Looking Ahead. Health Sciences and Social Work. A guide to studying these subjects at university and your opportunities afterwards

Transcription

1 10 Subjects inside include: biomedical science, dental care, healthcare science, human physiology, operating department practice, paramedic science, pharmacology, pharmacy, radiography, social work, and speech and language science Looking Ahead Health Sciences and Social Work A guide to studying these subjects at university and your opportunities afterwards

2 Subject overview Today s health and social care sector is made up of a wide range of professionals using their specialist skills to assess and treat medical conditions or other problems presented by clients. To operate successfully, they need to have a strong commitment to patient/client wellbeing, and work effectively with other professionals and health sciences technology. Students interested in a career in health or social care can choose from a wide range of degree or diploma courses to prepare for their chosen professional area. So do your research to ensure you re aware of all the opportunities available. There are many courses on offer around the country. Here are some examples of the health sciences and social work courses at the University of Portsmouth: Dental Care Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Dental Nursing Health Sciences and Social Work Healthcare Science Human Physiology Operating Department Practice Paramedic Science Social Work Speech, Language and Communication Science Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences Biomedical Science Pharmacology Pharmacy Radiography Diagnostic Radiography Therapeutic Radiography Please check for courses available across the UK and for up-to-date information on Portsmouth courses. Choosing a health sciences and social work course Look out for: Course accreditation or approval, where appropriate, from organisations such as the Institute of Biomedical Science, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Health and Care Professions Council or the Society of Radiographers. NHS sponsorship the NHS pays tuition costs and/or offers bursaries to eligible students studying some health science courses leading to eligibility to apply for registration. Examples include degrees in radiography, dental hygiene and therapy, operating department practice and social work. Different branches within a professional area for example, are you aware of the difference between diagnostic and therapeutic radiography? Will a particular course qualify you to become a speech and language assistant or a speech therapist? Work experience how much time will you spend on placements working in your chosen sector? Are there opportunities to undertake placements or study abroad? Facilities will you have access to the same kind of equipment that you ll be expected to use when you join the workforce? National Student Survey (NSS) statistics show whether students graduating from their course have been happy with the course, facilities and support provided during their studies. This can be found through your chosen university s website. Employment statistics for graduates, which can be found on your chosen university s website, via their careers service or at Subjects covered on the course every university will be different, so it s vital you find the right combination of topics for you. 2 University of Portsmouth Looking Ahead Health Sciences and Social Work

3 The course What will you study? During your time at university, you will study your chosen subject in depth. Universities usually run a number of compulsory or core topics for each course, which everyone studies in order to gain an understanding of the key areas. Health sciences and social care courses tend to have less scope for optional units than, for example, social sciences degrees. However, there may be options for you to select within some degrees, depending on your interests and how you want to specialise within your course. Units vary depending on the university. Below are a few examples of core units for health sciences courses at the University of Portsmouth: Core units: depending on the course, you could study topics such as immunology, anatomy and physiology, infection control, antimicrobial chemotherapy, physiology and health, applied physics of radiography/ radiotherapy, and early human development. There is likely to be some degree of choice regarding work placements organised in relation to an intended area of specialism for your course. How will you study? Lesson type Depending on your course, you will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory-based practicals, computer-based learning, workshops and simulations, plus workplace experience. Contact time Students studying these kinds of courses tend to have much heavier timetables than some other courses, usually looking at a minimum of 20 per cent of your week in lectures and seminars, and often with a 9am 6pm timetable. When on placement, students will be expected to put in the number of hours required for a full working week within their chosen sector. Assessment methods Health sciences and social care courses are generally more heavily weighted on exams than coursework, but other assessment types can include clinical assessments, case presentations and laboratory reports. A notable exception is social work where there are often no formal written exams. One point to note is that in many health-related courses there are sometimes special conditions on certain units, so that students have to score a particular percentage in order to pass as they may not be able to retake certain units later. Further information for the universities you are considering can be found via the university websites, Unistats at or Which? University at Health Sciences and Social Work Looking Ahead University of Portsmouth 3

4 Getting a place Key skills and qualities required for these subjects Skills Those working in the health and social sector are excellent problem solvers and use their initiative to help patients. Good communication and teamwork skills are essential to working in the health sector. Qualities Qualities relate more to your personality. You will need to be reliable, conscientious, show a genuine interest in the care and treatment of people, and be able to demonstrate sensitivity and understanding of client/patient issues. You must be a compassionate and non-judgemental person. Qualifications As for all degree courses, you will usually need at least five GCSEs grade A* C including English and maths. You will also need Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels, International Baccalaureate (IB) or BTEC. A strong background in science to a good A Level or equivalent standard will help you gain a place on most health science degrees. Some courses, for example the MPharm, may also require maths to a similar standard. Social work degrees accept students with good A Levels or equivalent in relevant subjects such as sociology, psychology, law or religious studies. Top tips for a successful application Show an active and genuine interest in health and social care refer to research and hot topics you have investigated. Refer to work experience or volunteering where you have interacted with people from various backgrounds; this will show your interest in people. Explain what you have gained from these experiences and how it has aided your understanding of this work. Talk about specific topics in your current studies or experiences you have had, how have they developed your interest in health and social care, what have you learnt? For the universities you are applying to, read the entry information included within the course information on the UCAS and university websites carefully. This will often show what sort of person they are looking for. Refer to hobbies and interests you hope to continue at university through the clubs and societies offered via the Students Union; this will show how you hope to become a member of the university community. Most health and social care subjects will require you to attend an interview day as part of the application process. This often involves group and individual interviews, group debates, written and numeracy tasks, case study analysis, and completing Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health paperwork. Prepare for these by getting detailed information from the universities of the content and meeting with careers staff in sixth form/college to discuss key points. 4 University of Portsmouth Looking Ahead Health Sciences and Social Work

5 What to do next Unlike at school and college, university courses do not always have a set teaching and learning strategy and can therefore vary widely in their teaching and assessment style. Look carefully at the course content of the universities you are considering to make sure they offer the best learning style for you. Compare universities on a range of factors including employability, student satisfaction, assessment methods and lecturer contact time using the Key Information Sets (KIS) which can be found on each university s website or via Keep up-to-date with relevant news stories via the newspapers or online such as BBC News 24. Whether it is changes to education or NHS services, or current issues across the globe, these will all show your passion for your subject. Get some experience either in or relevant to your chosen sector. This could involve spending time in a hospital imaging department, dentist s surgery or commercial pharmacy, assisting in a retirement home or a local playschool, or helping out in a school for children with learning, emotional or physical difficulties. Demonstrate your interest in caring for people by volunteering within relevant organisations such as St John Ambulance, the Red Cross and Barnardo s. Read widely around your subject, particularly related medical and social journals and familiarise yourself with current health and social sector policies and issues. Where to find out more NHS: National Health Service careers information at plus a website for young people at HCPC: Health and Care Professions Council at The Department of Health: information about health and social care at Uni info: a site where students share academic and social knowledge at and a website that provides university and course reviews at UCAS: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for information about university courses and the application process at Funding: information regarding bursaries and funding for health and social care courses can be found at Take up an extracurricular hobby/ activity such as playing a sport or musical instrument, joining a society or participating in award schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award. These kinds of activities show you are a wellrounded person. Health Sciences and Social Work Looking Ahead University of Portsmouth 5

6 Where could you work? A degree in a health or social care subject provides a gateway to a variety of career opportunities including medical sales, scientific journalism, teaching (don t forget you ll need a further qualification such as a PGCE), academic research, health promotion, the Armed Forces, animal care or working for companies that produce equipment related to your sector. For many career areas your qualification will also enable you to practise abroad. Many biomedical science graduates work in roles closely related to their subject, such as diagnostic pathology or scientific research. Students with a human physiology degree may also be eligible for the prestigious Graduate Scientist Training Programme in life and physiological sciences. Dental care students registered with the General Dental Council are usually employed within private or hospital dental practices. As there is currently a shortage of qualified dental care workers, your employment prospects could be excellent. Operating department practitioners mainly work in theatres, or in intensive treatment or accident and emergency units and resuscitation teams. Their clinical expertise is transferable to many other acute care areas, providing diverse career opportunities for this evolving profession. Successful paramedic science students can obtain professional registration and work in ambulance services throughout the country. Graduates from radiography degrees are usually employed in hospital imaging or radiotherapy departments around the UK. Those students with therapeutic radiography degrees can 6 University of Portsmouth Looking Ahead Health Sciences and Social Work be found working in oncology centres in larger hospitals and are responsible for the safe delivery of radiation for the treatment of cancer. Typical employers of Master of Pharmacy graduates include health service hospitals and supermarket or independent pharmacies. Alternatively, you may choose to go into the pharmaceutical industry where career choices include production, analytical services, drug information and licensing of medicines. Potential career areas for social work graduates include the safeguarding of children and adults, social services, mental health, working with youth offenders, education welfare, social entrepreneurial roles and paid roles in voluntary organisations. Again, demand for social workers is high, so you have excellent employment prospects. Speech and language assistants and speech therapists work in settings such as pre-school clinics, schools (including special needs schools), acute healthcare, elderly care and rehabilitation. If you d like to become a speech therapist, you ll need a degree accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. There is also the option of obtaining a two-year postgraduate qualification to top up an initial first degree in a relevant subject. Transferable skills These courses are highly vocational, but will also give you many transferable skills. You will develop your teamwork, communication, problem solving, self-motivation and time management skills, making you highly employable in a wide range of careers outside the health and social care industries. In fact, it is estimated that 60 per cent of employers looking to recruit a graduate (someone with a degree qualification) do not mind what your degree is in, just that you have that level of qualification.

7 What do our health sciences and social work students go on to do? Each year we gather statistics to identify what our students are doing six months after graduating. Many find work, continue studying or even take time out to travel. Here are the statistics for our health and social sciences students who graduated in 2013: Destination 80.2% Employed 12.9% Further study 0.2% Volunteering 3.2% Unemployed 3.5% Other Please note, these statistics (in line with national requirements) are gathered just six months after students graduate; employment prospects often change and improve greatly over the following few years. Find out more through the What do graduates do? publication at Here are a few examples of careers followed by our students: BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography Trainee Mammographer BSc (Hons) Social Work Escort Custody Officer Deputy Head of Children s Home BSc (Hons) Human Physiology Trainee Cardiac Physiologist BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science Medical Technologist Health Sciences and Social Work Looking Ahead University of Portsmouth 7

8 Contact us Education Liaison and Outreach Team University of Portsmouth T: St Andrew s Court E: elot@port.ac.uk St Michael s Road W: Portsmouth PO1 2PR Disclaimer Please be aware, this is not a course leaflet, it is a guide for university. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press (April 2015). However, you are advised that this information could be subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to and for University of Portsmouth courses, please refer to our website Accessibility If this document is in a format inaccessible to you, contact us and we will provide the information in a more suitable format. Please corporate.communications@port.ac.uk. PDF versions of this leaflet and others in the series are also available on our website at Titles in the series 01. Accounting, Economics and Finance 02. Architecture, Property and Surveying 03. Art and Design 04. Biological Sciences 05. Business and Management 06. Computing and Creative Technologies 07. Engineering 08. English, Film, Journalism and Media 09. Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences 10. Health Sciences and Social Work 11. History, Politics and Social Studies 12. Law and Criminology 13. Mathematics and Physics 14. Modern Languages and Area Studies 15. Psychology 16. Sports Science MD