nhs scientist training programme 2014/15
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Original post by Bagsworth
Unfortunately that's exactly what consultants told me: be prepared to move away anywhere. I'm a member of the ACB, it's really good for keeping up to date with all things biochemistry. I'm gutted I will have to reapply next year but some people apply year on year but eventually get a place. Do you have a location in mind? Welcome to the thread! Congratulations on passing arguably the harshest stage. 
Yeah, that's generally what I've been told - if you want to progress quickly you definitely have to be prepared to do that. I find it quite sad that that's the case with many grad schemes now - employers don't think that you'd have any reason to want to stay in a particular place, so think they can send you anywhere and you're at their mercy really. Whilst my career is very important to me, my boyfriend and I have been together for over 3 years now and he's also very important to me!
I've had a few emails from the ACB with newsletters and suchlike so far, although haven't had chance to sit down and have a proper read thanks to being ridiculously busy with my degree. It looks like it will come in useful should I get an interview though!
I think it's a massive shame you didn't get through, as you seem like you'd be a fantastic candidate. Aptitude tests aren't always the best way of selecting for candidates - so many people who'd be great at the job must slip through the net because of them. If I don't get it this year I'd perhaps reapply twice more but then have a think about what else I could do.
Ideally I wanted Yorkshire as it's where my parents live and my boyfriend is looking at doing a masters at Leeds, but there are no Biochem posts there
I put down Immunology as my second specialism which has 2 posts in Leeds but I think I'll get rejected from that as it's pretty clear from my form that Biochemistry is what I want to do - it was a last minute decision to put Immunology down as I thought I had nothing to lose by doing it. I was thinking maybe Nottingham, Liverpool or Preston in terms of where my boyfriend will be, but I've also visited all of the hospitals that have posts in Birmingham this year so I'm a bit torn really. Wouldn't really want to go any further south than Brum though. Thank you
Original post by NimzB
Aw really, where abouts? Thats what i done my undergrad in...!!
Im doing a Masters in Assisted reproductive technology at nottingham at the momment!
You should apply for it as back up 😁
Im doing a Masters in Assisted reproductive technology at nottingham at the momment!
You should apply for it as back up 😁
I'm studying at Exeter, I looked at that masters actually! I've secured an MRes in human conception here in Exe so that's my backup, will go on to PhD if I don't get on after that!
Original post by Alv202
Well done to everyone long listed, and good luck- short listing starts today! as far as I know shortlisting takes 2 weeks then we hear back again? Can anyone confirm this?
The email about longlisting stated that the shortlisting will be completed by the end of February however we won't receive any invites to interview until mid-March
...more waiting!Original post by Coops12
The email about longlisting stated that the shortlisting will be completed by the end of February however we won't receive any invites to interview until mid-March ...more waiting!
...more waiting!So much waiting! I wasn't sure if we found out about how the first stage of shortlisting has gone before we (possibly) get invited to interview, as I heard your status can change to 'shortlist successful' before you get offered interview
Original post by Alv202
So much waiting! I wasn't sure if we found out about how the first stage of shortlisting has gone before we (possibly) get invited to interview, as I heard your status can change to 'shortlist successful' before you get offered interview
Ah i see, well who knows! I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Oh cool thanks for info AMS1, did you get an interview last year then? Can't wait to find out what happens next!
Original post by BlueSheep32
Yeah, that's generally what I've been told - if you want to progress quickly you definitely have to be prepared to do that. Whilst my career is very important to me, my boyfriend and I have been together for over 3 years now and he's also very important to me!
I've had a few emails from the ACB with newsletters and suchlike so far, although haven't had chance to sit down and have a proper read thanks to being ridiculously busy with my degree. It looks like it will come in useful should I get an interview though!
I think it's a massive shame you didn't get through, as you seem like you'd be a fantastic candidate. Aptitude tests aren't always the best way of selecting for candidates - so many people who'd be great at the job must slip through the net because of them. If I don't get it this year I'd perhaps reapply twice more but then have a think about what else I could do.
Ideally I wanted Yorkshire as it's where my parents live and my boyfriend is looking at doing a masters at Leeds, but there are no Biochem posts there I put down Immunology as my second specialism which has 2 posts in Leeds but I think I'll get rejected from that as it's pretty clear from my form that Biochemistry is what I want to do .
Thank you
I've had a few emails from the ACB with newsletters and suchlike so far, although haven't had chance to sit down and have a proper read thanks to being ridiculously busy with my degree. It looks like it will come in useful should I get an interview though!
I think it's a massive shame you didn't get through, as you seem like you'd be a fantastic candidate. Aptitude tests aren't always the best way of selecting for candidates - so many people who'd be great at the job must slip through the net because of them. If I don't get it this year I'd perhaps reapply twice more but then have a think about what else I could do.
Ideally I wanted Yorkshire as it's where my parents live and my boyfriend is looking at doing a masters at Leeds, but there are no Biochem posts there
I put down Immunology as my second specialism which has 2 posts in Leeds but I think I'll get rejected from that as it's pretty clear from my form that Biochemistry is what I want to do . Thank you
Well you seem very clued up about the STP and careers etc so you have a solid shot of getting through
and so much of the ACB stuff will help at the interview stage. I'm over not getting through now. Sadly I failed the UKCAT and now I failed at this aptitude test, maybe there's a lesson there. I've looked at going back to biomedical science and from what I've seen, there is ample opportunity to switch over to clinical science once you've been in the path labs a few years but the career in biomedical science can be accelerated with a PhD seeing as most BMSs still don't have PhDs unlike clinical scientists (in clinical biochemistry anyway) - but again, that would involve moving around from band to band.
It was the same for me and my boyfriend for the STP, I would have wanted London but would have taken anywhere but would have meant being apart for at least another year after 2 and a half already.
It would be nice if I was still in the running for an interview but I don't envy you all the wait involved now! Good luck everyone! Focus on your degrees or jobs and put it out of your mind!
Original post by Bagsworth
Well you seem very clued up about the STP and careers etc so you have a solid shot of getting through and so much of the ACB stuff will help at the interview stage.
I'm over not getting through now. Sadly I failed the UKCAT and now I failed at this aptitude test, maybe there's a lesson there. I've looked at going back to biomedical science and from what I've seen, there is ample opportunity to switch over to clinical science once you've been in the path labs a few years but the career in biomedical science can be accelerated with a PhD seeing as most BMSs still don't have PhDs unlike clinical scientists (in clinical biochemistry anyway) - but again, that would involve moving around from band to band.
It was the same for me and my boyfriend for the STP, I would have wanted London but would have taken anywhere but would have meant being apart for at least another year after 2 and a half already.
It would be nice if I was still in the running for an interview but I don't envy you all the wait involved now! Good luck everyone! Focus on your degrees or jobs and put it out of your mind!
and so much of the ACB stuff will help at the interview stage. I'm over not getting through now. Sadly I failed the UKCAT and now I failed at this aptitude test, maybe there's a lesson there. I've looked at going back to biomedical science and from what I've seen, there is ample opportunity to switch over to clinical science once you've been in the path labs a few years but the career in biomedical science can be accelerated with a PhD seeing as most BMSs still don't have PhDs unlike clinical scientists (in clinical biochemistry anyway) - but again, that would involve moving around from band to band.
It was the same for me and my boyfriend for the STP, I would have wanted London but would have taken anywhere but would have meant being apart for at least another year after 2 and a half already.
It would be nice if I was still in the running for an interview but I don't envy you all the wait involved now! Good luck everyone! Focus on your degrees or jobs and put it out of your mind!
Thank you
I'll make sure to have a good read of it if I do get an interview! My only concern is that although I'm doing a masters, it's an undergraduate one so I haven't graduated yet and I'm not sure how they'll view that. A PhD is something I definitely don't want to do, I've found that out doing my masters research project
having that will open up a lot of opportunities to you, not just in the NHS, although that's probably not much of a consolation. You can only keep trying with the STP - again though, I do think they miss out on some great candidates because of the crude filtering process. It's literally the worst thing about the STP - apart from that it's my dream job! Had a long talk about it with my boyfriend at the weekend as he's facing a few important career choices at the minute; we're most likely going to face at least a year apart but once he's managed to the masters (his issue at the moment is the cost) he'll move to wherever I am, and whilst he was a bit funny about it before he said he doesn't want me to turn down a post if I get offered one because it's too far away from him. I feel more positive about the future than I once did at least. I could cope with a couple of years of long distance if I knew it was going to come to an end at some point relatively soon.
Original post by Bagsworth
Unfortunately that's exactly what consultants told me: be prepared to move away anywhere. I'm a member of the ACB, it's really good for keeping up to date with all things biochemistry. I'm gutted I will have to reapply next year but some people apply year on year but eventually get a place. Do you have a location in mind? Welcome to the thread! Congratulations on passing arguably the harshest stage.
Worries me a bit. The moving. My husband and I are both doing PhDs (him in cancer, me in cell biology)... and have genetics degrees. We've both applied and miraculously got through the tests (we thought we'd fail... especially me as maths at speed is usually my failure). We don't obviously want to end up at opposite ends of the country. The chances of us both getting a spot is miniscule... but I guess it's still a posibility and a problem!
Sorry you didn't get through. I failed first time when I finished my degree. I didn't do great at the ukcat either.
I'd love to get it this time though. Wish they were quicker. It's tough not knowing.
(edited 9 years ago)
Hi everyone. Good luck with your applications. I have applied for the past two years and didn't get through so I understand how hard the wait is!
I am wondering if anyone is applying as an in-service applicant. I managed to get myself a job as a technologist in an IVF lab so I'm hoping next year I might be able to get on to the "grow your own" scheme. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how this scheme is funded, do in service applicants get the same salary as direct entry applicant? It would be awful if I had the opportunity to do the scheme but couldn't afford it due to a pay cut!
I am wondering if anyone is applying as an in-service applicant. I managed to get myself a job as a technologist in an IVF lab so I'm hoping next year I might be able to get on to the "grow your own" scheme. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how this scheme is funded, do in service applicants get the same salary as direct entry applicant? It would be awful if I had the opportunity to do the scheme but couldn't afford it due to a pay cut!
Original post by Cloggs1
Hi everyone. Good luck with your applications. I have applied for the past two years and didn't get through so I understand how hard the wait is!
I am wondering if anyone is applying as an in-service applicant. I managed to get myself a job as a technologist in an IVF lab so I'm hoping next year I might be able to get on to the "grow your own" scheme. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how this scheme is funded, do in service applicants get the same salary as direct entry applicant? It would be awful if I had the opportunity to do the scheme but couldn't afford it due to a pay cut!
I am wondering if anyone is applying as an in-service applicant. I managed to get myself a job as a technologist in an IVF lab so I'm hoping next year I might be able to get on to the "grow your own" scheme. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how this scheme is funded, do in service applicants get the same salary as direct entry applicant? It would be awful if I had the opportunity to do the scheme but couldn't afford it due to a pay cut!
The in-service scheme is funded by the trust you are employed by rather than external funding so you get paid whatever band and salary you are currently earning (unless your employer is particularly generous). the training scheme is paid well though - band 6 so you're likely to get a pay cut compared to direct entry trainees.
I have a question as well though - how do you pitch to your employer that you want to be considered as an in-service applicant? I want to do it as a biomedical scientist to clinical scientist but I don't know how you'd negotiate it as you're unlikely to be employed as x if you want to be transferred to y unless they have a need and no good in-house candidates.
Original post by Rennie
Worries me a bit. The moving. My husband and I are both doing PhDs (him in cancer, me in cell biology)... and have genetics degrees. We've both applied and miraculously got through the tests (we thought we'd fail... especially me as maths at speed is usually my failure). We don't obviously want to end up at opposite ends of the country. The chances of us both getting a spot is miniscule... but I guess it's still a posibility and a problem!
Sorry you didn't get through. I failed first time when I finished my degree. I didn't do great at the ukcat either.
I'd love to get it this time though. Wish they were quicker. It's tough not knowing.
Sorry you didn't get through. I failed first time when I finished my degree. I didn't do great at the ukcat either.
I'd love to get it this time though. Wish they were quicker. It's tough not knowing.
I have heard that if you have a spouse, a mortgage or a child that would mean you'd want to stay in a particular place, they do take that into account when allocating the posts if you're successful at interview. My boyfriend and I were discussing this last week, and I said jokingly that unless we bought a house or had a shotgun wedding, its unlikely that I'll end up working where I want to work. He laughed at that. I then added "or if we had a child" (which I was also most definitely joking about!) and he almost spat out the mouthful of tea he'd just taken
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Rennie
Oh, good to know. We live in newcastle but we want to move. We're hoping to get a position in Bristol or Cardiff as you can easily commute between them... but it's all a massive long shot.
Didn't make it first time and not sure I will now!
Didn't make it first time and not sure I will now!
Do you and your husband have backup plans?
If cars are available as a means of transport, the workable commuting radius can be quite large, .e.g. Bristol and the West Midlands are within an hour of a midpoint like Cheltenham. Whether the finances can be made to add up is another matter altogether.
Original post by BlueSheep32
I'll make sure to have a good read of it if I do get an interview! My only concern is that although I'm doing a masters, it's an undergraduate one so I haven't graduated yet and I'm not sure how they'll view that.(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Rennie
Not currently as the other options are jobs which we can't apply to until we finish our PhDs. But there's lots of options... just not what I'd necessarily want to be doing.
Really? Most post doc positions you don't necessarily need your PhD to start. But it's the same for me; lots of jobs but none of which truly appeal.
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