By Anice Aidi, Trainee Clinical Vascular Scientist
For those thinking about a career in healthcare, the Scientist Training Programme may be something to consider. Over the course of 3 years, you will work towards a masters in your chosen specialism, while gaining all the relevant work experience in a clinical setting at the same time. As a first year STP student specialising in Vascular Science, I hope to give you an insight into the STP and provide you with some key tips to consider when applying.
About the STP
The broad range of specialisms the STP offers makes it suitable for anyone of a biology, chemistry or physics background, with each specialism being either patient-facing or lab-based. My chosen specialism, Vascular Science, is patient-facing and primarily involves the diagnosis and management of vascular diseases. During your first year, depending on what specialism you do, you have the opportunity to go on rotations – for example as a Vascular Science student, I was able to spend some time not only in my department at my chosen NHS trust, but also the Cardiac and Respiratory & Sleep department as well. I also had the opportunity to follow patients’ pathways from admittance to discharge, and sit in on some vascular-related surgeries as well. After the 1st year, the remaining 2 years of the programme are more tailored towards your chosen specialism. During your work placement, you are expected to complete certain ‘competencies’ to demonstrate you have the necessary skills, which is complementary to the university teaching that takes place over the course of 6-weeks at the beginning of the year. This allows you to put the theory into practice- great experience before qualifying and entering the working world.
In terms of the programme itself, one of my main concerns was how to manage full-time work alongside working towards a masters, however one study day a week is allowed and teaching time only takes up around 1-2 months of the whole year, allowing plenty of time to study for exams. Although on first glance this may all seem like a huge amount of work, if you truly have a passion for your chosen specialism, then this experience will be extremely rewarding and worth your time.
The Application Process
The application process consists of:
- An online situational judgement test
- Online application form – the best time to mention all your experience and skills here
- If short-listed, you will then be offered an interview
If you are considering applying, please do not be put off by the entry requirements or the application process- one of my biggest concerns when considering the STP was that I was still in my final year of my undergrad degree and I would be in the same cohort of students that had masters and even some clinical experience behind them. The most important thing to remember is that even though you may not have copious amounts of experience in your chosen specialism, you can mention transferable skills which you may have gained throughout your degree. It might also be a good idea to consider enrolling in any short courses over your 3rd year or summer- for example I undertook a self-funded phlebotomy course, which not only related to my chosen specialism but also provided me with an insight into the clinical side of things. With regards to choosing a specialism, you have the option of applying to 2 however I would strongly advise against doing this, only because demonstrating your interest in 2 different areas would prove difficult, especially considering the word count restrictions on the written application. If you are offered an interview, this is a huge achievement, however, be mindful that this is where they can test how well you know your chosen specialism, so I strongly recommend doing some reading around this and what being a clinical scientist entails.
One top tip when applying is to always refer to the STP person specification for that year. There’s a lot there, but providing evidence that you have met just a few of those key skills can massively boost your application. Another thing to keep in mind is that you are applying to work for the NHS, so as good as it is to mention all the scientific skills you have, be sure to keep your ‘commitment to quality of care’ towards patients at the forefront of your mind during your application. As long as you do your reading around your specialism and be sure to provide evidence of all the necessary skills you have obtained from your past experience, this should put you in good stead during the application process.
I wish anyone applying the best of luck!