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Esther81 Forum Regular
Firstly, thanks to everyone who replied to my other post about a part-time job. There were some great responses that got me thinking about my Science future and I was hoping to get some more advice about which avenue to take.
Curing disease is certainly the area that I want to end up in eventually, though I understand that I'll be doing some menial jobs (in the field) before I get to that point.
It's my understanding that a Bachelor of Biotechnology and a Bachelor of Biomedical Science will ultimately lead me in the right direction, but the question is which one should I take?
I know that Biomed is a very competitive area and a PhD is virtually necessary, but Biotech is supposedly a huge growth area that encompasses a lot of what Biomed does but also a lot more.
Can anyone give me some direction in terms of employability, salary, demand etc between the two qualifications?
Thanks guys!
Bently Forum Regular
Hi Esther,
I don't have a great deal of knowledge about your dilemma, but it seems to me that you've touched on the main difference between the two degrees... being that Biotechnology is a growth industry with many different areas you can go into, whereas Biomedical Science seems to be a bit more niche oriented and not as great a prospect (judging from some of the replies in your other thread).
I may be wrong, but it's just my 2 cents :) Good luck either way!
Xanthivar Whirlpool Forums Addict
Biomed is more medicine oriented whereas biotech is where biological processes can enhance any sort of product, manufacturing process etc.
I did one or two biotech subjects as part of my degree and we did things like working out the best conditions for alcohol production from yeast, so temp, pressure, sugar, oxygen levels etc so we could maximise our yield from a set amount of yeast. Very basic I know, but you get the idea of how things like that can then be applied to the greater industry. With more biotech subjects it would have expanded but for the biomed degree we only had to do sort of an intro to biotech as a first year subject in case we wanted to switch over or something.
Esther81 writes......Curing disease is certainly the area that I want to end up in...
Then you want to go into research science and Biomed will better suit you.
Biotech, is an industry, and it's geared towards making money. It is product based. It is the end result of research if a product can be produced as a result of the research. It is concerned with producing said product, and not the path to finding out what the product is (as much as normal research). Consider it to be the very end of the research path. There may still be testing to do, and qualifying of other research, but the bulk of it is not about discovering disease.
Biotech will always be a huge growth area, but with that goes great decline too – biotech start ups fail every day because the molecule they'd banked on didn't do exactly what someone had theorized it would. If you're onto a good thing in biotech, then you're onto a very good thing. If not, you'll be job jumping until you hit that very good thing.
kahlil writes...Have you thought about Bioinformatics – this is a relatively new field that combines knowledge areas from IT, biology and other disciplines. I am not sure about your background but if you have some IT and or Biology knowledge then maybe you might be interested.
Thanks, Kahlil. If I do go into the B.Biomed there is a course focused on Bioinformatics, so that will definitely be a part of my studies.
JDL1306 writes...Then you want to go into research science and Biomed will better suit you.
That's what my instincts are telling me, I guess I just let the negative comments (about the Science industry) let my confidence waver.
Thanks for your comments about the Biotech industry, you're spot on and I really don't think that's where I want to be right now (perhaps several years down the track when I've gotten some experience under my belt).
pt Whirlpool Enthusiast
hi guys my wife had got a degree in biotechnology from overseas... and she was working in food industry for two years or so in QA side of it. Can some one tell me whts the scope for biotechology here in aus and do i need to get her degree recognised here... Also if some one can suggest any recuritment agencies who deal in it. I am living near dandenong vic... Will really appreciate your responses....
Esther81 writes...Curing disease is certainly the area that I want to end up in eventually, though I understand that I'll be doing some menial jobs (in the field) before I get to that point.
It's my understanding that a Bachelor of Biotechnology and a Bachelor of Biomedical Science will ultimately lead me in the right direction, but the question is which one should I take?
If you want to be 'curing disease' then u want to do a Bachelor of Med Sci but the major is Medical Laboratory Science. This lets you then be eligible for registration with the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
http://www.aims.org.auThere are certain Unis that run this approved bachelors degree you specifically cover, haematology, microbiology, med biochem and histology – not all biomed degrees are the same. Some arnt worth poo.
When you compete such a degree you can work in pathology. Best pay is in a public hospital. Some private labs dont pay too bad.
The best option is to do medicine. 5 yrs at New Castle (5 or 6 in Sydney Uni – cant remember) or 4 yrs as a post grad.
NotaCarrot Whirlpool Forums Addict
They are both equally useless.
I'd do a BSC and major in biology and mathematics with a minor in comsci.
There is a lot more investment but there are a lot of kiddies with bio degrees who know what the citrus cycle is and there are a lot of fresh kiddies with PHD's that end up getting used up by the industry.
You can get an hons. degree but there are tonnes of cute girls with that same degree who will get hired into an RA position before you do.
Things might suddenly change but unless they do I wouldn't bother all that much about the title of the degree.
Xanthivar Whirlpool Forums Addict
You are still eligble for AIMS recognition with a Biomedical Science degree as well, I did biomed at UTS and it was more valued in research/industry than their Med Sci course as there were a lot more practical lab classes, Med Sci was a lot of theory and not much by way of lab work, that may not be true in all cases and I'm only commenting on what it was like at UTS.
If you can, definitely aim for Honours, that way you'll be set up for a PhD if you choose to do one and can then conduct your own research, rather than working for someone and them getting all the credit after you doing all the wet work! ;-)
NotaCarrot Whirlpool Forums Addict
Science is worst industry. You can be best smartest guy (or girl) in the world but if you don' have a piece of paper no ne will listen.
History is riddled with great ideas being ignored due to lack of pieces of paper.
If for some reason you have a bad term at school and fail a subject or two or get less than a 70% average you'll basically always be a servant/lab assistant that does all the grunt work while someone else gets the credit. Plus you have to deal wikth the bitter people who have PHD with superiority attitude who are not where they think they deserve to be.
Do yoursf a favour, combine a science degree with something useful.
NotaCarrot writes...Science is worst industry
I love blanket statements! Some could say the same about Accounting, why would you want to crunch numbers all day? Some people have passion for what they do what others find boring they could do all day, every day.
Science is a fascinating industry, the money might be crappy in some places, but there are areas where you can make a fortune. Consider for a moment where the world would be if everyone thought like you? No medicine, no technological advances, nadda. You wouldn't be able to post on anything like a forum either!
Xanthivar writes...I love blanket statements!
The statement is true for all industries! <> is the worst industry! If you don't have a name for yourself, then you'd be doing the grunt work and working as a servant for <>.
Bila saya mula mengajar, saya utamakan yg sy xnak bias..pilih kasih
UM: Master in Biotechnology 
