Completing the BSc (Hons) degree in Medical Biochemistry will give you a firm grounding in modern biochemistry, with particular reference to the ways in which this relates to medicine and health issues. Along the way you will gain not only subject knowledge but also important transferable skills that should make you an attractive prospect for future employers.

The programme for the first year incorporates relevant components drawn from both the Medicine (MBChB) and Biological Sciences degree streams.

Key Skills modules, designed specifically for this course, will help you develop your communication and data handling skills, serving you in good stead both for your other studies and your career. This includes popular sessions where you have the opportunity to see video footage of yourself giving a short presentation.

In the   second and third years  you can begin to develop Medical Biochemistry with, if you would like, a leaning towards Genetics, Microbiology or Physiology. Modules on proteins, gene expression, molecular cell biology, metabolism and molecular machines are taken in the second year, along with a module on molecular medicine and biomedical ethics exclusively for Medical Biochemists.  A third of the material in the year is then chosen by you to reflect your particular interests.

In the   final year, Biochemical Mechanisms of Human Disease, a core module specifically for the Medical Biochemists, is studied along with three units of your choice. The options include Biochemistry modules Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Proteins: Structure, Dynamics and Engineering and the Molecular Biology of Gene Expression as well as one or two units coordinated by other Departments, including the popular Understanding Disease module.

In addition to your taught courses, you will undertake a research project.  There are three types of projects: lab-based, library and school-based.  We encourage students to take the laboratory project option, since this gives you the rare opportunity to do genuine experimental research as part of one of the leading research teams located on the campus or in the teaching hospitals of the Medical School. Recent lab projects have included: Molecular basis of inherited ion channel diseases; Structural studies of novel drug targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis; The role of B-Raf protein kinase in tunour cells; The involvement of caspase proteins in renal ischaemia; and Mutational analysis of the myc oncogene. For those who have decided laboratory work is not for them, there is the possibility of undertaking a literature review of recent developments in a specific field.  Students who are planning to head on into a career in teaching may elect to do a school-based placement as part of the Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme.

The Learning Environment

A variety of assessment methods are used in different modules in Medical Biochemistry. Medical modules, including Biological Molecules, Metabolism and Membranes & Receptors, are assessed by short answer examination. Biochemistry practicals, Key Skills and Targeting Biochemical Knowledge to Medical Problems are assessed entirely on the basis of coursework, although this can take a wide variety of forms, including essays, oral presentations, production of a website and data-handling questions. Most other modules in the second and third year are 30% continual assessment, 70% final examination.

There is also variety in the ways that modules are delivered. The medical modules listed above consist of approximately 18 hours of lectures and 18 hours of ‘worksessions’ where you work closely within a team of approximately 8 students to answer questions set from the previous week and/or present talks or posters. 

Other modules have up to 30 hours of lectures, combined with tutorial of six students and practicals where you work individually or in pairs. All of our modules are supported by electronic resources available via the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment.  These include a variety of materials from additional articles and self-study quizzes through to audio and video podcasts.

Special Features and Benefits

There are a number of unique and exciting features of the Medical Biochemistry course at Leicester. In the first year, you will study a number of modules from the medical curriculum. In the second year, the module Targeting Biochemical Knowledge to Medical Problems contains three main strands. The first looks in greater detail at biochemical techniques which are becoming commonly applied in molecular medicine. The second focuses on ways that recent advances in our understanding of the human genome and of protein structure can aid the rational design of pharmaceutical drugs. The third addresses bioethical topics and asks you to design a set of web pages reviewing material on such topics – and thus combines knowledge of this increasingly important aspect of applied biochemistry with familiarity with web-authoring software – an important transferable skill.

In the final year, the module   Biochemical Mechanisms of Human Disease is exclusively offered to Medical Biochemists. This is mainly focussed on the molecular basis of heart disease, inflammation and kidney disease. The final year module  Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology (also available to other Biological Scientists) is very highly regarded.

External Opportunities

At the start of the second year all students in Medical Biochemistry are given the opportunity to apply for a year carrying out research with an industry company or elsewhere, and thus to get a BSc Medical Biochemistry (Sandwich) degree. The application process starts towards the end of year 1 with an introduction to the sandwich scheme and a short interview to decide the sort of placement that might be suitable for your interests.  You will also be give advice on writing a CV and covering letter. We have a good track record of arranging placements for interested students with top companies. Previous students have spent their sandwich year with companies such as AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmagene and Amersham Biotech. Others have spent been placed with research institutes such as the Animal Health Trust and the MRC Toxicology Unit adjacent to the University site.  In addition, there are increasing opportunities to spend a third year overseas before returning to take the final year in Leicester.

Career Opportunities

In the recent past graduates from the Medical Biochemistry degree stream have gone on to a wide variety of further training and careers. These have included MSc programmes in, for example, forensics, molecular genetics, cancer biology, bioinformatics and pathology & toxicology. Others have gone on to do PhDs in diverse fields, including cancer research, molecular biology and membrane physiology. First career destinations have included employment as a research assistant, medical sales representative, systems analyst and medical archivist. A number of graduates from this course now have prominent roles within the pharmaceutical industry. The option to move on to either a four-year Graduate entry or traditional five-year medical degree  has become an increasingly popular choice.

Course Comparison

People sometimes ask “What’s the difference between Medical Biochemistry and Biochemistry at Leicester?” In short, the answer is that the core elements you will study are the same, but the differences lie in what you do with the rest of your studies. This is most obvious in the first year where C700 Biochemists do Biochemistry plus other aspects of Biological Science (including genetics, physiology, microbiology, zoology and ecology) whereas C720 Medical Biochemists supplement their core Biochemistry with modules drawn from the first year of the MBChB Medicine course, as outlined above. Unless your intention is to become a plant biochemist (in which case I guess you wouldn’t be reading this!) then doing Medical Biochemistry in no ways limits your career prospects and may open up additional possibilities for you.

Incidentally, there is also a third way to study Biochemistry at Leicester. Those who would like to maintain a stronger chemical flavour to their Biochemistry can take one of the Chemical Biology courses (CF71, CF7C or CFRD), administered by the Chemistry Department, which includes Biochemistry units from the Biological Sciences programme alongside Chemistry.