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How to become a Clinical Scientist?

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Fatima do look into the degree, what jobs you can get with it and most importantly how much demand there is for it. If your trying to get into a job which hardly any vacancies come up in a year imagine how competitive it must be. I've done a biomed degree and just completed a masters in infection and immunity but I'm struggling to get a trainee biomedical scientist role and even a medical laboratory assistant. About 1-3 roles pop up a month in London for trainee biomeds so probably 15-35 jobs a year which is rediculous. Probably the same number of vacancies as some specialisms for the STP. There's a good number of qualified biomed jobs but it's the training which is scarce. I was looking at going for the STP but there aren't much qualified clinical scientist jobs out there unless the hospital that trains you give you the job there after training. I was looking at going into cardiac sciences but I have not seen one job Pop up for a clinical scientist in that specialism. It's generally microbiology, immunology, blood sciences and biochemistry though these specialisms the competition is 1/100 per vacancy. Do keep some backup jobs in mind if you can't get a trainee job at the moment.Covid doesn't help either reducing the number of vacancies of jobs. I've actually started doing a course in finance now. There's a lot more demand for jobs in this sector so hopefully less competition plus pay is better. I could be earning the same as a senior biomedical scientist in a few years less if I worked in finance and be earning much more in the time it took me to get to that senior position.I don't mean to put you off but it is a tough world out there. I used to think I'll get into the STP, train for 3 years in cardiac sciences then work as a qualified clinical scientist and do the HSST to become a consultant but it's just too little the number of trainee vacancies out there compared to the number of people who qualified in this field.

Reply 21

Sholanussey

Original post by njones28

Hi, I'm in a similar position however I've been a registered Biomedical Scientist for 2 years already. I'm aware that there is 3 routes, one stemming from working as a biomedical scientist, however it's a bit confusing on how to gain the experience required. I'm confused as to how to gain the training (and if I could get funded training and MSc) through these routes, are positions advertised on national schemes or would I have to contact these schemes so that I could apply for the hospital that I work in? From initial research it looks like I can only get training through the STP route, and only apply for a certificate with evidence of training from the IBMS or Academy of Healthcare Sciences. The STP route is extremely competitive and I do not possess an MSc, would happily self-fund, but if theres another way of gaining both the training and a funded MSc then that would be much better!

Thank you

I’m

Original post by Pleiotropic

Hi, current clinical scientist here. You don't need an accredited degree, as you say that's just for BMSs and clinical science is a different route. They are both HCPC registered but as different careers. The usual way is to go through the STP to get accreditation but there are equivalence schemes (I think STP equivalence details are on the AHCS - academy for healthcare science - website). Most people who do this work as BMSs first and it is a lot trickier as its very self-directed. You can also get onto the STP directly from being a BMS via the in-service route but that relies on your trust supporting that. Any route will likely take a few years after your degree.

Hi!

can I just say, thankyou so much for this! I’ve been doing endless research for a while but you’ve answered most of my questions :smile:

please could you tell me the complete journey you took from getting to university to bring a trained clinical scientist, that Would really help me to plan what I need to do!
thanks so much

Reply 22

Pleiotropic

My own journey was doing an undergrad in biology then working for a pharmaceutical company for a few years in a related field to biochemistry using a lot of the techniques used in a hospital lab before getting on the STP. I had to apply 3 times before I got on though, it's very competitive. A lot of people in biochemistry have done MScs or PhDs beforehand or at least have relevant lab experience but some people do get straight on from a BSc. It really depends on the discipline as for some a lot of people seem to mainly apply from within the NHS. If you have a specialist area you're interested in you might be able to contact your local hospital team in that field to find out the route they took or if they have any specific advice. There isn't really one route that will guarantee you a place and people have very varied backgrounds.

Reply 23

izzylight

Hi! I'm a year 13 student deciding which uni offers to accept for Biomedical Science. At the moment I'm wavering between clinical scientist and research (fave areas are genetics, oncology and stem cells - which do fit together quite nicely :wink:

)
I'd like to keep my options as open as possible. I have an offer from Imperial, and I'm inclined to firm it, with King's as my second choice. But one of my other offers is St George's, which offer an IBMS accredited degree. Now I prefer the course at both Imperial and King's, but that's not to say I hate the one at St George's. Should I shut the door on a IBMS accredited degree purely because I prefer the course at other places more? Will graduating from a uni like Imperial give me enough of an edge if/when I choose to apply for the STP? What about when I apply for a job, is it better to have the IBMS accredited degree or the prestige of Imperial behind me?

Reply 24

Pleiotropic

Original post by izzylight

I’m not sure I’m able to give a very clear answer! The IBMS accredited degree would help for getting a biomedical scientist position if you’d be interested in that (particularly if you managed to do your portfolio during the degree) but in my experience I don’t think would make a vast difference to an STP application. On the other hand there’s a wide range of backgrounds in my experience to people on the STP from Oxbridge and the Russell group to the newer “less prestigious” universities so I don’t think go to a university higher up a league table would make much difference either, particularly as the interview process is point marked and I'm pretty sure doesn't assign points to different universities. I can’t speak for recruiters in other careers though!

I don’t know a huge amount about the genetics route if that’s what you’d be interested in but the few people I know on the genetics STP mostly have PhDs. Not to put you off but it’s very competitive, to put into context cancer genomics had 49 applicants per place and genomics 30 applicants per place last year.

Reply 25

Sescvan

Hi everyone, if anyone wants to apply in for the STP in Wales, applications have just opened. It’s a different process in Wales as you apply through NHS jobs (go to NHS jobs and search for Trainee Clinical Scientist and lots of posts will come up for all the different specialisms). I finished the STP in Audiology in North Wales in 2019 and now work as a Band 7 Clinical Scientist.

Reply 26

ksj1526

Could someone help me with my question regarding clinical scientists in genetics?
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7180791
Thanks.

Reply 27

Rafsa01

Original post by National Careers Service

Hi there. The most important thing is that it's a degree in a science subject and it not being accredited wouldn't stop you from being able to apply. Bear in mind, however, that it is quite competitive so an accredited degree could give you a better chance of getting accepted.

They have some information about their entry requirements, including a list of accepted subjects here...

nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/programmes/stp/applicants/entry-requirements

Best of luck - Mark

Hi,

I am currently planning to apply for MSc immunology course. I wanted to become a clinical scientist in immunology. I am aware that to become a clinical scientist I have to do STP. I was wondering if I do a MSc immunology in an university without STP, can I still become a clinical scientist?