I Want to Work in ...... Medical Laboratory Science
CLINICAL SCIENCE
There are a range of jobs here which all involve working in hospital laboratories. These include Clinical Biochemist, Clinical Microbiologist, Clinical Cytogeneticist, Immunological Scientist and others.
These organise tests on patient samples to assist with investigation, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Advise clinicians and GPs on use of tests and interpretation of results. Carry out research as well as evaluation and quality assessment of diagnostic tests. Typically you work in a hospital paid on the Grade A Clinical Scientists pay scale while completing a relevant Masters degree on a part-time basis (this is fully paid for).
Typical work activities include:
- Planning and organising work in clinical chemistry laboratories.
- Carrying out complex analyses on specimens of body fluids and tissues.
- Auditing the use and diagnosis performance of tests.
- Developing new and existing tests, mostly automated and computer assisted.
- Submitting funding bids and conducting research with clinicians.
- Liaising with clinical and technical staff.
- Some patient contact.
Normal entry route is via the National Scheme for Training Clinical Scientists www.nhsclinicalscientists.info You can now apply on-line - the scheme is normally advertised in late November/early December with a closing date about 6 weeks later.
Further Information
- Clinical Biochemistry www.acb.org.uk
- Clinical Microbiology www.socgenmicrobiol.org.uk and Health Protection Agency www.hpa.org.uk
- Clinical Cytogenetics www.cytogenetics.org.uk
- Immunological Scientists www.immunology.org
- File 154 in the Careers Service
BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS
These work in hospitals and related laboratories; providing a range of sophisticated analytical and advisory services to clinicians and other professionals, and/or being directly involved in research projects. Although salary is not high, you can earn an extra £5,000 per annum for a limited amount of night shifts.
Try to get some unpaid work experience in a hospital laboratory as a starting point. Graduates join as Trainee Biomedical Scientists. Training lasts about two years, leading to increasing responsibility for research and management and may include secondment on a part-time MSc at, for example, Westminster University.
Similar opportunities are available in the Blood Transfusion Service and veterinary laboratories.
If you have an accredited biomedical science degree and the required one year's experience in a hospital laboratory via a sandwich placement, you may be able to apply for Health Professions Council registration www.hpc-uk.org which would allow you to apply for BMS grade 1 posts rather than to trainee posts. The requirements for registration are an honours degree and the IBMS Certificate of Competence. The practical training for the certificate may be undertaken following graduation, but it is also incorporated into sandwich programmes. HPC registration takes 6 to 8 weeks, so it's important to move quickly on this once you have your degree. Most trainee posts for accredited graduates seem to be about Band 4.
For trainee posts of course, you don't have to be registered - just fill in a log book over 1 year, but starting salaries for trainees are lower. Also see www.ibms.org/index.cfm?method=education_and_careers.biomedical_science_courses
This is what the IBMS says:
"Biomedical scientist is a legally protected title so you must be registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC), the profession’s regulator.
Registration requires completion of an academic programme plus a period of training in an Institute approved laboratory to develop your practical skills and ensure your competence for patient safety. This may occur as part of an integrated degree or may be completed post-graduation. The trainee's progress and competence is recorded in a registration portfolio, which is assessed on completion of training. Trainees whose portfolios meet the HPC's standards are issued with a certificate of competence by the Institute for presenting to the HPC for registration.
Students undertaking Institute accredited integrated BSc (Hons) degrees (also called coterminus degrees) will have this period of training built into the degree and will be eligible for immediate registration at the same time as graduation."
Organisations in Kent Employing Biomedical Scientists
- East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust
- Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
- Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
- Medway NHS Trust
- Nuffield Hospital (Tunbridge Wells)
- Chelsfield Park BMI Hospital
- Pfizer Ltd
- BMI Healthcare (Orpington)
- Launch Diagnostics
Further Information
- Example science CV www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm
- Interviews for science jobs www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivscience.htm
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences www.ibms.org have a vacancy website www.careerscene.com which normally carries lots of job adverts for trainee biomedical scientists.
- Careers in Biomedical Science/Research www.academicmedicine.ac.uk portal to information and useful links for anyone considering or pursuing a career in any area of biomedical science.
- NHS Jobs www.jobs.nhs.uk England-wide job vacancy website. More than 500 Trusts currently place vacancies on the site. Type LABORATORY into the search box and it will come up with lots of hospital science vacancies many of which are suitable for new graduates.
- There is a list of recruitment agencies which specialise in recruiting biomedical scientists at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitephar.htm#agencies
- Health Protection Agency www.hpa.org.uk formerly the Public Health Laboratory Service. Diagnostic service for hospitals.
- www.medrecuk.com online recruitment page that specializes in Doctors, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals.
- Hospital and Other Health Service Addresses www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx
- See File V2 in the Careers Service.
Last fully updated April 2008
