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Biomedical Scientist in the NHS without a biomedical science degree.

Hi guys,

I moved to the UK recently to work but was recently made redundant. I was working with a scientific company. While in my undergraduate degree, I worked in a diagnostic lab briefly for a research project and really enjoyed it. My degree is in Microbiology and I have an MSc in Biomedical Science which does not qualify me to register with the HPC as one. I wanted to know if there is a way I could work as a Biomedical Scientist and complete the necessary modules in the process as opposed to returning to University which would be out of the question for financial reasons.

Any assistance greatly appreciated!!!

Reply 1

username833720

13

Im in a very similar situation. My degree is Molcular Biology and Genetics and I want to work in a hospital lab. Theres an NHS training program but the deadline for this year is gone

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=2105

Reply 2

pandapanda

1

Original post by ancapailldorcha

Hi guys,

I moved to the UK recently to work but was recently made redundant. I was working with a scientific company. While in my undergraduate degree, I worked in a diagnostic lab briefly for a research project and really enjoyed it. My degree is in Microbiology and I have an MSc in Biomedical Science which does not qualify me to register with the HPC as one. I wanted to know if there is a way I could work as a Biomedical Scientist and complete the necessary modules in the process as opposed to returning to University which would be out of the question for financial reasons.

Any assistance greatly appreciated!!!

I'm in a similar position to you. You may be able to get an employer to pay for the top-up modules if you apply to a trainee biomedical scientist position. To do this though you will need to get your degree assessed by the Institute of Biomedical Science to show which modules you need to take to 'top up' your degree to one which meets their standards.

Unfortunately this assessment costs £250. If you look on their website (IBMS.org), it's tricky to find but you are looking for the application form called 'Form B'. They will assess your degree to see if it meets their standards to practise as a biomedical scientist (which it won't) and then they send you a letter which tells you what top-up modules you need to take and what universities offer them.

When you apply for trainee biomedical scientist positions it may be enough to provide this letter which shows you are allowed to register as a biomedical scientist providing you complete the on-the job training and some top-up modules which the employer would let you take time out of work to do and they will probably pay for.

OR there is a distance-learning course at Ulster University which is 1 year long and you can do at the same time as working in whatever job you're doing now to finance yourself, which is designed to top-up your degree to a IBMS standard. Link here: http://prospectus.ulster.ac.uk/course/?id=9151. This is a good option for you at the moment as then you'd already be of the academic standard required when you apply to jobs which will put you in a better position. You still need to get your degree assessed though, that's necessary for registration with the IBMS which you need in order to work. I know on the Ulster webpage it says that you'd normally need to be employed in a related job to start the course, however I know someone who was unemployed when they started it so it doesn't seem to be a strict rule.

Hope that all makes some sense, I'm only just getting to grips with it myself.

Edit: sorry there are probably other courses than just the one at ulster uni but that's one which I know of :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 3

ancapailldorcha

OP

Thanks for the replies guys!! I did my MSc at the Uni of Ulster after being told it would get me qualified which it didn't. That course looks quite good though. Might be worth a look. I thought I would have to do all sorts of digging to fill out that form B but it looks like filling it out and getting the necessary papers wouldn't be too bad. I was hoping to get a trainee position and get the necessary modules that way as it would be easier financially.

Reply 4

Sprockette

15

I did my top up using the form B and extra modules but is there any way of getting HPC registered without getting a trainee job...? I think I know the answer but hoping someone can tell me there is a way :redface:

Any courses or anything? Struggling to get a job after getting IBMS registered.

Reply 5

ancapailldorcha

OP

You shouldn't need a job for HPC registration, AFAIK.

Reply 6

Sprockette

15

But if you're not HPC registered out of uni? I'm told a job/training in an IBMS registered lab is the only way of getting HPC registered after that... I had no placements at uni :frown:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 7

pandapanda

1

Original post by Sprockette

But if you're not HPC registered out of uni? I'm told a job/training in an IBMS registered lab is the only way of getting HPC registered after that... I had no placements at uni :frown:

Hmm yeah I think you need to do the on the job training before you can be HPC registered. I haven't heard of any other way of getting registered, but then I don't know tonnes about this.

Reply 8

ancapailldorcha

OP

You do a year's placement at the end of the degree and then you register.

Reply 9

Sprockette

15

It was a top up so I didn't get the opportunity to do a placement year. Not sure how to get into somewhere now... I'm applying for the trainee roles but there's not too many. Trying to get into other lab roles now like MLA or industry to get experience. I don't know if I'll ever get HPC registered so I'm keeping my options open, seeing what else I could do. I ask at interviews if there would be any chances of doing my portfolio at the hospital as an MLA on the same salary but it doesn't seem to be an option.

Reply 10

pandapanda

1

Original post by Sprockette

It was a top up so I didn't get the opportunity to do a placement year. Not sure how to get into somewhere now... I'm applying for the trainee roles but there's not too many. Trying to get into other lab roles now like MLA or industry to get experience. I don't know if I'll ever get HPC registered so I'm keeping my options open, seeing what else I could do. I ask at interviews if there would be any chances of doing my portfolio at the hospital as an MLA on the same salary but it doesn't seem to be an option.

I think you might be able to start your portfolio as an MLA but I don't think you can do enough to complete it. I know someone who volunteered at a hospital and they trained her. I don't know how common this experience is, probably not very, but definitely worth a shot.

Reply 11

reeed

I worked as an MLA for less than a year and completed my portfolio for the IBMS certificate of competence and am now state registered with the HPC. So it can be done, you just need a lot of self motivation, hard work and dedication in order to succeed.
I am now applying for entry level band 5 BMS roles, even though I don't have the experience, but it shows if you are prepared to the put the work in then you can succeed.

Reply 12

OBaig

1

Ive been trying to get some experience in the lab to do my portfolio but it seems like the hospitals dont even want volunteers. Difficult times.

Reply 13

Nessiii

Hi have you had any interviews for BMS band 5 yet? I wonder what kind of questions they ask

Reply 14

Nat8808

Sorry to bother but what does MLA stand for?

Reply 15

Dunya80

Panamanian
Would you please show me how to find the form b I can't find it

Reply 16

0711

An MLA is a medical laboratory assistant. Usually they are a band 2 or 3 and are involved in assisting the biomedical scientists with booking in samples, giving results etc... I did my placement at a hospital for a year whilst I completed my registration portfolio. I stayed at the laboratory as a bank MLA whilst i finished my final year at uni in order to earn a bit of extra money. I am now a registered biomedical scientist and I start my first job next week :smile:

Reply 17

jess012

Could anyone tell me if they think I am suitable to apply for the HCPC registration? I have a 2.1 Natural Sciences BSc, specialised in Biology and Health science from the Open Uni- graduated in Dec 2014. Since then I worked for 8 months as a Microbiology lab technician at a food testing company, and now am a healthcare science support worker in an NHS microbiology lab. Is this suitable to apply for the HCPC registration? I am expecting to be told to do extra modules to get registered- but don't want to pay the non-refundable £63 just to be told my degree is unsuitable even with extra modules! Also would my current job as a healthcare science support worker be suitable to get my portfolio? and am I right in thinking that if/when I have got the HCPC registration and the portfolio I can then apply for a trainee BMS position, or is a 'normal' BMS position then possible? Sorry for the many questions! I am very grateful to anyone who replies! :smile:

Reply 18

BethCarr

Original post by jess012

Could anyone tell me if they think I am suitable to apply for the HCPC registration? I have a 2.1 Natural Sciences BSc, specialised in Biology and Health science from the Open Uni- graduated in Dec 2014. Since then I worked for 8 months as a Microbiology lab technician at a food testing company, and now am a healthcare science support worker in an NHS microbiology lab. Is this suitable to apply for the HCPC registration? I am expecting to be told to do extra modules to get registered- but don't want to pay the non-refundable £63 just to be told my degree is unsuitable even with extra modules! Also would my current job as a healthcare science support worker be suitable to get my portfolio? and am I right in thinking that if/when I have got the HCPC registration and the portfolio I can then apply for a trainee BMS position, or is a 'normal' BMS position then possible? Sorry for the many questions! I am very grateful to anyone who replies! :smile:

Hi! I know you posted this reply a while back but I was just wondering if you'd heard anything about your degree/using it to be a BMS? I work in haem/transfusion and I've just started my health sciences degree with the open university so it'd be good to know a person who's been successful! Are they allowing you to do extra modules to top up your degree?

Reply 19

eggnogsss

sorry to open up an old thread but I am just about to complete a PhD. I have been in medical/university labs for 7 years. Do I still need to complete the HCPC portfolio? Anyone has any experience on it?

Biomedical Scientist in the NHS without a biomedical science degree.

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