Careers Enquiries
Clinical Scientists working in the UK require registration with the Health Professions Council to work unsupervised.
OVERSEAS ENQUIRER If you are an overseas enquirer who is fully trained, experienced and working abroad already then you can apply directly to the Health Professions Council - HPC - under their INTERNATIONAL application route to registration. You do not need to apply to the ACS.
ALREADY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE If you are an enquirer who is fully UK trained, experienced and working already and spent a MINIMUM of 3 years working in the role of a supervised clinical scientist then you can apply to the ACS under the Route TWO 6-year route for certification to allow registration. See details on website.
ONLY ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS If you are either pre-University, about to graduate or immediately post-graduate, or if your only experience is MSc or PhD, then you will need to enter a 4-year pre-registration (formerly called Grade A) training course through the Clinical Scientists Recruitment Office . Any postgraduate degrees you may have simply indicate your (perhaps extensive) skills in research but do not reduce the training needed for clinical interpretation in the role. Without registration you cannot work unsupervised and enter the higher career bands of a Clinical Scientist. The training scheme commences in October each year with deadlines for application in the previous February.
Details of vacancies for starting in October 2010 are now available for England & Wales at www.NHSClinicalScientists.info and for Scotland at www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/hcs/staff/Clinical_Scientists/default.asp. You may also download the Recruitment Booklet for England & Wales vacancies as well as the application forms below.
PLEASE NOTE - if you are/will be only involved with research or academic work, there is NO need for registration. This is because your actions will not directly affect the treatment or wellbeing of the patient and so jeopardise their safety - requiring registration.