Hey guys and Girls,

Sorry for the spam im just wondering if anyone can offer advice on this. im considering a career in either clinical engineering or medical physics. the NHS seems to have very good career prospects. A prerequisite of working in either feild is minimum to have an msc in a relevant topic and ive been told that to progress to the very top levels in these disciplines it is most necessary to aquire a PhD and have an excellent publication record... so the NHS say anyway

I have offers on the table for an Msc course in Engineering and Physical science in Medicine at Imperial College and an Msc in Biomedical Engineering at Oxford.

Has anyone undertaken either of these courses, if so whats your general feeling on these courses as either preparation for research or a job in healthcare. How do they measure up against each other?

any info would be much appreciated

cheers

Hi rjb, I'm a NHS state registered biomedical scientist, specialising in histology. If you wish to work in the biomedical labs you MUST have state registration; this is a laborious process of speaking to the institute of biomedical science (who generally are better at screwing up than not), obtaining a relevant degree (BSc from an approved institution, which is not necessarily the better institution) and completing a registration portfolio. All told, this can take up to three years, during which you will be paid approx £15,000 pa. However, if your degree is acceptable to the IBMS, you just do the portfolio.

Second, if you wish to progress to higher echelons of the career (senior biomedical scientist) you must have two years experience and a MSc. Salaries improve dramatically from here on. Be aware that more often than not, you will be over-educated for the job you do (as a biomedical scientist) and the NHS bureaucracy will have you wanting to slit your wrists inside of two years.
However, there is also the Clinical Scientist route, about which I know nothing.