Can’t decide which uni to pick - how important are IBMS accredited courses?

[AdeptCat]

I have 4 offers:

• Pathway to science at St Andrews
• Biomedical science at Caledonian (IBMS accredited)
• Biomedical science at Edinburgh (not IBMS accredited)
• Biomedical science physiology with year in industry at Aberdeen (not IBMS accredited)

I’m still waiting to hear back from Strathclyde for Biomedical Science.

My head is all over the place. I’m torn between picking an IBMS accredited Biomed course, which would mean I’d have a possible career with the NHS, or going for one of the more prestigious uni’s such as Edinburgh or St Andrews, but not having any kind of career plan in mind.

I’d really appreciate some advice. How important are IBMS accredited courses? Would it open more doors career wise?

DD2 did biomed for her first degree. She did an IBMS-accredited course (at NTU) but decided during it that she wanted a more research-focused career so chose her Masters accordingly (at LSHTM).

The main advantage is simply that you can go and work in an NHS lab the day you qualify if you have your IBMS accreditation as part of the course. If you don't, you may have to take additional qualifications along the way. The NHS is more likely to impose this requirement than some other employers, and you can't be registered with the HCPC without completing accreditation.

HCPC Biomedical Scientist here (well, I was...)

Do you want to be a biomedical scientist? It's a decent career path, opportunity to live wherever you want in the UK (or even abroad), many specialties you can work in and lots of transferable skills if you want to pivot with your career. Lots and lots of shifts though, and can be difficult to get a job without accredited degree. There are not many accredited degree courses in Scotland, so a real boost having one if you are not planning on staying in Glasgow/Aberdeen.

Or do you see yourself in research, planning to take a PhD? No experience myself, but possibility of short term contracts, moving for the right Uni, pay scales are not always much better (if at all?) than NHS.

I did a non-accredited degree and couldn't find a job in pharma so started as a trainee MLSO (old name for BMS). I went into other things, but re-joined the HCPC register when I was older and needed more job security. My SIL went back to uni to do a PHD after a few years as a BMS, and it is fairly easy to do part time MSc as a BMS so there can be career progression - if you want it.

DS is going Biomedical Science at Strathclyde, in the first part of the course he did microbiology, pharmacology, immunology and biochemistry, he is now specialising and just doing pharmacology and immunology. Strathclyde is highly regarded for science/engineering, moreso than Glasgow in many cases. If you wanted to study law, Glasgow all the way.

He's unsure on career path but it keeps your options open if you do the accredited course.

OP, just curious, what did you decide in the end?