Making the most of my BSc Biomedical Sciences with Spanish course

Callum is a student on the BSc Biomedical Sciences with a Modern Language course at Manchester. Here, he talks about why he chose the course and how he is currently finding his placement year in Spain.

As I am a Biomedical Sciences with Spanish student, one can assume that I combined my passion for science and Spanish language when choosing the course – which is precisely the case.

Whilst I love both subject areas dearly, I have always been more inclined to the biomedical field when it comes to career prospects, but studying Spanish as well appeals to me for a number of reasons.

Why Spanish?

I knew I was interested in Spanish way before I even considered venturing into the science field; 14-year-old me had a streak on Duolingo! Combining biomedical sciences with Spanish made my degree tailored to me, rather than the other way around.

Callum by the sea on his placement year in Spain.

A major advantage of doing biosciences with a modern language is that the language skills that I have acquired from studying Spanish have helped me in biosciences. Biology is a language in itself, so the techniques I used to learn Spanish came in handy to learn key biological terms and concepts.

Moreover, my new language skills may facilitate my career in science communication, enabling communication between labs that use different languages – that is, if I choose to go down that path.

Combining both my passions has allowed me to see how different faculties conduct lectures. Spanish classes are very social when compared to biosciences, which has allowed me to socialise more and make more friends.

Overall, the joining of the two subjects has enhanced my educational experience, as I get to enjoy and pursue both without having to drop either subject – that would have been a bummer!

Making the most of language classes

Honestly, I know how hard it is to consistently attend lectures as the semester goes by. But if you’re planning on taking this course, I would encourage you not to skip any language classes.

Although you can watch the lecture recording afterwards (just like in biosciences), a key component of Spanish classes involves practising Spanish with your course mates. I would 100% recommend immersing yourself in that part of your course, as it will increase your confidence, particularly for your year abroad.

Due to the nature of the combined course, make sure you love the language you’re studying to the point where you would be happy to spend a year in the middle of your degree speaking that language daily.

My placement year in Spain

My year abroad has been so far enjoyable and great for my academic and professional progression. I have majorly been in charge of my own schedules and goals. This new level of autonomy is an advantage.

However, I often find myself wondering if I am doing too much or too little workwise. As for accomplishments, it has been a blessing to work through my project relatively quickly and to contribute to a variety of different projects in the meantime.

In fact, what I have been particularly enjoying is finding faster ways to run tests that professors regularly use. This is one of the main reasons why I managed to speed up the progress of my own work, and that of others.

The year abroad has allowed me to live within a different culture, gain an incredible amount of confidence in speaking Spanish, and shown me that, in fact, the world is indeed a lot bigger than just my hometown and Manchester.

Advice for organising your placement year

Ensure you are passionate about the project you choose. This is something that I should have taken into consideration, as my motivation has suffered at times due to a lack of interest in my project.

Moreover, I would suggest keeping up with the visa process and even sort out documentation earlier to save you the headache.

Regarding finding a placement, you can actually ask about positions in private companies, which can increase the chances of landing a paid placement. Although I considered this, I decided to go via the standard route – finding a placement with the University of Manchester’s partner universities.

This course and placement year were essential for my character and professional development, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in doing the same!

Learn more about studying biosciences at Manchester, and about combining biosciences with a modern language.