Daniel Brennan is a class of 2022 School of Health graduate. Below, he discusses his experience on his course.

• Course: BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences (Medical Microbiology)

What have you been up to since you finished your course? 

I’ve started applying for jobs to get experience in a laboratory. I’m hoping to work in a lab before choosing to continue down the path to becoming a biomedical scientist or to apply for a master’s to become a physician’s associate. If I pursue becoming a physician’s associate, I’ll be working closely with medical doctors. The work would be helping to diagnose patients using my biomedical science knowledge. 

How have you found studying biomedical science during the Covid pandemic? Have you been able to link your learning to the real world? 

Yes, I have. My dissertation was on Covid-19 so a cutting-edge topic. I investigated what we know about the origins of the virus and how it jumped from animals into being present in humans. 

What kind of support have you received while you were a student here? 

I received great support, especially from our career advisors. We received guidance throughout the course but we could access specific help either via email or in person if we needed to. I’m currently benefitting from working with a careers consultant while I’m applying for a job here at LBU in the labs. They’re also helping me to improve my confidence and prepare for interviews for other labs in hospitals.     

Why did you choose to study your course specifically at LBU? 

The fact that my course is accredited was a big factor in my decision. If you study an accredited course, it makes you more employable as ultimately people know your learning is of a certain standard. LBU also isn’t far from home for me, and I wanted to stay relatively close to my family. 

What was your favourite part of the course? 

My favourite part of the course was learning new things. I enjoyed developing myself as a person. I’ve also made some great friends, some of them from other countries. I like socialising with a range of people and one of my friends is from Iceland.  

Can you share any challenges you’ve overcome? 

I feel like I’ve really improved my confidence. On my course we did presentations in front of the module leaders, so we would create and deliver a pitch. That built up my confidence in addition to my communication and teamworking skills. 

What advice would you give to someone thinking of studying your course? 

Use it as a starting point and prepare yourself for more to come. Achieving a bachelors degree in science means you’ve opened the door, possibly to a master’s degree, the workplace or an internship to enhance your experience. Go with the flow and do what your heart desires.