didn't get grades for medicine- need new direction

[KB]

ToadMum
York has good links for biochem year in industry including some of the big pharmaceutical companies.
Bath did as well - a few years ago though.
Oxford doesn't do the year in industry but the 4th year does provide opportunities for research projects in 'real ' labs and it is an international centre for medical science research. Good contacts to be made and experience gained if a career in research is the long term goal.

[Minesatea]

I've told DD there are only two degrees I don't want her doing. Medicine and media studies.

I would certainly not encourage medicine, but the only degrees I have said I would not support are Sports Science and the courses that look like they lead to Allied Health professions but actually dont, such as nutrition, or sports therapy. I sadly get hundreds of applicants for nhs jobs with these degrees who are shocked to discover that after 3 years study and £27,000 debt they only meet the PS for a Band 2 job they could have applied for with just gcses.

[KB]

Are these courses being sold by the universities as leading to graduate level entry ( if you see what I mean) or are they just misleading students by the titles of the courses?
Presumably such institutions are taking applications from youngsters who are studying other than A levels post 16?
Shall avoid going on an off topic rant

In our house it's my DCs who raise an eyebrow at my degree

[ToadMum]

ToadMum
York has good links for biochem year in industry including some of the big pharmaceutical companies.
Bath did as well - a few years ago though.
Oxford doesn't do the year in industry but the 4th year does provide opportunities for research projects in 'real ' labs and it is an international centre for medical science research. Good contacts to be made and experience gained if a career in research is the long term goal.

Thanks - I should have added, he has just finished the first year of the MSci in Biochemistry with a placement year, at the University of Birmingham, where he seems to be doing well (2:1 overall for the year) and taking advantage of both social and RAG activities. He did have an offer from York - they have lovely new labs and we found a rather nice Turkish restaurant on our way back to the station on the post-offer day - but in the end, he decided that Birmingham had everything that he wanted. We were okay with that decision, as well .

[KB]

Glad he's doing well. Maybe Oxford or York for postgrad then!

[Minesatea]

KB - I think they target students who don't get places on the right course, so sports science and sports therapy in particular are often taken by students who actually wanted to do physiotherapy but didnt get a place, a bit like biomedical science and medicine. Unfortunately they do not lead to eligibility for HCPC registration (required for most non medical/nursing NHS jobs) and thus are effectively useless if that is your aim. In the last year the number of unemployed / temporary employed sports science graduates CVs I have read is huge and extremely sad.

[Guest55]

Oxbridge is NOT the best for some degrees - certainly anyone looking to work in industry would be well advised to look elsewhere. I was shocked to see the lack of modern software on their engineering courses and when DS was looking [he has graduated now] they did not do Formula Student..

[KB]

My point was not a general one re Oxbridge, purely re the Biochem and especially it's suitability as a preparation for a research career. I'm sure Oxbridge is not the best for all degrees nor for all students even where the courses are 'top of the pile'.

Minesatea - Many thanks. Interesting, shocking and sad!

[Yamin151]

Another +1 for a gap year. My dad required all us girls to take one as he said you should never enter university until you have felt what it is like to earn a living (even if its still living at home and just paying keep) - I think its especially relevant now in these times of teenagers doing less (not in all cases) outside the home in terms of saturday jobs etc etc which gives them an experience of real life. Certainly made me grow up.
And for some it can mean they make a more considered and mature decision about their future, rather than just following the 'pattern'

[DIY Mum]

Another +1 for a gap year. My dad required all us girls to take one as he said you should never enter university until you have felt what it is like to earn a living (even if its still living at home and just paying keep) - I think its especially relevant now in these times of teenagers doing less (not in all cases) outside the home in terms of saturday jobs etc etc which gives them an experience of real life. Certainly made me grow up.
And for some it can mean they make a more considered and mature decision about their future, rather than just following the 'pattern'

Agree. I recall at the age of 16 yrs and popping into each high street store enquiring about vacancies and finally getting my first job in George Arthur Dunn & Co. But I do feel that it's more competitive for youngsters to secure something like a Saturday job now as there's less supply and more demand.
Ds1 wasn't successful in getting paid part time or Saturday work as there were none available (volunteer work was ok). But he was dead set on going to university and more so to avoid student debt. And this helped him to mature, think out of the box as well as to use technology to his advantage. It's only after 2 years of hard work, that his online business started to bear fruit and he can now fund his accommodation. And whilst he hasn't taken a gap year- it certainly feels as if he has because of his experiences.