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NHS Clinical Scientist Recruitment

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So, I got a 2:2...good look to the reserve who took my place!
Reply 4721
OMG....just found out that my trust won't cover my travel expenses for the STP and going to have to go off to Manchester Uni for several weeks. Does anyone know of any funding to help with this? Right now I'm not sure I can afford this on top of my other financial commitments. Having a bit of a heart attack here... any advice/help would be much appreciated.
Jenny, That's awful. Where are you travelling from? I am awaiting a decision from my Trust as to whether they're prepared to pay also. If not the expenses will equal my pay. Is there any point in speaking to the School of Healthcare Scientists and asking them to speak directly with the host institutions and ensuring they cover expenses, say if greater than 1 hours travel away? I was thinking of this though the more people do so the greater the possibility.
Reply 4723
Original post by Not flour
Jenny, That's awful. Where are you travelling from? I am awaiting a decision from my Trust as to whether they're prepared to pay also. If not the expenses will equal my pay. Is there any point in speaking to the School of Healthcare Scientists and asking them to speak directly with the host institutions and ensuring they cover expenses, say if greater than 1 hours travel away? I was thinking of this though the more people do so the greater the possibility.


Hi Not flour

Thanks for your post and sorry to hear about your situation.

I'll be travelling from the New Forest (Hampshire), so Manchester isn't exactly commutable.

Since posting I have learned that the funds received by the trust (to cover our training) may include a modest travel allowance. It may be worth speaking to someone in-the-know at your hospital (i.e. someone involved in the organisation of the STP) as HR aren't always kept in the loop. However, I doubt this allowance will be enough to cover all expenses over the three years. I suspect that if trust policy covers staff travel/subsistence expenses as per the Agenda for Change guidelines (which mine does not), you could top up the aforementioned STP travel allowance. In my case, though, it looks like I may have a shortfall of £1-2K. It does seem a little unfair that some will get their expenses fully covered whilst others will have to get into debt to afford the training. Perhaps, as you suggested, it is worth speaking to the School of Healthcare Scientists if this does not have a happy outcome.

Let me know how you get on.

All the best
Jenny
Hi, for anybody that applied previously to the medical physics specialism:

I know the test are numerical and logical, but there are several types of numerical and logical, if you remember, can you please put a link showing similar tests to the ones I'll need to do so that I can prepare better?

Did you study a lot to prepare the interview? is it quite tricky?

How much do the tests count? How do they decide to which people they give the job? I read something in the forum before about meeting all person specifications, is it the document in the website about person specifications?

Thanks!
H
Reply 4725
Heya All,

I've dealt with this one before!
Expenses are, unfortunately, quoted as 'at the host trust's discretion' on the STP Application. STP Students are provided with a £2k ish expenses budget throughout their training, but its your training officer's decision what they spend it on. This also covers things like conferences you might need to go on - which with hotel and fees can easily top £500-600 a go - one a year and you've only got £200-500 left.

My advice, put together a solid argument showing that the travel costs are unreasonable, looking at each travel option and highlighting the costs to your training officer. The next stage would be to talk to the NSHCS about it, however remember the conditions of the post you've accepted.

Good Luck, and feel free to give me a shout if you'd like any more advice.
Reply 4726
Original post by HecLondon
Hi, for anybody that applied previously to the medical physics specialism:

I know the test are numerical and logical, but there are several types of numerical and logical, if you remember, can you please put a link showing similar tests to the ones I'll need to do so that I can prepare better?

Did you study a lot to prepare the interview? is it quite tricky?

How much do the tests count? How do they decide to which people they give the job? I read something in the forum before about meeting all person specifications, is it the document in the website about person specifications?

Thanks!
H


There are many examples of psychometric tests online, find the hardest you can.

Yes - the interview requires as much study as you can invest into it. Expect it to be difficult (it'd be pointless otherwise).

As far as I'm aware, the tests just allow you to pass to the short-listing stage, and aren't massively influential later on.
Original post by jenny83
Hi Not flour

Thanks for your post and sorry to hear about your situation.

I'll be travelling from the New Forest (Hampshire), so Manchester isn't exactly commutable.

Since posting I have learned that the funds received by the trust (to cover our training) may include a modest travel allowance. It may be worth speaking to someone in-the-know at your hospital (i.e. someone involved in the organisation of the STP) as HR aren't always kept in the loop. However, I doubt this allowance will be enough to cover all expenses over the three years. I suspect that if trust policy covers staff travel/subsistence expenses as per the Agenda for Change guidelines (which mine does not), you could top up the aforementioned STP travel allowance. In my case, though, it looks like I may have a shortfall of £1-2K. It does seem a little unfair that some will get their expenses fully covered whilst others will have to get into debt to afford the training. Perhaps, as you suggested, it is worth speaking to the School of Healthcare Scientists if this does not have a happy outcome.

Let me know how you get on.

All the best
Jenny



Hi,

I'm doing repro in Salisbury, which is Wiltshire, and I'm actually living in Hampshire and they're providing £2000. Though, their previous STP had £3000 I believe. Would this be a bargaining tool? I'm very very close in location and I'm brig provided for?

millie
Reply 4728
Original post by Quixeh
Heya All,

I've dealt with this one before!
Expenses are, unfortunately, quoted as 'at the host trust's discretion' on the STP Application. STP Students are provided with a £2k ish expenses budget throughout their training, but its your training officer's decision what they spend it on. This also covers things like conferences you might need to go on - which with hotel and fees can easily top £500-600 a go - one a year and you've only got £200-500 left.

My advice, put together a solid argument showing that the travel costs are unreasonable, looking at each travel option and highlighting the costs to your training officer. The next stage would be to talk to the NSHCS about it, however remember the conditions of the post you've accepted.

Good Luck, and feel free to give me a shout if you'd like any more advice.


Thanks for your reply Quixeh. Good to know I'm not alone in this.

I appreciate that expenses are "at the trust's discretion"; however, to me this translated as "they might help with some costs but not others". I certainly wasn't expecting a big fat "no". Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to pay for the odd train now and again, but I wasn't anticipating expenditure in the £000s.

Since my initial post about this, I've spoken to my training officer and he has kindly agreed to let me use part of the £3K on my forthcoming travel and accommodation costs. (To be honest I feel quite bad about raising this issue with him - it's not exactly the start I was hoping for). As you say, though, £3K isn't much over a 3 year period. In fact, according to my calculations, I will have run out early in year 2. So perhaps I should contact the NSHCS.

Given that you have experience of this, what was the outcome for you? Did you contact the NSHCS in the end and if so, did you have any luck?

Thanks for your help.

Best wishes
Jenny :smile:
Reply 4729
Original post by machomillie
Hi,

I'm doing repro in Salisbury, which is Wiltshire, and I'm actually living in Hampshire and they're providing £2000. Though, their previous STP had £3000 I believe. Would this be a bargaining tool? I'm very very close in location and I'm brig provided for?

millie


Hi Millie

Thanks for your reply. I believe that I will also get the £2-3K STP allowance. However, given the distances involved £3K will not be enough and my trust won't pick up the excess. You make a good point about being geographically closer and still being provided for. I will bear that in mind and may mention it if I speak to the NSHCS.

Good luck in your training.

All the best
Jenny :-)
Hi,

Do we need to provide references in the application process? I saw an application of last year but I couldn't see any section about references.

Does the choice of location matter for the selection process?

Regarding the tests, it says on the website that they are both 40min, but someone told me today that they are 24 and 12 minutes, can anyone clarify this to me please?

H
Reply 4731
Hi all, I am new here and just wondered if anyone could offer any advice. I worked really hard on my application last year, got lots of experience and put in a huge amount of revision for the interview and managed to get a place on the training scheme, for which I feel very lucky. I don't want to seem insensitive to those who have worked equally hard to get a place and have not got lucky this year, but I have struggled to find the information I need, so decided to see if anyone here can help.

I started in post this week, and to be honest have pretty much had a terrible time. I had a realistic idea of the job before I started, but things are very different at the centre I have been placed at. I feel I need to give it a fair chance as these things are always difficult when you are new, but equally I know the earlier I were to resign (if that is what I ultimately decide to do), the more chance there would be that a reserve could be offered my place.

I am wondering if anyone knows how much notice I would have to give as I haven't been given a contract? Also, I am due to start the MSc course soon, would I have to repay course fees if I commence the course and then realise it really isn't right for me? Again, I don't want to waste anyone's time and money by staying later than I need to, but equally this is a huge decision to make on a whim, and I want to give it my best shot to see if I settle into the job after a few months.

Many thanks
Reply 4732
Hi, what is your specialism?
When do you start university? how long is your first uni block? how long will you have been in the hospital before you go?
I started last year, and to be honest the time in the hospital before I went to uni was pretty rubbish. As they didn't want us to start properly on our rotations before a month at uni.

When we got back from uni, we were given a week or 2 to get coursework sorted etc, then went on to start rotations, where things got much better.

The only thing I would say is don't be shy, go talk to people regularly, see if they're doing anything interesting that day/week.

I do find, even now, that they won't come to find you, because the national school has made a point of saying its trainee led!

So Im saying, is don't quit yet, you've barely started. Things will probably be better after uni.

But as for your questions, uni fees i don't know, and you have to give 1 or 2 months notice to quit.

hope that helps :-)

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Original post by NCC92
Hi all, I am new here and just wondered if anyone could offer any advice. I worked really hard on my application last year, got lots of experience and put in a huge amount of revision for the interview and managed to get a place on the training scheme, for which I feel very lucky. I don't want to seem insensitive to those who have worked equally hard to get a place and have not got lucky this year, but I have struggled to find the information I need, so decided to see if anyone here can help.

I started in post this week, and to be honest have pretty much had a terrible time. I had a realistic idea of the job before I started, but things are very different at the centre I have been placed at. I feel I need to give it a fair chance as these things are always difficult when you are new, but equally I know the earlier I were to resign (if that is what I ultimately decide to do), the more chance there would be that a reserve could be offered my place.

I am wondering if anyone knows how much notice I would have to give as I haven't been given a contract? Also, I am due to start the MSc course soon, would I have to repay course fees if I commence the course and then realise it really isn't right for me? Again, I don't want to waste anyone's time and money by staying later than I need to, but equally this is a huge decision to make on a whim, and I want to give it my best shot to see if I settle into the job after a few months.

Many thanks



What don't you like about the post? In all honesty, the STP scheme is a course that doesn't give the full impression of the job, given how much of it is spent at uni or in rotation with a totally different specialism. I'm not sure you can realistically tell if you would settle down after a few months.

Our STP has only spent approx. 9 months of the 3 year course in our lab, and that's been mostly spent on the project, with some time to rush them through training of a few different tests we do. They've certainly learnt a lot, but it's not indicative of the job post-registration at all.

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat in confidence.
Reply 4734
Thank you for you replies, Nat89 and Svenjamin, I am trying my hardest to be open minded and give it a chance. The trouble is I have a young son, and have had to do a fair bit of travelling so far and long hours. I feel like as a parent I am neglecting my son, and feel quite ill from the lack of sleep and stress. My worry is that I am struggling this much after a couple of weeks, how am I going to manage three years? Maybe I should have waited until my son was much older. The other main issue I have found is that the department is made up of cliques of people that bad mouth each other all the time, which I find incredibly uncomfortable. Most are very derogatory about lower grades of staff too, which I find incredibly inappropriate and wrong, especially as that was where I started out too.

Financially, I have invested a lot in moving and transport for the post, so will have to see how it goes over time. I am just worried though if I end up leaving after a few months that I will end up much worse off than if I called it a day now, through having to repay course fees and associated expenses.
I really need some help.

After I was turned down for an interview earlier on this year (genetics specialism) I decided to get some work experience as I applied with nothing but a degree. I'm now in an internship in a genetics lab. I'm grateful to be here but I really don't like lab work. I wanted to find out what healthcare scientists do and decide whether it's the career for me but it's so hard to do that when i'm stuck in the lab all day.

My question is how do all you know this is the right career path for you?

I don't know how to raise the issue of wanting to do something different without sounding ungrateful for the opportunity. The problem is I gave up a good paid job for an unpaid internship and I'm no nearer to find out if the STP is for me. So I need to do something to change my situation.
Reply 4736
Quick question; for the scheme how long do you have to spend at uni?
For example is it a few weeks at a time with lots of things each day or is it one day every week for example!
Please help!
Reply 4737
Hi, it depends where you go. I believe kings (London) in the first year you go October-December then 2nd year you do a few weeks here and there.
In Liverpool in 1st year we did 4 weeks in October, then a module a week for the remaining modules across the year. 2nd year is all a module a week, spread across the year. You always get sent away with coursework too. 3rd year is just the MSc project which you do in your hospital.
As far as Im aware, most universities do it a similar way, none do a day-a-week system.
Hope that helps :-)
Hello.
If anyone who has done the NHS STP in audiology or neurophysiology please get in touch! I have interviews the beginning of May and I am struggling to find people who have actually done it via the NHS STP or to get hands on work experience in Audiology.

I would love to have a chat to find out more about what is entailed. Thanks
Reply 4739
Original post by BMS123
Anyone apply for the Immunology STP? - I did on the 11th and I'm going out my mind waiting to hear. To be fair the schedule does say the 28th so let's wait and see. I do think the process is fair but this wait is becoming a bit cruel. There are only a few things which are worse than the results of an interview to wait for in life. (waiting for the bill at frankie and bennies is nothing!)

The fact that we all know that the succesful applicants haven't been told yet gives me some comfort.

Good luck everyone and hope we all hear soon!



hello,
I really hope that you got into the program. am an international MBBS holder and am highly interested in immunology/haematology STP, I want to apply Jan2017 please can you provide me with tips and infos to be prepared for the online test and the interview
thank you

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