NHS Clinical Scientist Recruitment

I just applied through NHS jobs The application process is so much easier, the only thing I worry about is that for some positions it asks if you can speak Welsh, and I wonder if not being able to puts you at a disadvantage?

I agree, I completed mine early because I know when they've advertised trainee clinical scientist posts on the NHS they've taken them down after as little as 2 days because of how many applications they received. So I thought getting it in early might give me an advantage, but it doesn't seem like it with this scheme. I wish I would have waited longer, done some practice tests and found some more info out before applying. I suppose nothing we can do now though, let's just hope our applications were good enough.

I was wondering, it says that applicants should request an informal visit to one of the labs before the interview stage, but I've already worked in a NHS lab for a year and shadowed clinical scientists. I've also got a week's worth of work experience in 3 different labs and I visited another lab two weeks ago as part of my final year project, do I still need to arrange a visit?

Cool cool. Yeah I noticed this too, I only looked at the one for clinical biochem in Cardiff and it seemed to be saying that it is advantageous if you can speak it. I hope that it won't be but I can see them having a preference for someone who can. Though how often you'd need to speak Welsh I have no idea, it seem slightly odd.

i remember reading about arranging an informal visit. but i cannot recall where. would you be able to direct me to the relevant webpage that states it.
thanks

I also answered all the questions as well (I screen-capped them for future practice while taking them). Quickly, but AFTER the test unfortunately.
She didn't practice because she did NOT KNOW about the nature of them and she only learnt about the scheme only a few days before the deadline. She only trusted the suggested online ones which were very easy. Same for all of my friends. I got the impression you already said you had encountered such tests in the past (and sometimes more difficult) hence you DID have a better idea about their nature at least. We never had (perhaps because we studied high-school/college abroad).
How did you not say that? This is your exact quote: "Personally I don't think this test does anything to determine whether you will be a good scientist, but what it does test you on is your motivation." (And the rest of your post obviously). Motivation = wanting something enough and driving you towards it. So, lack of motivation = lack of preparation = fail. Therefore: failure = not wanting it enough (no motivation). That's what I gathered.

Yeah I've applied for that post and an audiology one, don't think my degree is relevant for that though, but thought I would give it a try anyway. Exactly, I'm sure most people in Wales can't even speak Welsh and everyone who can speak Welsh presumably can speak English as well, so I really don't understand why being able to speak Welsh puts you at an advantage

How essential are the lab visits? I'm not in the UK and so flying over just for a one-day visit when I'm on a student budget (i.e. have absolutely no money) and in the middle of both my masters thesis and phd courses just isn't feasible.

I had a tour around my local blood transfusion labs during my undergraduate degree and got to talk with the head clinical scientist about the career, but that was nearly six years ago now. I mentioned it in my application but I'm concerned that it's not enough.

Any ideas?

Anyone got any ideas as to the kind of thing I could do to build up my CV? (Other than getting a first class degree, hah.) I know I've got 2 years to do this but I've got nothing to do over the summer so I was hoping to do something worthwhile during that time. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I think applications for the Scottish scheme closed on 24th Feb...I know that was the case for the Bioengineering and Medical physics specialties anyway...

so I tried to contact my first choice for the STP to arrange a visit. After several holds and transfers and a call back, they stated that they had no idea what I was on about as they had never heard of the scheme or the fact that they had a post available. They sounded so suspicious on the fone like I was trying to flog them rotten cheese or something....I double checked again and again on the NHS lists and not only were they listed, I chose them as my first choice from the drop down list on my application. Now all I can think is WTF!