams needed to qualify as both a UK and European patent attorney. However, you earn a good salary from day one, which increases (in most cases) yearly in line with experience. The big private practice firms also tend to have additional offices outside of London and there are plenty of regional firms, so there is no need to work in London if you don't want to.

Three accountant friends of mine did degrees in biology/ biochemistry.

I spoke to someone from a top law firm once, and he told me that they would generally prefer to hire someone with a good degree in a non-law background, over someone with a good law degree. His reasoning was that they could train them in the law stuff, but not the non-law stuff. Might not be generally true, of course! So, I would also vote for biology.

DD did Law and has just qualified as a solicitor earning £55k plus in London. My nephew of the same school year did a Biology Degree at a top uni. He loved the degree but wanted to get in to radio production. He is now a radio producer of with a small county radio. It’s not great pay but it’s a definite step on the ladder. However, a Biology degree and then a law conversion could be a good idea for someone interested in law.

Isn't law in the "potential to be replaced by Ai and tech" space?

Totally anecdotal but my flat mates did biology related degrees (like marine biology or zoology) when I was doing law.

They are pretty successful now whilst out of my friends who did law, only one is actually working in that field.

I work in accounting and the others work in some sort of financial services field so I’d say biology opens more doors than law

By the way, my daughter is a medical negligence lawyer so whilst her degree was law, her A levels were more science ones. My point being, there are other areas of law that would work in conjunction with a Biology degree. Also, DD also told me that employers often prefer a non law degree and a conversion. As a stand alone degree, for prospects I would choose law over Biology but if a conversion course is taken then possibly Biology, however this is the lengthier and more expensive option.

Biomedical science degree - worked in pharmaceutical and medical device industry in sales for 20 years

I'm a lawyer, honestly, with the state of the career options of students vs placements, do biology. Then if he really wants to do law later, he can do the transfer tests.

I did A-level Biology, also did Chemistry, went on to do a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry.

Now work in I.T. focused on the financial sector.

One piece of advice I would give, whatever his career plans, do an A level in a numerate subject like maths or physics.

That is is what employers really want.

I did a biology degree. I'm a lawyer now

SIL did a law degree (many years ago) and wished she hadn't, said it was too prescriptive and it was difficult to break into other careers. Whereas I did Biochemistry and would always recommend it. I am still a scientist, not that I do much in the lab anymore except watch other people do the work! Friends from Uni did all kinds of careers, several patent lawyers, few accountants, loads of people went into consultancy work, couple even became medics after doing their PhD. At work (I work in pharma) a lot of the scientists quickly leave the labs and become programme managers or work in quality assurance or sales or manage clinical trials. Any numerate degree opens the door to lots of different careers.

I'd recommend going to university where there is an option to do a lot of extended projects in the lab and a year in industry. We've had some excellent graduates from Durham and Manchester but also universities lower down the rankings that work hard to have good links with industry.

Check that two science A levels is enough for a biology degree but other than that, it sounds like a good plan.

DD was told she doesn’t need a law degree to be a lawyer, just a degree. So I would say your DS should study the subject they enjoy the most.

My DD is planning to study Bio at uni but doesn’t really know what she wants to do. It’s v broad in the first year and she might beer towards the environmental side.

I did a zoology degree.
I went on to work in a zoo! (Was there 11 years and loved it).
Most of the people I worked with had biology degrees and most of them work in conservation in some form. Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, some are still in zoo work. I know two who are now biology teachers. Another friend works for Ecoschools.
I know two people who have left biology-related careers. One is in IT and the other in HR.

Also you asked about combining humanities and science . DD was indecisive. A levels were Biology, History and Eng Lit. She chose a BSc in Anthropology with a Biological slant at a top uni and absolutely loves it. I think enjoying the subject hopefully will help attain a good degree and therefore better opportunity going forward.

Your son should study whatever most interests him.
I think the point of most degrees is to help develop critical thinking skills, rather than relying on your mum to do it for you.