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Higher education

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Original poster

Suggestions on a degree for ds - combination of biology/ medicine, physics/engineering

40 replies

CMOTDibbler · 01/02/2023 11:53

DS is struggling to find ideas as to exactly what he wants to study - he is doing biology, physics, maths and product design A level (plus gold level EESE), and should get A, A, A, A with the A in biology. He knows he doesn't want to do straight physics, biology or engineering, and is thinking along the lines of medical physics (gets it from his mum), but is also interested in bio material engineering as he really doesn't want to move away from more practical design aspects that still play to his biology strength.
Any suggestions for things he might not have thought about?

OP posts:
Cileymyrus · 01/02/2023 11:57

Has he though about prosthetics?

would play to engineering, biology and bio mechanical strengths.

midgetastic · 01/02/2023 11:57

Natural sciences -eg York

gogohmm · 01/02/2023 11:58

Bio engineering of some kind? Mechatronic engineering?

Cileymyrus · 01/02/2023 12:01

There’s also medical engineering.

Original poster
CMOTDibbler · 01/02/2023 12:13

Bio medical and clinical engineering is on the list. He'd just like more biology. Prosthetics are really interesting to him, he's particularly keen on the osseo integrated and nerve control aspects

OP posts:
nobodygirl2023 · 01/02/2023 12:18

Optometry? No engineering but good mix of biology & physics.

WomensLandArmy · 01/02/2023 12:19

Medical imaging. I'm doing radiography and there's lots of physics as well as anatomy and physiology. Also a generous bursary to train.

WomensLandArmy · 01/02/2023 12:20

Just to say that plenty of graduates do not go into clinical practice but onto sales and development of technology.

mumonthehill · 01/02/2023 12:24

Pharmacology not the same as pharmacy! Ds doing it and loving it.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 01/02/2023 12:25

www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/meng-medical-engineering/ what about medical engineering?

WarningToTheCurious · 01/02/2023 12:32

Systems biology?

thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/biologist-features/spotlight-on-systems-biology

Cileymyrus · 01/02/2023 12:34

mumonthehill · 01/02/2023 12:24

Pharmacology not the same as pharmacy! Ds doing it and loving it.

Pharmacology doesn’t have any engineering aspect. It’s more biology with a little bit of maths. Probably less maths than pharmacy.

chesirecat99 · 01/02/2023 12:40

With the caveat that I wouldn't recommend studying medicine unless he is passionate about medicine...

Imperial offer a 1 year intercalated BSc in Biomedical Engineering to their medical students. It's also open to medical students from other med schools, if their medical school will allow them to take an external intercalated degree. Other med schools may offer similar but I only know of the Imperial one. If you search the medic threads, one of the posters' DD did it about 2 years ago although it was during lockdown so not the usual experience.

www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/study/undergraduate/intercalated-bsc-programme/biomedical-engineering/

ChicoryDip · 01/02/2023 12:46

A friend's DC is doing Industrial Design with a view to going on to study Ergonomics. Would something like that be of interest?

mumsneedwine · 01/02/2023 13:15

Medical physics. Offered by quite a few Unis.

mumsneedwine · 01/02/2023 13:15

Sorry, seems he already knows about that one 😊.

WarningToTheCurious · 01/02/2023 13:19

I've known a couple of people with a sports background study this course:

www.gla.ac.uk/subjects/biomedicalengineering/

Lollygaggle · 01/02/2023 13:20

How about biomedical materials science? Focuses on both biological and materials science. Of use for implants , heart valves etc , May tick the boxes

ErrolTheDragon · 01/02/2023 13:20

chesirecat99 · 01/02/2023 12:40

With the caveat that I wouldn't recommend studying medicine unless he is passionate about medicine...

Imperial offer a 1 year intercalated BSc in Biomedical Engineering to their medical students. It's also open to medical students from other med schools, if their medical school will allow them to take an external intercalated degree. Other med schools may offer similar but I only know of the Imperial one. If you search the medic threads, one of the posters' DD did it about 2 years ago although it was during lockdown so not the usual experience.

www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/study/undergraduate/intercalated-bsc-programme/biomedical-engineering/

That sounds like @needsmoresleep

Lollygaggle · 01/02/2023 13:21

Forgot to link to course www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/med/biomedical-materials-sci.aspx

parietal · 01/02/2023 13:41

What about neuroscience? That covers lots of biophysics & computational modelling of how neurons work and can lead to both research and clinical jobs.

There are lots of varieties of neuroscience degree- take a look around.

parietal · 01/02/2023 13:43

Also, go to a big bookshop and have a look in the science section for some books to inspire. You can also look up which science books were nominated for the Royal Society science writing prize in recent years and pick likely topics. A good pop sci book can really inspire at that age.

Original poster
CMOTDibbler · 01/02/2023 13:54

@Lollygaggle yes, he is really interested in that. My dentist did it before entering dentistry and it sounds fascinating. Only problem is Brum is a bit close!
@chesirecat99 he doesn't want to do medicine. We talked about the Bristol anatomy course as he really enjoys dissection, but it isn't what he wants

Def not optometry/ radiography/ pharmacology from what he says.

OP posts:
Original poster
CMOTDibbler · 01/02/2023 18:43

@parietal I asked him about neuroscience, and after some reading he says no. But a great suggestion. We have a million pop sci books (and I listen to a lot in the car so he gets those forced on him too and engages in spirited discussion) and a New Scientist subscription and he is literally interested in everything.

OP posts:
titchy · 01/02/2023 18:55

He sounds ideal for this: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/bioengineering/study/undergraduate/

their integrated masters also look interesting.

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