NHS Clinical Scientist Recruitment

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Reply 1900

Original post by George Agdgdgwngo

I was 5 mins in the car and it was busy so you could def walk it in a few minutes. Make sure you print of a google map and mark on it where youre going though coz the staff at the hotel don't have a clue (as nice as they are).

The hotel is basic, rooms are clean. You will think the bathroom door is the wardrobe door also haha, but yeah its ok. It's a chain hotel so they are all pretty much the same. There are ironing facilities on the 2nd floor if you need it.

The food was okay I suppose, I got a mixed grill, don't know if it was worth £13 but meh. There's a McD's next door anyway :p:

.

So yeah, anything else you want to know just PM me or ask in here, John. x

Hi

I was also thinking of staying here, what are the noise levels like (is there a loud bar)? I would obviously quite like a good nights sleep!

Thanks!

Reply 1901

George Agdgdgwngo

Original post by Emily996

Hi

I was also thinking of staying here, what are the noise levels like (is there a loud bar)? I would obviously quite like a good nights sleep!

Thanks!

It was really quiet (probs because a Monday night). Heard a few folk coming back to their rooms once the bar closes at 12 but nothing major. I also use a pair of foam earplugs so yeah, not a problem.

For 1 night here and the proximity to St. Andrews stadium I really couldnt complain!

:smile:

John

Reply 1902

Panthea

Original post by George Agdgdgwngo

.

So yeah, anything else you want to know just PM me or ask in here, John. x

Hi John,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this - it was very useful indeed! I am prone to flapping when I don't know where I'm going, so staying somewhere close to the football ground has got to be a bonus :smile:

I hope your interview went well? I guess now it's just a nail-biting wait until everyone hears the outcome! Good luck :tongue:

Reply 1903

George Agdgdgwngo

Original post by Panthea

I hope your interview went well? I guess now it's just a nail-biting wait until everyone hears the outcome! Good luck :tongue:

That's not a problem :smile:

. Here's a footmap from Google. It's less than half a mile, should be a doddle!

Thanks :smile:

. I need to sort of forget about it as much as possible, I have my undergrad finals in about 3 weeks :O. Good luck to you too :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1904

Emily996

Original post by George Agdgdgwngo

John

Thank you very much :smile:

It sounds silly but it's always the little things that stress me out when I'm worrying about something, so it's nice to put my mind at rest!

Reply 1905

VENIVIDIVICI

Original post by ross31

OK, maybe I won't give up just yet. I have applied for a couple of posts in London.

Good Luck for Monday

Thx. Keep hoping (fingers crossed) and keep us posted if you hear anything.

I applied to Imperial, Kings and Cambridge (Papworth), but when I asked the guy who called me for which one's I was short-listed, he didn't say and said it doesn't matter and that if successful after assessment centre, I could get any position (factoring in my preferences) :confused:

Ah, well, not to worry about that now.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1906

stdnt

Original post by VENIVIDIVICI

Ah, well, not to worry about that now.

You can find this in the Recruitment Process Guidance:

[
After all assessments are completed, the assessment teams select the candidates with the best scores and agree where they are to be offered training. Each host employer selects the applicant to their Trust with the highest score. However, it may arise that unsuccessful applicants to one Trust may have significantly higher scores than the best applicant to another Trust. Under these circumstances, it is possible to invite the candidate to consider accepting a post at a different Trust from the one originally applied to. In this way, the NHS will take on the very best available nationally, rather than just locally.

The highest scoring candidates considered to be of high enough quality but not the first choice on the day, may be offered a reserve place should any of the preferred candidates fail to take up their offer of training.

Informing applicants of the outcome of the interview:
All candidates who attend an assessment centre will be informed in writing of the outcome of their application by the assessment centre. Copies of all letters will be sent to employing Trusts. The letters will either state:

• successful at original employer of choice
• an offer of a post at an alternative Trust
• an offer to be held on a reserve list
• unsuccessful.
]

Reply 1907

spikey1998

Just got back from my interview, cant say anything about questions but I can tell you that more than 30,000 ppl have applied to this year's Training programme. Around 800 ppl are invited to the interview and only about 60 jobs available. Out of 20 something candidates I have talked to, nearly 90% have either a PhD title and postdoc experience or in their PhD thesis writing period. So I guess NHS is trying to go for the ones with the PhDs sinces there are soooo many ppl are applying

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1908

tmx55

Original post by spikey1998

They said to the interviewees for medical physics roles that there were thirty something applicants too (I assume that yours was a different role because I think medical physics interviews are over now?), but for 200 jobs.
I wonder if they meant that there were 30'000 applicants summed over all healthcare scientists, and the 60 you were told and the 200 I was told refer to the particular branch you've applied for.

Reply 1909

Jonathan

We were told 30,000 -> 800 -> 200 for the entire scheme. This agrees with the fact that four candidates were shortlisted per post. My area (Clinical Engineering) has only 7 positions!

In my group of interviewees, there were pretty much equal numbers of PhD/Masters/Bachelors levels, including someone who had ten years' industrial experience (not related to medicine). Remember that, as soon as they've established that you have a 'relevant' qualification, it is no longer a direct factor in the recruitment process, and I definitely think that the two selection processes (personal statement AND interview) are both designed in order that they judge your skills outright, independent of the way you obtained them.

A PhD may well improve your communication skills and background knowledge, but simply having the qualification should have zero influence on the outcome of your application.

Reply 1910

way2saucy

Might sound daft but how do you know what qualifications others had?

Reply 1911

way2saucy

also with regards to a station for pathway - am I expected to know a lot about the training programme manual?

Reply 1912

Jonathan

Original post by way2saucy

Might sound daft but how do you know what qualifications others had?

We all had a nice chat before and after the interview. The 30 minutes between arrival time and interview time will mainly be spent sitting at a table with the other candidates; make the most of it as a chance to chat and relax!

Reply 1913

George Agdgdgwngo

Original post by Jonathan

We were told 30,000 -> 800 -> 200 for the entire scheme. This agrees with the fact that four candidates were shortlisted per post. My area (Clinical Engineering) has only 7 positions!

In my group of interviewees, there were pretty much equal numbers of PhD/Masters/Bachelors levels, including someone who had ten years' industrial experience (not related to medicine). Remember that, as soon as they've established that you have a 'relevant' qualification, it is no longer a direct factor in the recruitment process, and I definitely think that the two selection processes (personal statement AND interview) are both designed in order that they judge your skills outright, independent of the way you obtained them.
A PhD may well improve your communication skills and background knowledge, but simply having the qualification should have zero influence on the outcome of your application.

First bolded part. From what I've read on here theres been a bit more of a mix with the Physical pathway in terms of MEng, BEng, PhD grads, but in my cohort (Clin Biochem), most of the shortlisted candidates had years of experience, a PhD, or both (obviously not all). The closest I got to my level of training was a girl who only had a BSc but also had 2.5 years experience in an analytical lab. So yeah I think it really boils down to "does this candidate fit the job description?"

I agree with this, once you get to the interview its a levelr playing field from their point of view. If you impress with your knowledge, evidence of skills and potential then you'll get it. It just may be so that some PhDs are better equipped than some undergrads, which goes without saying really.

Reply 1914

George Agdgdgwngo

Original post by Jonathan

This really helped me to be honest, because everyone is scared! When we went up the stairs I sh@ my pants again though :colondollar:

Reply 1915

way2saucy

Original post by George Agdgdgwngo

This really helped me to be honest, because everyone is scared! When we went up the stairs I sh@ my pants again though :colondollar:

LOL

So when you go upstairs is it an open floor plan where loads of interviews are taking place at once or do you go into an office?

Reply 1916

George Agdgdgwngo

Original post by way2saucy

LOL

So when you go upstairs is it an open floor plan where loads of interviews are taking place at once or do you go into an office?

Its a hall, 2 streams will be in the hall at any one time. The stations are separated by screens (4 stations up one side, 4 up the other) and they ring bells when you need to change. When in the process of changing you sit in between two screens so you cant hear what your interviewers are saying for 2 mins then the bell goes again for you to move to the next station.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1917

stdnt

Original post by tmx55

We were told there had been 35,000 applications for nearly 200 posts. Also that 4 people were being interviewed per post.

Reply 1918

GraduateSK

How does everyone think they did? Clinical scenarios was a killer for me

Reply 1919

pfc89

Hi,

Any more news on shortlisting for the audiology posts? It seems only a couple of users of this forum have been contacted, although seeing as the interviews are next tues/weds I would imagine that the successful applicants have been informed?