What you need to know about studying Biochemistry at University

Do you want to go to University?

Do you want to study Biochemistry or a closely related subject?

Here's my experiences of doing a BSc in Biochemistry! Find out if it is a good career choice for you!

First of all, be aware that Biochemistry is a big, broad subject. You should ideally have some idea of what kind of Biochemistry you want to study. Different Universities will tend to specialise in different aspects of Biochemistry. There are quite a few different fields, namely:

• Medical Biochemisty. If you want to work in the healthcare/biomedical field, then choose this niche of Biochemistry!
• Plant Biochemistry. This was the field of Biochemistry that most interested me, and I ended up doing a BSc in Plant Science. This field allows graduates to work in the agriculture and crop niche - an area that will be hugely important over the next few decades as populations grow but crop yields stay static.
• Animal Biochemistry. Looking after livestock is a hugely important industry.
• Sports Biochemistry. Also known as Sports Biomedicine - this field has grown in importance over the years as athletes begin to realise that science can help hugely in improving athletic ability.

Some Universities will tend to specialise in the medical field, especially if they offer many other medical related degrees or they have a teaching hospital alongside the University. Others may specialise in areas such as Marine Biology and hence their Biochemistry degrees may have a bias towards the marine environment.

If Biochemistry isn't for you, then consider related subjects. Microbiology is the science of studying small micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria and viruses). Microbiologists are required in the medical and food safety industries. Biotechnology is also an interesting field.

Science degrees are hard work! There is no getting away from the fact that science degrees involve a lot of lectures, plus laboratory work. On the upside, there are usually less essays to write compared to other degree courses. And they're usually a lot more interesting than accountancy or law.

The good thing about a science based degree is that it opens the doors to a lot of different career options (more about this later).

If you want a career as a research scientist, then you should think about getting a further qualification after graduation. An MSc will allow you to specialise in a particular niche of Biochemistry.

Research careers are also an attractive option for many Biochemistry graduates. While a Masters (MSc) will help, most research staff have a PhD doctorate. A PhD studentship will take a further 3-4 years to attain. When I did my PhD I found it a lot of fun, although it was hard work. You don't need to be especially intelligent to get a PhD (although you normally need a 2.1 or First for your first degree in order to qualify). To be successful at getting a doctorate you need to love your subject and be dedicated enough to get to know your subject really well. Writing a 300+ page thesis takes a lot of commitment!

Studentships are usually available to help with the costs of studying for a PhD. My own PhD was sponsored by a chemical company, and I was fortunate to get an extra financial payment from them, as well as the chance to gain invaluable work experience by working onsite at their laboratories.

There isn't a central source of information about PhD studentships, so be prepared to do some clicking around different websites in order to find one. It helps if you know what kind of subject area you want to study.

A career as a research scientist can be rewarding. However many jobs in the academic sector are on 2-3 year contracts, so you'll have a lot of uncertainty in your life. Some research scientists end up becoming university lecturers. This can be a rewarding career, although competition for lectureships can be intense.

Scientists employed in industry tend to have better defined careers, so this may be an option.

Don't forget that once you have a degree in Biochemistry you don't have to work as a scientist! Anyone with a science based degree is in demand in a whole host of other job sectors. My first job after graduating was as an IT technical writer, and from that I moved into computer programming. Now I am more interested in marketing. Many of my peers got marketing related jobs - they might not be as interesting as laboratory based jobs, but they allow you to repay that student loan in record time!