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Biomedical Science Jobs and Careers

While Biomedical engineering has been getting a lot of interest, the field of biomedical sciences remains largely esoteric and unexplored.

In this post, guest blogger Tanmoy Ray talks about the discipline (and how it differs from biomedical engineering), the kind of jobs and salaries you can get, courses & degrees needed to crack into the field and the scope of biomedical sciences in India and abroad.
 

Biomedical Science Jobs and Careers

by Tanmoy Ray

 
Biomedical engineering sciencesIn this article, we’ll focus less on the academic aspects and more on the career and job prospects in biomedical science.
 

What is Biomedical Science?

Biomedical Science is the applied domain of life and natural sciences, used for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human diseases. There are various streams of biomedical sciences including human biology, pathology, biochemistry, molecular & cell biology, genetics, pharmacology, immunology, applied or clinical chemistry, microbiology, epidemiology, and biomedical engineering.

Biomedical science is ever changing and very dynamic, hence offers exciting career opportunities in specialist laboratory work, consultant work, research, education and management while serving the human society. The findings of the biomedical scientists are instrumental in making the advancements of modern medicine. However, the subject should not be considered as a substitute for Medicine.
 

Biomedical Engineering Jobs vs Research Careers

The difference between biodmedical engineering and biodmedical sciences boils down to the contrast between engineers and scientists in any field. In biodmedical engineering jobs, you’d be focussing on executing, building and developing. Whereas scientist would focus more on the investigative aspects.

While biomedical scientists focus more on biology, chemistry and medicine, biomedical engineers work around instrumentation and engineering. The engineers liaise with doctors, clinicians and biomedical scientists for the invention of new devices and technology for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of diseases.

For this post, we won’t draw strict boundaries between biodmedical engineering and science.
 

Biomedical Science Jobs

Biomedical scientists usually work in the laboratory. They handle biological samples (blood, urine, cells and tissues) and use a wide range of laboratory equipments ranging from test tubes, beakers and pipettes to computers and hi-tech equipments.

Some of the common job roles and responsibilities of a biomedical scientist are:

  • testing and screening for lifestyle diseases like diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease; and screening for infectious ones such as rubella, hepatitis or Ebola
  • investigating and understanding the disease mechanisms, profile and progression
  • finding new, effective and innovative ways to detect diseases as early as possible (e.g. discovery of new biomarkers or a new method of detecting a biomarker)
  • working towards discovery and development of treatments, which could be preventive (vaccines) and/or therapeutic (drugs and medicines)

After studying biomedical sciences (or engineering), one can be employed in various job roles within scientific research and development, bioinstrumentation, medical imaging, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, drug design and delivery, medical equipment manufacturing and supplies, hospital and healthcare.

It is possible for a graduate with a good degree in biomedical sciences to obtain a place on a four-year, fast-track, graduate entry course to study medicine – so you can be a Medical Doctor (M.D.) even if you couldn’t have cracked medical entrance exam after your 10+2.
 

Biomedical Science courses

In order to become a biomedical scientist a Bachelors degree is a must. The first degree could be a B.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Pharmacology, Chemistry or Biochemistry if one wishes to get streamlined at the beginning.

It is always possible to move to other stream as all of them are inter-related. Alternatively, one could also pursue B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences or B.Tech. in Biotechnology or Biomedical Engineering, or even Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) in order to have an overview about the whole field.

A graduate degree can land you in various job opportunities, but a Masters degree is required for better career prospects. If you aim for senior scientist and managerial positions , you will need a PhD or MBA.
 

Biomedical Salaries, Higher Studies and Career Growth in India and Abroad

Getting a job within the biomedical sector is very competitive. In India, biotech companies and research institutes offer a starting salary of 1.2 – 2.2 Lakh p.a. for graduates, although it is possible to get a 3 lakh p.a. package as fresher. For Masters degree holders it will range between 1.8 – 3.2 Lakh p.a.

You can also work as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) or Senior Research Fellow after clearing the CSIR-NET entrance exam, and ultimately working  towards your PhD. JRFs can earn around 12,000 – 18,000 per month, while SRFs can earn up to 25,000 per month.

After finishing PhD (in India that will take 4 – 6 years) you can join as a faculty member involved in both teaching and research while earning 4 – 6 Lakhs per year along with lot of benefits.

You could look for a Masters degree abroad for better exposure, training and career opportunities. Taking up Bachelors studies abroad is an excellent option, but very expensive as well.

Popular destinations for biomedical studies and research are the traditional ones like US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada; and the new ones like Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Austria, France, Italy Ireland, Japan, South Korea (the tuition fees in these countries are very competitive in comparison to those traditional ones).

After completing Bachelors or Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences you could land with a job offer of 24,000 to 30,000 Euro p.a. in Europe or 45,000 USD p.a. in the US. So, the starting salaries are very handsome in abroad, and you can expect a pay rise of 5-10% every year. After working as a research assistant or staff scientist you can also go for MBA (specialising in Technology Management, Strategic Management, innovation Management, Marketing,  International Business or Entrepreneurship)  if you want to pursue business development and consulting roles with global pharmaceutical and biotech giants.

In order to conduct independent research within academic set-up or aspiring a senior position in a company or to start your own business, a Doctoral degree (PhD) is not only handy but essential in most cases.

To enrol for a PhD program ideally you need to have a Masters Degree (you could get away with a 4-year Bachelors degree too) along with 1 – 4 years quality research experience (and one or two publications).

During your PhD you can have a monthly net earnings of around 1100 – 1800 GBP in the UK, 1400 – 2400 Euros in other European countries, and 2000 – 2600 Dollars in the US, Australia or New Zealand.

A PhD in abroad typically takes 3 – 4 years depending on the University, your PhD supervisor, your determination, hard-work & creativity, and little luck as well. After finishing PhD you can go on to the industry or working in academia as a Post-doc (Post-Doctoral Researcher or Scientist).

As a post-doc you can expect to earn 40,000 – 50,000 Euro annually. It can take 5 – 10 years to become an Assistant or Associate Professor, and making 60,000 – 80,000 Euro p.a. The industry will pay you 10-20% higher at that stage.

The drawback in the West is that you won’t get a permanent job (academia or industry) in your first 10 – 20 years irrespective of your qualifications (Bachelors or PhD). It will always be a contract based job. People start with 1 – 3 year contracts and maximum 5 year contracts. However, it is very much possible to keep your job with the same employer through a series of successive contracts if you put considerable effort and end up with some interesting lab findings. In the meantime you will have the opportunity to get settled abroad as well.

You could return to India after a 3 – 5 year stint as post-doc (or longer if you wish) and join pharmaceutical/biotech companies as group leader or senior scientist. The industry package at that stage won’t be on par with the West, but it will be exciting and along with good benefits. If you are ambitious enough to be a Vice-President or Global Research Head of a MNC, an EMBA following a PhD will make it 10 – 15 years faster.

Another option after returning to India is taking up a faculty position with Research Institutes and  Universities. At that stage of your career you can take home 65,000 – 120,000 INR per month.

More importantly you will be leading a lab along with teaching and inspiring students While staying in the academia, if you discover something great (a drug, biomarker or technology), you can earn a lump sum by patenting and licensing your findings. You can also have your start-up based on your discovery.
 

Scope of Biomedical Sciences and Conclusion

The Indian pharmaceutical-biotech-healthcare industry worth 75,000 Crore INR, with the biotech sector alone comprising 4.3 Billion USD at the end of 2013 financial year. Indian companies are actively collaborating with foreign ones to make world-class infrastructure and atmosphere for research.

One perfect example is the partnership of Syngene (subsidiary of Biocon) with Novartis (2004), Bristol-Myers Squibb (2007), Endo Pharmaceuticals (2011), Abott (2012) and CytoSorbents (2013). Biocon and few other contract research organisations (CRO) have been quite active in recruiting foreign-return Indian biomedical scientists.

Biocon also took a nice initiative by introducing a 16-week training program in collaboration with California-based Keck Graduate Institute, with the objective of reducing skill gap and make young Indian bio-medical students industry-ready.

Even the Government is coming forward. In keeping with the vision to turn India into a research powerhouse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared $28 billion USD spending on Universal Healthcare Scheme in India. The feature of this scheme is free check-ups for everyone, and that will create an enormous amount of job opportunities for biomedical scientists in the coming years.

The biomedical research sector is unique and rewarding. The work is flexible and very stimulating intellectually. You will be working towards the betterment of human health and saving lives, so it is very noble in itself.

Even if you don’t end up winning a Nobel Prize in your lifetime, you have to remember that your research will always have the possibility of helping someone else to take your work forward and win a Nobel 20 years later.

Read this next post on PhD Admission Tips for Biomedical / Biological / Life Sciences.
 
Author Bio: Tanmoy Ray (connect with him on LinkedIn) has a Molecular Pharmacology background with 5 years of research experience in the fields of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cancer Biology, Biomarkers and Drug Discovery. He has worked at the University of Oxford (UK), Utrecht University (Netherlands) and University of New South Wales (Australia).
 
Also read:
Careers in Diagnostics
Jobs after MS in Biomedical Engineering, biotechnology, life sciences in USA
Careers in translational medicine
Agricultural science careers

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Sameer Kamat
About Sameer Kamat
Founder of MBA Crystal Ball. Author of Beyond The MBA Hype & Business Doctors. Here's more about me. Follow me on: Instagram | Linkedin | Youtube

38 thoughts on “Biomedical Science Jobs and Careers”

  1. Dear Mr. Kamat,
    I liked your article. I am a veterinarian. I live in Pune. I completed my PhD in 2006 in Veterinary Epidemiology.
    I could not work due to family reasons.
    Now again I want to reshape my career. Is there any scope in biomedical sciences for me?
    If you can be helpful in guiding me to get a job, I would like to send my resume to you.
    WaiWaitinfor your reply,
    Best Regards,
    Vaishali

    Reply
  2. Hello sir,
    Thanks a lot for your in depth analysis of biomedical science and engineering.
    I finished my MBBS last year and in pursuit of post-graduation since then, but my all time dream is to pursuit a career in clinical research and biomedical engineering. Currently i have minimum knowledge regarding the universities which are offering this course and expenditure to complete it.
    kindly guide in selecting a renowned university and please do share any other information regarding the above mentioned subject, waiting for ur suggestions.
    hearty regards,
    Dr. Kasturi Rangan

    Reply
  3. Hi Kasturi,

    Please let me know if you are interested in a rotation program within basic research, or wish to conduct research at PhD level.

    Best Wishes,

    Tanmoy

    P.S. – Sorry for being late to reply!

    Reply
  4. Hi Kasturi,

    Just following up on your query – I am not sure if you have got any wet lab experience. It would be a good option to get in to translational research to begin with. Institutes like AIIMS, TATA Medical Center do conduct such kind of research.

    The combination of clinical research and biomedical engineering might be a little bit hard at the start for people with MBBS background. Unlike in the Western countries MBBS curriculum in India does not accommodate basic science research (except very few ones).

    After gaining some wet lab experience, you can apply for MD-PhD positions in Europe (particularly countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway and UK).

    Hope this helps. Feel free to write me back if you have further queries.

    Best Wishes,

    Tanmoy

    Reply
  5. Hi Sir,
    I have completed my B.Tech in Pharmaceutical Technology 2012 but still now i did not get placed in any reputed companies with good salary can you just help me in any source.

    Reply
    • Hi Prabhadevi,

      I am sorry to hear that. Unfortunately I cannot help you directly with any job placement. As I have mentioned in the article above – with Bachelors degree it is indeed tough to accelerate the career progression, especially in India. If you are not willing to go for Masters, it would be wise to have patience. I assume you already have got 2 years of experience, so a good opportunity should be there if you look around carefully.

      If you are working in manufacturing or quality control then you could do a correspondence course on Regulatory Affairs while working. In case you are working in F&D or R&D, then a Masters degree would be the best thing to do.

      Hope this helps. Feel free to get back to me if you have got any more queries.

      Reply
  6. HI TANMOY,
    I have done my MBBS and the MD in Clinical Biochemistry. Currently doing senior residency in the same specialty. I want to work in an EU country like Belgium or Germany or Netherlands etc. and settle there as well.Can u suggest me any EU country where i am eligible for a permanent job?

    Reply
    • Hi Deepa,

      At present Germany would be the best country to work (and settle permanently if you wish) considering your profile. If you want to stay in the clinic (or residency) you have to learn German language (level B2/C1). You could learn the language either in India or in Germany – both options have got their own pros and cons. If you wish to conduct research work, English is the working language.

      Since April 2012, doctors from non-EU countries (including India) are eligible to obtain a medical license to practice in Germany.

      You could check out the web site “Make It In Germany”. Right now Germany has got a huge requirement of medical doctors (along with professionals from IT, Engineering/Technology, Natural Sciences and Mathematics background). Any qualified foreign national can enter Germany under Job Search Visa. Later you have to apply for Work Permit once you get a job.

      If you are earning at least 48,000 Euros per year (37,752 Euros per year for medical doctors, and in 2014 Medical Doctors used to earn minimum 49,000 Euros per year), you can apply for the Residency (EU Blue Chip Card).

      So, it is possible and relatively feasible to work and stay in Germany if you are a medical doctor. For more details, please check out the following links:

      http://www.make-it-in-germany.in/
      http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/working/demanded-professions/doctors
      http://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/index.php

      You could also inquire about opportunities and guidance (regarding application and visa formalities) by sending email to make-it-in-germany@arbeitsagentur.de

      I hope this helps.

      Best Wishes,

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  7. A HUGE THANKS TANMOY FOR SUCH A DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE REPLY. WILL CHECK WITH U AGAIN IF HAVING A QUERY. CAN U PLEASE THROW SOME LIGHT ON BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS. (PROS AND CONS)..

    Reply
    • Hi Deepa,

      I am glad that you found my previous useful.

      In Netherlands, there are lot of regulations when it comes to foreign doctors practicing in Netherlands. Knowledge of Dutch language is an obvious requirement. But, the critical requirement is that the doctor needs to have a permanent residence permit for the Netherlands (as a refugee
      or as a result of having a Dutch partner). However, if you are interested in clinical or translational research, Netherlands would be a great choice. You could apply for a PhD position. Netherlands is one of the biggest hubs in Europe that conducts several studies on big cohorts. You have don your MD in Clinical Biochemistry, so you will find a lot of labs/groups in Utrecht, Leiden, Mastricht, Amsterdam, Wageningen etc. After finishing PhD (for MDs PhD will take 3 years unlike people from natural/basic sciences background, for whom PhD takes 4 years), you can start working as a Resident in Clinical Biochemistry (after passing the State exam Dutch as a foreign language). You can also contact Professors (with MD background) regarding possibilities of internship or visit.

      So, you can see that there is definitely opportunity, but it will be a little long. During my stay in Holland (1.5 years), I had met quite a few non-Dutch doctors (working in clinic) in Holland. But, I didn’t come across that many non-EU doctors working in the clinic. But, I met a lot of Asian doctors (MBBS and MD) for research visits and PhD studies.

      Regarding Belgium, I haven’t got that much information about the working opportunities of of foreign doctors. You could also try Finland, Austria and Norway in Europe. Those countries have also got decent opportunities for foreign doctors. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Canada would be two good options.

      Good luck!

      Reply
  8. Hi Tanmoy,

    I read your post, it gave lot of clarification, my daughter is going to appear for her board exams on march, her first idea is MBBS, plan b i was searching because she is not interested in paramedical stuff like many (physiothearpy, occupational therapy,speech and hearing etc) i chanced upon bachelor in biomedical sciences in Sri Ramachandra university, i live in chennai, my daughter is very interested in biology and physics, i read about the departments in the university website and they had mentioned about computing, my daughter had secured 96% in her tenth fairly good in computers but she says if it is very technical she might find it very hard, have you any idea about it, i told her it wont be like information tech, comp tech or comp engineering…After she finishes her bachelor in biomedical sciences, can she do her masters abroad or any good university in India, what will be her paypacket…for a bachelor in India.. We are middle income group family

    Reply
    • Dear Punitha,

      If your daughter’s first choice is MBBS, then she should go after it. It is true that now-a-days around 35,000 students compete for 1 govt-funded medical seat; and private medical education is way expensive. But, I hope she does well in entrance exam. Medical Schools in Germany and Caribbean would be good alternatives – just for your information.

      Regarding Bachelor in Bio-Medical Sciences – I guess your daughter is not interested in programming and related stuff. I would advise not to go after Bioinformatics, Genetics. B.Tech in Biotechnology, or B.Sc. in Biochemistry or Biophysics could be good options.

      In India, VIT, Amity University, Thapar University, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, BIT Meshra, Manipal, Thapar University, BMS College for Women (Bangalore), Pondicherry University are decent ones in the field.

      She can do her Bachelors from abroad as well. Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland would be very good options, and relatively much affordable in comparison to other countries like US, UK, Australia. Germany is really good, as it charges LOW or NO tuition fees from international students (tuition fees would be like 10,000 – 50,000 INR per year); and there is huge demand for bio-medical scientists in Germany these days.

      Masters from abroad is always a suggestion from my side, at least for bio-medical field. Regarding salary in India after Bachelors – please refer to the article above.

      I wish your daughter good luck for her Board exams.

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  9. Hi Tanmoy,

    Thanx a lot of enlightening us, my daughter is now keen on going for Biomedical science, she is keeping her fingers crossed, how much would masters abroad would roughly cost(Fees ,accommodation) and everything.

    Punitha Suresh

    Reply
    • Cost of Master level courses in abroad depends on a lot of factors – country, university, specialization etc. Countries like Finland, Norway, Germany do not charge any tuition fees, whereas education in Australia, US could be expensive (if you do not get partial/full scholarship). In terms of range the total cost (fees and living expenses for 1.5 – 2 years) could be as low as INR 5 – 7 Lakhs, and as high as INR 30 – 40 Lakhs.

      Reply
  10. Hai Tanmoy,

    I finished M.B.B.S last year, I wanted to study Advanced PG diploma in stem cells n regenerative medicine, but i could not furnish 60 % aggregate of my qualifying exam. I have only 59.7%. I’m confused, I want to work in any of the foreign country as a general practitioner with good salary. How should i prepare myself to land a job in there. or help me how can I continue my ambition towards choosing a stem cell research career in future.

    Reply
    • Hi Raj,

      You have got quite a few avenues open. You could go for Masters in Stem Cells Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, if you wish to stay in the research (clinical or basic) field. After that, you can go for a PhD. US, UK and Australia would be good options for that track. Even Holland and Germany are nice. You might think that 1-2 years of Masters, followed by 3-4 of PhD – that’s a long track. But, in the long-term it would be beneficial. That is why I would suggest a Masters from the UK (Masters in 1 year over there). You can then go for a PhD or for clinical research opportunities in UK and/or Europe.

      In case you want to work as a GP, you need to clear the exams of respective countries. But, since you are interested in stem cell research, you should go for that. Being from MBBS background would help you big time.

      Best Wishes,

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  11. hello ,
    Thankyou so much for your detailed information reagrding Biomedical sciences. My daughter has done btech in biomedical engineering from MIT manipal. She wants to pursue a masters program in Biomedical engineering in UK. Many of the UK degrees are not recognised in India as the course duration is just 1 year as compared to USA and India (2 years).Should she go for masters there? what are the job prospects? Are there any courses like (MBA plus Masters in biomedical)? can she go for bioinformatics ? she is applying in University of Edinburgh for their MSc program in Bioinformatics.
    i would highly appretiate your valuable advice in this matter.
    Thanks!!

    Reply
  12. Hi.

    One-year Masters from the UK is a good option if you consider that your daughter will be saving one year time. That doesn’t hamper the prospects of employment in India or anywhere else. But, in case she comes back to India for PhD, Govt. sector jobs or Faculty position, then she could face problems (UGC and other Indian universities do not recruit lecturers with 1-year MSc degree). But, if she wants to go for a PhD in abroad or any other job in the UK or Europe, then there is no problem.

    I haven’t come across any decent course that deals with Biomedical Science and Management at the same time. Bioinformatics is a very good option and the career prospects are excellent. Job market in the UK is competitive indeed. But, options within the academia (positions like Research Assistant) are quite good. What she could do – MSc in Bioinformatics followed by a research assistant position and then she could pursue PhD in the UK, US or Europe.

    Good Luck!

    Reply
  13. Hi Tanmoy,

    My daughter has completed B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biochemistry and now pursuing M.Sc. (Biomedical Science) from ACBR, DU.

    She is in a fix what to do further, M.B.A., or a job or some other course so that she could earn a better salary. Looking at fresher level jobs, she finds that the salaries at entry level are very low as compared to other fields. She is also planning to appear for NET exam in the near future. She is not much interested in Ph.D.

    Could you please guide me, what could be the options available for her.

    Best regards,
    Kavita

    Reply
    • Dear Kavita,

      It’s fine that your daughter is not interested in doing a PhD. In fact that is good that she knows what she doesn’t want to do. After finishing M.Sc. she will have the option to be a Faculty member (if she wants to be in teaching). Alternatively, she could also move in to Big Data field. Now-a-days the IT companies do hire Domain experts, so she could contribute to the Life Sciences domain.

      I won’t suggest to do MBA without some work experience, especially after considering her background. After M.Sc. she could also join a biotech-pharmaceutical company. I agree that the starting salary won’t be always too lucrative (that is a real problem in India within the bio-medical domain). While working she could do PGDM or a course on Regulatory Affairs in correspondence. Those things will certainly help her to get a salary hike after 2 years. Alternatively, she could go for full-time MBA after 2 years of job in the life sciences domain. She could take preparation for CAT/MAT during those 2 years.

      Hope this helps.

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  14. Hi Tanmay,

    Your Article and replies are very informative. I have done my B’tech in Bio-technology. I have received offer of admission for Msc in Food Tech from Wageningen University, Netherlands. Is it worthwhile taking the offer? what are the chances of getting Phd opportunities there after completion of Msc and If not what are the job prospects. Can you please enlighten ASAP as i need to take a decision in few days.

    Reply
    • Hi Sameeksha,

      Wageningen University is a very good university. More importantly, the Dutch education system is really great (I can say that from my own experience). The M.Sc. Food Technology is a very specialized field, and you will find a lot of career options. There quite a few good companies, and lot of start-up firms in Holland. So, if you plan and execute carefully, you shouldn’t face too many problems.

      Dutch degrees are respected throughout the globe. If you do well during your studies, and specially during your internships (ideally in Holland you are supposed to undertake one 9-months and one 6-month internship – hence the education is very practical-oriented), you will definitely stand in good stead to get a PhD offer in Holland and in the other countries. Another plus point for the Food Tech domain – the field never gets affected that much due to recession and/or financial crisis.

      One more advice – In Netherlands 90% of people speak very good English. But, in terns of increasing your chance for employment do try to learn Dutch (or may be German/French – that would be beneficial if you want to look for better scopes in Europe as a whole). Switzerland, France, Germany, Denmark – these are some big players in that market; and knowing one of those languages will help you a lot.

      Good Luck.

      Reply
  15. hey,
    I am doing my Bsc (a 3 year course) in biotechnology, chemistry and botany . I want do my Msc in US and i am confused about the subject which i should take for my Msc .can you suggest the fields which has A lot of scope for it in US? And since Bsc is a 4 year degree in US is it possible for me to do my Msc there.I am interested in doing research but my family says that i should get an MBA since the salary for a research scientist is low. Is getting into a research field a good idea? or should i go for MBA? I am really confused.Please suggest something

    Reply
    • Hi Champaka,

      If you are really motivated about research, then you should go for it. You could also do an MBA after 3-4 years of working in the research domain if you want to get a super hike in salary. MBAs with research experience get paid really well. Doing an MBA straightaway after Bachelors won’t do too much in terms of a well-paid job.

      Regarding Masters in the US – yes few universities won’ accept 3-years Bachelors. But, that’s not true for all the universities. There are more than 300 Tier 1 universities in the US. If do good in GRE, TOEFL/IELTS and submit excellent statements and recommendation letters – you will get in to good schools.

      All The Best!!!

      Reply
  16. Hi Tanmoy,

    I just read your detailed article on Bio-medical Sciences on MBA Crystal Ball since I have been researching career options for my younger sister who has just finished class 12th.

    We are currently settled in Dubai, UAE and her board of education is A(america) level.

    She was planning to go for MBBS, but we spoke to a lot of doctor friends who advised us against it. Especially since the program is pretty expensive when you go through the NRI quota for the medical colleges in India. And doing a MD is highly crucial to do well.

    We have been looking at the bio-medical sciences field as an alternative since she is definitely keen on biology but not as much on physics and maths. Hence we ruled out Biotechnology and Biomedical Engg.

    Time is already running out for admission applications and I wanted your advice on what we should do? She is fairly intelligent and we wanted to send her for a program where she has good scope for development and is not stuck at a desk job.
    As I had read in your article as well, graduate jobs for Biomed sciences in India doesn’t pay well enough for one to make ends meet.

    Could you suggest which course we should look at? Also, what countries/colleges would be the most apt for it?

    Reply
    • Hi Aishwarya,

      It’s not that biomedical jobs don’t pay well in India. It’s a bit competitive at the entry-level. With good degree (M.Sc. and/or PhD) it is a good field. The field is not always for the mediocre students. If your sister is intelligent and passionate about biology, she could do really well.

      She could go for Bachelors in Biotechnology (that does not involve too much of Physics or Mathematics); bio-medical engineering will involve a lot of Physics though. Alternatively she could go for B.Sc. in Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry. In India there are lot of good colleges, especially in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Pondichery University, Amity University are very good options, but NOT the only ones.

      Outside India, she could go to UK or Ireland – they are very good options, and there is still some time left for the application deadline (for Fall 2015 intake). Deadlines for most of the other countries in Europe are around Jan – Apr. You can find some options in Germany as well; few German universities have got deadlines in June/July. You could also try Netherlands. It is actually quite late for Sweden, Norway, Finland and some other good destinations.

      In the UK you can find a lot of excellent options including Warwick, Nottingham, Glasgow, King’s College, Queen’s University, Manchester, Aston, Cardiff, Ulster, Aberdeen etc. In Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Limerick, UCD are very good options. In the Netherlands Utrecht, Leiden, VU Amsterdam, TU Delft are excellent options for international students. However, I am not too sure about the application deadlines.

      Australia is also an option, but there could be two problems. The next intake is Feb/Mar 2016 (I hope the deadlines are already gone for July intake); and Australia is more expensive than UK as well (both fees and living expenses). But, scholarships are available, and part-time work really pays very well in Australia.

      I hope this helps.

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  17. Hi Tanmoy!
    I am doing bsc in biomedical sciences from delhi university and its my second year! Unfortunately I am not gaining any interest in research field but I want to do masters in dietetics or nutrition .Could you please tell me If its possible as when I searced on internet in most of the places they mentioned about bsc in home science as a qualification and if its possible could you please help in telling me about where to apply and what to do. as I am in a utter confusion!

    Reply
    • Hi Aditi,

      If you are not finding the biomedical field interesting enough, then don’t force it. Leaving the field will be a good option. Unfortunately, I have not got that much idea about Nutrition and Dietetics. However, you could think about doing a Masters in Food Science or Food Technology. With this career path you can get closer to your field of interest.

      Best Wishes,

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  18. hello,
    How to do HCPC registration as a biomedical scientist if we possess a post graduation in Microbiologyfrom Indian universities? pls do reply

    Reply
  19. Hi Tanmoy,
    I finished my B.Tech in Biotechnology from SMVIT in 2013, since then I completed a PG Diploma course in Clinical Research and right now I am working as a Pre-Sales Executive in a Healthcare distribution company. I joined the company a year ago and after six months I realized that I want to study further. So I used up all my savings and applied for US universities. I was interested in Biomedical Engineering and as my job dealt with a lot of medical softwares, I chose the same. Right now I have 3 admits for MS in BME: SUNY Buffalo, UT Dallas and UT Arlington. Can you please tell me which one would be a better university??? Would the transition from Biotech to Biomedical be a difficult one??? I want to specialize in Biomaterials. Your article was extremely helpful and I hope that you’ll reply. Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Hi Varsha,

      I believe you have taken a very good decision. If you enjoyed the working with medical software and motivated for higher studies, you should go for it. Do not worry about the transition too much. Although in were involved in marketing and sales, you should be alright. You would also need to cover little bit of Medical Physics, but not too much Mathematics.

      First of all, all those 3 schools are excellent choices for Biomaterials. If you want to work on Biomaterials, UT Dallas would be a great choice. UT Arlington is also good choice, but the program is slightly inclined towards engineering. So, it’s up to you. But, UT Arlington has got great funding (which might be problem at Dallas in bagging a Scholarship) and the program is quite inter-disciplinary. SUNY Buffalo might be the best option according to me. But, you should check the profile and project/research pages of the faculty members of those three schools and then decide.

      All the best!

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  20. Hey i am in my 2nd year of biomedical lab.science even tho i have so much passion for research nd all the salary prospects dnt look favourable being a doctor affords me d salary i desire but i dnt want to do medicine just for d money tho am having thots of doin postgraduate medicine am in quite a dilema wat do u suggest

    Reply
    • Hi Chris,

      You could go for 4-year MD after finishing your BS. Later you could go for a PhD as well in order to work in the clinic and in the research field as well. MD-PhD track is a hardcore track and demands lot of motivation and perseverance. But, you could go after your passion (research work) and the money.

      Just one thing – if you don’t like clinical stuff at all – DO NOT go for MD course just for the sake of money. Research might not give you six digit salary – but you would still earn USD 50,000 – 60,000 per year and you would be happy as well. With experience and working in the industry (not academia), you will earn more in the.

      Tanmoy

      Reply
  21. Hey Tanmoy,
    I’m in my 2nd year BSc my subjects are chemistry, biotechnology and botany. i want to do my masters ..but I’m confused as to what subject i should take up can you please suggest some fields which has great scope in india and I’m really not interested in doing research or teaching. What are the other options that i have?

    Reply
    • Hi Abhijina,

      If you’re not interested in research or teaching, you could consider a career in Pharmaceutical Sales & Marketing, Pharmacovigilance / Regulatory Affairs and even Medical Writing. All these three options have got good scopes in India.

      Tanmoy

      Reply

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