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NHS Clinical Scientist Recruitment

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Original post by HecLondon
Hi zeropoint, I am in my third year at Imperial College doing MSci physics. I really want to get into this training program, so Im planning to do an internship this summer and then a project in the 4th year related to medical physics and apply while in my 4th year.
Do you recommend me to focus this intern and project in a specific part of medical physics so I will stand out in this part, or as long as it is medical physics related is fine?
Also, whats the most difficult part of the application process, the psychometric tests, interview? how did you prepare the psychometric tests?
Also, I heard that many people apply like many thousands, but would you say that only people with medical physics work experience etc are shortlisted and therefore we should not be so scared?

Many thanks in advance,
Hector



The maths and logic tests in this application process are pretty like the maths and logic tests in any other job application that uses them. If you go online you can find a dozen practice tests for free.

The most difficult part of the process? Well the psychometric test and written questions at the start are used to cut out the most people, but then the interview is meant to pick the best from the remainder. You will need to work hard and prepare for both. Be careful of the tests, they can trip up otherwise great candidates. The interview is much more acute pressure, and if you mess up you don't have much time to recover.

My only real medical physics experience was an optional university module I took in medical physics. As such I think its fair to say you can get in without direct work experience. About half of the med phys people I know only have undergraduate degrees, one or two have PhDs, the remainder have an MScs.

Hope this helps.
Reply 4301
Hi Zeropoint,

it is very nice of you that you are willing to share your experience, thanks :smile:

What's like to be one of those STP students? How did you find the first year? Is the workload very big? :smile: what are the best/worst experiences so far? :smile:
Reply 4302
I'm in the same position as Zeropoint, so will weigh in for the sake of it.


Original post by HecLondon
Hi zeropoint, I am in my third year at Imperial College doing MSci physics. I really want to get into this training program, so Im planning to do an internship this summer and then a project in the 4th year related to medical physics and apply while in my 4th year.
Do you recommend me to focus this intern and project in a specific part of medical physics so I will stand out in this part, or as long as it is medical physics related is fine?
Also, whats the most difficult part of the application process, the psychometric tests, interview? how did you prepare the psychometric tests?
Also, I heard that many people apply like many thousands, but would you say that only people with medical physics work experience etc are shortlisted and therefore we should not be so scared?

Many thanks in advance,
Hector


Everything Zeropoint says is bang on. The more work experience, the more it helps you know what you're talking about, but it by no means guarantees short-listing. I spent a week or so in a dept, but didn't even mention it at interview/questions because it felt like such a short time.

I'm doing my training in conjunction with Kings, which is a different MSc structure to liverpool (and so Zeropoint and I see opposite halves of the Med Phys cohort). The vast majority have previous masters, a couple of them are previous masters in medical physics. Only a couple of PhDs and BScs.

The application statistics for last year can be found with a quick google search. 7000 or so applicants to the scheme. 100 places in medical physics, which I think when you take specialties into account, approx 38 applicants per post.

Original post by zibyte
Hi Zeropoint,

it is very nice of you that you are willing to share your experience, thanks :smile:

What's like to be one of those STP students? How did you find the first year? Is the workload very big? :smile: what are the best/worst experiences so far? :smile:


Again, ZP and I have different MSc structures so I'll explain the Kings side of the first year.

Workload wise, first three months was relatively relaxed (Basically being a uni student again...) and whilst there were some nasty nasty coursework deadlines, the idea is to give everyone a similar grounding. Following exams and xmas, We then started our rotations, which are busy busy - but not final exam sort of busy if you catch my drift. You can go home at the end of the day and relax for a while :smile:

Best experiences - well. Watching a few surgical procedures (that involve radiation treatments) were a good bit of fun. Having a set of workflow recommendations accepted into routine use by the consultants within a week of starting was nice.

Worst - Mmm. There haven't really been any negatives thus far. I'll keep you posted. :P
Original post by zeropoint
The maths and logic tests in this application process are pretty like the maths and logic tests in any other job application that uses them. If you go online you can find a dozen practice tests for free.

The most difficult part of the process? Well the psychometric test and written questions at the start are used to cut out the most people, but then the interview is meant to pick the best from the remainder. You will need to work hard and prepare for both. Be careful of the tests, they can trip up otherwise great candidates. The interview is much more acute pressure, and if you mess up you don't have much time to recover.

My only real medical physics experience was an optional university module I took in medical physics. As such I think its fair to say you can get in without direct work experience. About half of the med phys people I know only have undergraduate degrees, one or two have PhDs, the remainder have an MScs.

Hope this helps.


Sorry to be a pain, I applied this year, you say psychometric tests, they're the tests we take online at the beginning? Or are we tested further on in the application process? Thank you.
Original post by jimcatinnes
Sorry to be a pain, I applied this year, you say psychometric tests, they're the tests we take online at the beginning? Or are we tested further on in the application process? Thank you.


The test I was referring to are the online tests you did pretty much straight after your initial application. There are no other tests as part of the application process, just the interview.

As Quixeh said, the university component is different between Liverpool and Kings. As I understand at Kings you do all of your university for the year in one three month block, whereas at Liverpool you will do a one month block at the start then several week-long modules throughout. The content is the same just how its split up.

Personally I find the university stuff most stressful since they have clear deadlines and exams. With the competencies you're basically given a huge list of things to do/see at the start of the year and basically meant to work through it at your own pace so long as its done by the end of the year. I've heard it compared to a PhD in that its a huge volume of work, but providing you work through it at a steady pace its manageable.

Personal highlights for me are climbing on top of a linac bunker to do a radiation survey, and building some radiotherapy treatment plans. Worst experiences are difficult to think of. I personally find radiation safety a very dry topic, and didn't enjoy having to read lots of local rules and legislation. So really nothing bad at all!
Original post by zeropoint
The test I was referring to are the online tests you did pretty much straight after your initial application. There are no other tests as part of the application process, just the interview.

As Quixeh said, the university component is different between Liverpool and Kings. As I understand at Kings you do all of your university for the year in one three month block, whereas at Liverpool you will do a one month block at the start then several week-long modules throughout. The content is the same just how its split up.

Personally I find the university stuff most stressful since they have clear deadlines and exams. With the competencies you're basically given a huge list of things to do/see at the start of the year and basically meant to work through it at your own pace so long as its done by the end of the year. I've heard it compared to a PhD in that its a huge volume of work, but providing you work through it at a steady pace its manageable.

Personal highlights for me are climbing on top of a linac bunker to do a radiation survey, and building some radiotherapy treatment plans. Worst experiences are difficult to think of. I personally find radiation safety a very dry topic, and didn't enjoy having to read lots of local rules and legislation. So really nothing bad at all!


Ok cool thanks, I suddenly panicked that I might have had to prepare for more tests as well as my upcoming exams!
Reply 4306
brilliant, thanks for your answers :wink: Glad to hear that it is possible to have some time for yourself as well as do well in the scheme :smile:
Waiting for news is killing me.
The waiting is the worst for sure. I'm pretty sure they would have read our applications by now, they are probably still whittling us down. I hope I make the cut!
Reply 4309
Surely they must tell us this week. It can take longer than a week to book a day off work for some people and I want to book a train ticket!
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4310
Pretty sure I read/heard at an open day that we would get 2 weeks notice of an interview. That would mean today for the 18th.

I hope that was right because I am not sure I can handle the waiting anymore!
Original post by hukk2010
Pretty sure I read/heard at an open day that we would get 2 weeks notice of an interview. That would mean today for the 18th.

I hope that was right because I am not sure I can handle the waiting anymore!


Ye I remember something like that too... Really hope we find out something today! All this waiting is driving me crazy :eek:
Not sure if its useful, but the timescale I experienced last year was (based on emails I found):

27/2/12 - Finished online tests (so deadline was about then)
30/3/12 - Offered interview
4/5/12 - Had interview
11/6/12 - Received Offer
17/9/12 - First day

Obviously it will vary year on year.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4313
From what I've read I think they're trying to do everything a bit quicker this year (which of course may trip them up)
Offers are planned to be made 3 weeks after interview so we should know by mid-April!

2 weeks notice is not a lot, especially if you consider those who go on the reserve list in case anyone invited to interview pulls out.
Zeropoint,

Many thanks for your useful advices. I wonder: how did you prepare the psychometric tests and the interview? Specially I am concerned about the tests. The website they recommend is: http://www.psl.com/practice/ are the actual tests very similar to this ones? Or do you recommend to use another book or website for practice?

I also read that apart from a numerical and a logical reasoning test, there are essays and other stuffs, but its not very well explained, could you clarify this a bit more? Thanks
Reply 4315
My friend has just told me he has received a rejection email for micro, good luck to everyone!!x


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Reply 4316
Email? I have been expecting a phone call!
Ok now I'm feeling very nervous :frown:

Good luck everyone!!
And hukk2010 for interviews it has been emails sent out for the past two years. Hopefully they'll go by the same pattern, we find out quicker that way
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4318
Thanks BigBangGeek - will keep my eye on it and stress less about my phone being charged or not.
No prob I'm constantly refreshing my inbox in the hopes of getting something :colondollar:

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