NHS Clinical Scientist Recruitment

Hi,

Yes, I suppose that if you go down in area maybe you can make up for it in another area, that's probably the general logic behind it? What did you think of interview allenstre?

Well.. I am thankful that is over! I studied completely the wrong material and I think they kinda figured that out today in the interview, I very much doubt I got a place although I pray that I have, otherwise I guess there is always next year!
Was nice meeting the friendly people I met! Good luck everyone!

I hope that is the case! But in my case I really can't see how or why they'd offer a place to someone who completely failed to answer a single question correctly at one station! The worst thing is I knew all the theory but I couldn't apply it to the question and then when the pointed out the answer it was just so obvious!
Overall the interview was pretty much as expected ( apart from one station!!) Was it just me or did everyone else feel like they had no chance compared to the other people being interviewed?! Everyone just came across so confident lol

I felt exactly the same, and the fact that some people were doing MSc courses and PhDs kind of threw me off! Some people seemed to know someone on the panel as well

Did anyone have a station where the interviewers seemed quite intimidating?! The other three were nice enough but I was like a rabbit caught in headlights for my first one!

I felt exactly the same, and the fact that some people were doing MSc courses and PhDs kind of threw me off! Some people seemed to know someone on the panel as well

Did anyone have a station where the interviewers seemed quite intimidating?! The other three were nice enough but I was like a rabbit caught in headlights for my first one!

Ok first up I confess to being an interloper here. I was one of the dreaded interviewers on the Blood Sciences recruitment day on Monday

I find it quite useful to look at students issues/ concerns about the whole process, so we can improve the way we handle the whole process and try and make it a better experience for you. We do appreciate what a nerve rattling day it is for you,

So first up I am pleased to say you were all a very friendly bunch.

You should also all CONGRATULATE yourselves for making it through to the final 80. If you think that there were nearly 500 applications and you made it into the top twenty per cent, you really did great. I personally went through 120 applications which took a considerable length of time. Personally I try to be as objective as possible and in fact had three passes of the applicant list with independent scoring and made sure the final list was a good an agreement as I could achieve. So give yourselves a bit pat on the back for just finding yourselves in the middle of Birmingham football stadium on the sunniest day May had yet to offer. You made it beyond the top 20 per cent.

So now some advice to those having a go at this next year.

Firstly, if you’re going to pull out, please please please let the organisers know in time so they can shortlist someone who missed the shortlist by a whisker. In my batch of 20 there were 3 no-shows. Looking at the other interview lines I think it was much the same for them, that means approx 12 pulled out of a shortlist of 80. On the positive side that has improved the chances of getting a trainee placement by 32/80 to 68/80, but it’s not really fair on everyone else who just missed the shortlist.

Second word of wisdom; be prepared for the obvious question. So when asked "what have you done to prepare for this application?" saying well I have been on the ACB website or read a chemical pathology textbook, is not enough. What you interviewer wants to hear are statements like "I visited some local laboratories and had a session with the principal biochemist to find out what they do, and yes this is the job for me" or even better "I spent a week doing some voluntary work / work experience at St Elsewhere"

Third word of wisdom. Familiarise yourselves with the MSC programme. So if I ask you "where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time" words like "finished a PHD, got my FRCPath exams" "running a department" "intimidating poor STP candidates at interview" are music too my ears.

Seriously, we need to be convinced you know what you’re letting yourselves in for and you have thought deep and hard that this is the job for you.

And lastly but not least. If you have been successful and get a placement for Sept start. You need to give the lab consultant biochemist a ring as soon as possible. We need to know your accommodation requirements and any other special arrangements so we can make you stay with us as enjoyable as possible.

If I had my way all of you would have had a placement but that’s not in my gift.

So WELL DONE all of you and the very best of luck

Well you think you may have messed up, the interviewers may have thought otherwise. I can only speak for myself, but the most important thing is sincerity. I want to hear your story, your view. Personally, what I really hate is confronting an interviewee who mentally traverses down a long memorised list and "DING" hey thats the answer hes looking for and spits that one out with a smile on their face. I would rather hear "have not got a clue about that question, but I guess this situation I tackled when my experiment went wrong was very simialr and I did x,y and z and got a solution"
The important thing isnt knowing / remembering everything. If your a jobbing prinicipal doing your weekly stint as duty biochemist in a DGH you will get scores of phone calls all day long asking your advice about biochemical weirdities that span the whole of medicine. One thing is for sure, its never going to be about the "bleeding obvious" as they would have worked that out for themselves and you wouldnt get the phone call. So expect the unexpected that what the jobs all about and communication for a quality which quite rightly gains additional marks during interview. A duty biochemists desk resembles a mini version of the British Library plus you get access to Google scholar as well plus a million other information sources. The trick is getting the right answer in the shortest time possible or at the very least a strategy for getting the additional information to get the right answer. So most clinical scientists "although most will never admit it" are true "reductionists" employing good old fashioned hypothetico-deductive-reasoning as per Hegel.
So back to your question, personally I dont care if you don't know the answer and you think you "screwed up". Show me an analytical side to your cognitive prowess in your answer and its full marks from me

Parce

Were you by any chance at the clinical biochem interviews on the 21st at 12.50? I knew one of the panellists and I gave her a wave as I was walking over to her, she was at my first station but knowing someone on the panel really wouldn't give anyone an advantage so I wouldn't worry. I applied last year and have a PhD but the person who got the job in the end had only just finished his undergraduate degree so everyone has an equal chance of getting a position whatever your background and experience.

I know they've said that we'll find out the week commencing the 25th of June but I still check on here a few times a day to see if theyve changed their minds and start letting people know earlier!