In Vivo Bioimaging Biologist Review

I work in the in vivo Bioimaging department at GSK. My day to day activities vary greatly from writing study protocols, attending scientific and ethical review meetings, acquiring images, image analysis, putting together scientific reports and more.

Yes. Before starting the course my knowledge of imaging was extremely basic but I am now able to acquire and analyse MRI, CT and optical scans. I have also obtained a personal licence from the RVC and learnt a great deal about the ethics and scientific reasoning behind animal work. In addition to my day to day role I have attended development course which have enabled me to improve my communication and presentation skills.

I love the team I currently work in and everyone is 100% supportive of my development. As I can into the role straight from college I didn't really know what to expect and although I enjoy my programme I would also like to branch out into other areas of science in my future career.

I feel I am a valued member of my immediate team and manager. I am always given the opportunity to get involved in projects I show an interest in and am given responsibility of particular projects myself. I am also able to present my own work to project teams and have been awarded for work I have previously completed.

The structure of the programme is continuously improving. When I first started the structure wasn't as clear and there was a lot of confusion but over the past year and a half this has been worked on and an improvement has been seen.

My original trainer provider was a mix of both Kent and Greenwich university. When this was the case support from some tutor was poor and question would often go unanswered and marking would be delayed. However, Kent are know the sole training provider for my course and the support has continued to improve.

I receive a great deal of support from my employer. If there is an area I am struggling with then I know I just need to ask for help and I will normally get it. There is a vast network of people with different skills in the company so whatever the problem someone will have knowledge in the area.

For my location close to London I find the salary a struggle as I have left home and rent private accommodation (as no student accommodation is available in the area). Due to the high cost of rent and social cost in the area a higher salary would make personal life easier. However, apprentices also have access to the share save and share reward schemes, helping us to save, as well as access to private healthcare and pension. The amount of holiday given is also good.

We get to attend development courses with external companies in both the first and second year of the scheme. The IP scheme also invites apprentices to the events that they plan. When I first started I commuted from a different town and so attending social events in the evenings wasn't always every easy but events are set up throughout the year for apprentices to attend e.g. bowling, nights out etc.

Yes

It is a great company to work for and getting experience while getting a degree makes you more competitive in the future.

The application process can seem very daunting so just try to relax, be yourself and ask as many questions as you can. Take your time going through the information sent to you prior to the application day as coming well prepared will definitely make the day easier and allow you to show your best attributes. The places are very competitive so research into the company and show how interested you are in a career in science.