applied biomedical science student Review

On a day to day basis I am required to undertake any health and safety requirements requested of me by the laboratory managers. I am also required to work within the speciemen reception and sort specimens and code them according to which tests they require. The specimens then need to be streaked into plates and there is a lot of automated machinery to use on a daily basis. Following the bench SOPs is essential to ensure both patient and worker safety.

I have developed various existing skills which university allowed me to gain such as the main one being time keeping. Time keeping and being on time is essential for working at the laboratory as patient specimens start coming in at the start of the day and are needing to be processed. Breaks and time keeping are required as there are 3 main breaks within a day at the laboratory as it is quite intensive work.

I thoroughly enjoy it as I know that the work that I am completing every day is essential for patient health and safety. The patients specimens are send in because they are potentially unwell and require the correct and efficient diagnosis and therefore the correct treatment can be provided and not further cause harm to the patient. The portfolio work i complete is really helpful in gaining my IBMS accreditation and providing me with the skills and knowledge to have competency when going to get a graduate job.

Very! It's a great feeling knowing that the work you're doing each day is for the patient. Service users are very grateful for the service you are able to provide and quite often biomedical science isn't really thought of when it comes to discussing healthcare. People often don't think where their specimen goes once their GP has requested it and who is there to receive it along with the tests performed on it by the scientists.

It is very organised and structured as I am provided with a complete training guide for my time whilst at the laboratory and the various benches I will rotate around during the 14 weeks I am on my placement. However as it is within the NHS and there can be increased patient demand, and some days the bench I am supposed to be working on at the laboratory may be to busy to facilitate a trainee student as the biomedical scientist won't have the time to take out for the learning and completing their workload more slowly.

I receive a good amount. As my portfolio is completed as part of my degree, whilst I am at university I am able to frequently email my training officer at the laboratory with any queries or problems I may have to assist with my work. My training officer within the lab is the one who oversees my portfolio work and helps me to complete the tasks required to complete it and be able to pass verification.

The NHS is a great organisation which provide great support for those who are in training and completing their degree. They have great facilities which can aid with your studies such as points of contact and lots of computers where any work can be completed. Once again my training officer can be reached easily and any of my questions can be answered quite quickly which means I don't find myself stuck with my work.

As my placement is part of my Applied biomedical science degree I am required to undertake 4 weeks in he first year of my placement, 14 weeks in my second year of my degree and 4 again in my final year. The placement stretches are all unpaid and no funding opportunities are available unfortunately even from the university. However the placement is very valuable and the IBMS portfolio outweighs the fact the placement is unpaid

Once the placement has been completed and you have obtained both your degree and your IBMS portfolio then you are then registered to work within NHS laboratories as a biomedical scientist which are always in demand as patients will always need their specimens tested and processed. Other careers may be undertaken which are relevant as associated with the healthcare system such as private opportunities and other jobs such as water testing.

Yes

Because as previously stated the NHS is a very valuable organisation to work for and there are a number of benefits. Most of all comes the pride of working for the health organisation and knowing that you are aiding in the diagnosis and the treatment of a real patient to help improve their symptoms and ultimately their life.

It is a very competitive place to work especially when it comes to the IBMS portfolio. The key is getting the most experience either paid or voluntary in a wide number of disciplines to have a basic understanding of the way each of the sections of a pathology laboratory works. This will give you an advantage over others and make you stand out when it comes to job vacancies.