What Is Biomedical Science Actually Like at University? An Honest First-Year Account

The Question I Wish Someone Had Answered

When I was applying to university, I had a vague idea of what Biomedical Science was. I knew it involved biology and chemistry. I knew it was science. I knew it could lead to careers in healthcare, research, or industry.

What I didn't know was what a typical week actually looked like. What the labs were like. How hard the exams were. Whether I'd enjoy it.

This is the answer I wish I'd had.

What You Actually Study

First-year Biomedical Science typically covers: cell biology, biochemistry, human physiology, microbiology, genetics, and an introduction to research methods and statistics. The exact modules vary by university, but these are the core areas.

The subject is genuinely interdisciplinary. You're not just studying biology — you're studying the molecular mechanisms that underlie human health and disease. That means chemistry (biochemistry), physics (biophysics, imaging), mathematics (statistics, modelling), and increasingly, computing and data science.

This breadth is one of the things I love about the subject. It's also one of the things that makes it challenging.

The Lab Component

Labs are a significant part of the Biomedical Science curriculum — typically one or two sessions per week in first year. You'll learn techniques like microscopy, cell culture, PCR, gel electrophoresis, spectrophotometry, and basic clinical measurements.

Labs are where the theory becomes real. Understanding PCR from a lecture is one thing; running a PCR reaction yourself, troubleshooting when it doesn't work, and interpreting your own gel image is something else entirely.

Lab reports are also a significant assessment component. They require you to write in a specific scientific format — introduction, methods, results, discussion — and to interpret your own data critically. This is a skill that takes time to develop.

The Workload

First year is demanding but manageable if you approach it systematically. The mistake most students make is treating it like A-level — attending lectures and doing the minimum required work between them. That approach will leave you significantly underprepared for exams.

A realistic estimate: for every hour of scheduled teaching, you should expect to spend two to three hours on independent study — reading, note consolidation, practice questions, and lab report writing. In a typical week with 15 to 20 contact hours, that's 30 to 60 hours of total study time.

This sounds like a lot. It is a lot. But it's also what makes the degree meaningful.

Is It Right for You?

Biomedical Science is right for you if you're genuinely curious about how the human body works at a molecular and cellular level. If you find yourself asking "but why?" when you learn a biological fact. If you're interested in the intersection of science and medicine without necessarily wanting to be a clinician.

It's not right for you if you're studying it purely as a route to medicine and you have no intrinsic interest in the subject. The workload is too significant to sustain on extrinsic motivation alone.

But if you're the kind of person who finds the cell cycle genuinely interesting — who wants to understand not just what cancer is but how it happens at a molecular level — then Biomedical Science will give you one of the most intellectually rich undergraduate experiences available.