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:

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

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

Further Information

 

Last fully updated April 2008