Most students who consider a subject like biomedical science will also consider studying biochemistry.
People are typically concerned about whether biochemistry will offer them a good path into full-time employment and a life-long career.
Here are 4 reasons why biochemistry is actually a fairly well-respect degree, with decent job prospect!
Incredibly wide scope for field specialisation
The scope of biochemistry is as wide as anything! This is because, where life exists, biochemistry co-exists. If you want to be in a job for a long time, pick one that relies on the very existence of life itself!
Biochemists may choose to specialise in the chemistry of mammals, insects, fish, birds, fungi, parasites, bacteria and many other living organisms.
They may also choose to specialise in the chemical interactions that govern ALL biological creatures. This can involve studying subjects like immunology, metabolism, and enzymology.
Other branches of biochemistry include biotechnology, bioluminescence, genetic engineering, pharmaceuticals, and toxicology!
All these fields will be at your finger-tips when you decide to accept an offer from any university to study biochemistry!
World wide recognition and acclaim
The majority of BSc degrees in Biochemistry are accredited by the Royal Society of Biology which is the leading authority on biology, government policy, and advancing professional development in the field of biology.
The society is formed from newly minted graduates, practising scientists, academics, and industry leaders.
Their careers page contains a wealth of information on work experience and available placements for students to kick-start their careers in STEM.
The worldwide popularity of biochemistry is also made possible through organizations and companies like Covance, Eli Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline are hiring graduates all around the world for full-time work or even paid internships.
Every developing country needs biochemists, and because of growing industries like drug production, animal research and vaccine trials, biochemistry is becoming a globally recognised degree for individuals who want to be able to work any where in the world!
Opportunity to study other fields
Biochemistry is like a tree with many interconnected branches that lead to other trees. There are so many topics and potential areas to specialize in during or after graduation!
The key thing to remember is that your undergraduate degree doesn’t define you by any means! Choosing to study biochemistry doesn’t mean you will end up studying chemicals for the rest of your life!
There is research you can go into for example genetics, genomics, ecology, marine biology and even biostatistics!
Biochemistry provides a solid foundation on things relating to biology and chemistry, which enables you to essentially work in any STEM field of your choosing!
You will have developed many transferable skills that will allow you to excel in most graduate programs.
Many people use biochemistry as a stepping stone into other careers like physician associate, doctor, or even a public health policy advisor.
Practical knowledge necessary for research and practice
Finally, biochemistry provides students with practical skills that are easily transferrable to many job settings.
The ability to learn vast amounts of information in a short period of time is a good example of a useful skill that will definately come in handy in the work place!
Other practical things that every biochemistry graduate will know is how to use a variety of microscopes to perform analysis on various sample materials.
They will know how to perform different biochemical tests like southern and western blotting, ELISA, gel-electropheresis, and DNA isolation and analysis.
These are all practical skills that can be used in laboratory and research settings, anywhere in the world.
Thats the brilliant thing about biochemistry. You are learning the theory of how living organisms works, but you are also learning practical skills that people who otherwise don’t possess such a degree would struggle with.
Summary
Biochemistry is a great degree which shares a lot of traits with its biomedical science counterpart. The biggest difference is that you are able to learn a wider scope of biomedical skills and topics, and can transfer your knowledge of chemistry, biology, and biochemical interactions to most industries and workplaces, anywhere around the globe!
The reason why biochemistry can never be useless is that so many industries and current technologies utilize biochemistry every day!
Growing industries like vaccine production, drug trials, and even biotechnology rely on research that has emerged from biochemistry.
In terms of being able to find work, studying only an undergraduate degree in the subject has allowed graduates to go straight into job positions such as entry-level researchers, lab assistants, drug trial researchers and drug discovery chemistry, or even as a computational chemist.
This degree is truly a worldwide degree with plenty of growth potential and future job options! It is certainly a well respected degree since it has so many direct involvements in several job fields.
Considering Biomedical Science?
There are a few things you should know before studying it...
Looking For a Wealthy Future? Explore These 10 Non-traditional High-Paying Careers!
Explore for yourself the world of non-traditional yet lucrative career options that could secure your path to financial success!
Considering Becoming a Physician Associate?
Expose yourself to real interview questions!
