Scientist Training Programme
(STP)
Lucy Jackson
1st Year STP Trainee, Genomics
Sheffield Children’s Hospital
[email protected]
Scientist Training Programme
• What is the STP?
– Overview
– Specialisms
– Work experience
• The application process
– How to apply
– Application form
– Online tests
– Interview
• Q&A
What is the STP?
• Salaried 3 year training post, Band 6 (~£26,000)
• Purpose: to gain HCPC registration to practice as a
Clinical Scientist
• Majority work-based training at NHS hospital
• Portfolio of competencies
• DOPs, OCEs, CBDs
• Fully funded MSc over 3 years
• Distance learning or block release
• Assignments, exams, project
YEAR 1
• Rotational year: 4x rotations (3 months each)
YEAR 2 AND 3
• Specialist training
• Elective placement
– 4-6 weeks in duration
– Facilitate a wider experience of health care
– Can involve study abroad / industry / particular clinical interest
• Project
– ~4 months in duration
– Related topic of your choice
Specialisms
Also new for 2017: Andrology, Molecular Pathology
Specialisms
• What area of science interests you?
• The job: patient-facing, lab, or office?
• Research your chosen specialism(s)!
• Health careers website:
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles
• Visit departments
• Talk to Clinical Scientists/Trainees in the discipline
Genomics
Work experience
• Difficult to get work experience posts
• Try arranging shadowing/visit to department
• Long-term: Technologist & MLA positions
• Think broad…
• Doesn’t have to be healthcare experience to be relevant!
– Volunteering
– Part-time jobs
– Other areas employing same techniques
How to apply
• Min 2.1 degree
– If 2.2 need further qual e.g. MSc
• Annual recruitment cycle
– Opens January
• Three stages
• Recruitment run by NSHCS
https://www.nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/
The competition
• Pass online tests = “Longlist successful”
~65% passed online tests
• Invited to interview = “Shortlist successful”
~20% of people that passed tests were invited to interview
• Offer made
~35% of those interviewed were offered position
Don’t be deterred but do put effort into the application
process
Application form
• Can apply for up to 2 specialisms
• Standard Qs - qualifications, employment history
• Short essay-style Qs (250 words)
– Knowledge, motivation, commitment – to the STP
– Commitment to healthcare science & technology
– Values and behaviours
– Team working and leadership
Look at the person specification
Knowledge, motivation and commitment
“Please state why you have applied for the Healthcare Scientist
Training Programme. Give details of your motivation, suitability and
future career development or aspirations. Describe what actions you
have undertaken to increase your knowledge, experience and
understanding of healthcare science and the training programme for
your chosen specialism(s)”
Knowledge, motivation and commitment
• Why applied?
– Motivations and interests
– It’s the NHS - don’t forget the patient!
• Career development and aspirations
– Show understanding of job you are qualifying for
– Opportunities for progression
• Why suited?
– Skills – personal and scientific
• Research
– Actions taken - online, open days, talking with trainees, arranging own visits
– Show understanding of the scheme – masters, structure, workload, assessments
– Show understanding of the department – who will you be working with, where do
you fit in to the picture
Healthcare science and technology
“Please describe your commitment, interest and enjoyment of
scientific practice and technology. Please provide examples of how
you seek to develop, improve and adopt innovative processes in
your work or studies”
Healthcare science and technology
• Why passionate about this specialism
• Concrete examples – develop, improve, innovate
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Projects – mention relevant techniques/skills involved
Work experience/volunteering
Summer studentships
Published papers
Knowledge of relevant current issues/developments
Extra activities e.g. online courses, STEM, mentoring, training, journal clubs,
workgroups
Don’t focus just on academic examples. What makes
you stand out?
Values and behaviours
“The NHS Constitution values and behaviours are paramount to the
delivery of healthcare services. In less than 250 words please
describe how within your own experience you would display these
qualities”
Improving lives
Working together for
patients
Respect and dignity
6
values
Commitment to
quality of care
Compassion
Everyone counts
Team working and leadership
“Describe occasions where you have worked as part of a team and
outline the skills you used to benefit the outputs of that team. Also,
please describe a situation or situations when you have taken the
opportunity to lead others and identify how you managed any
challenges that arose”
Team working and leadership
TEAMS
• What skills are important in teams?
• What did you contribute and what was achieved?
LEADERSHIP
• What skills are important for a leader?
• Time you lead, challenges faced and how overcome
They are looking for specific examples
• Doesn’t have to be work or healthcare science related
– e.g. sports, extra activities, etc
Application form tips
• The NHS is all about the patient – mention them!
• Start early
• Essay Qs very important – draft and re-draft
• Provide description of skills in employment history
• Get feedback
Numerical tests
• 60-90 seconds per question (12 Qs total)
• Given table of data (3-4 Qs based on same table)
Tips
• After selecting answer use spare time to look more at
the table – don’t submit straight away
• The maths is simple – the timer is the challenge. So
what’s the quickest way to do the sum?
– Rough estimates in head then calculator for exact answer
– Screenshot and practice
• Environment – quiet, calculator & paper to hand
Logical tests
• 75 seconds per question (12 Qs total)
• Series of shapes and symbols
• Which fits the gap?
Logical - example
@ # !
% £ @
# ! %
# ! %
?
! % £
! % £
@ # !
% £ @
Logical - example
@ # !
% £ @
# ! %
# ! %
£ @ #
! % £
! % £
@ # !
% £ @
Online tests - tips
• Practice!
https://www.trytalentq.com/
• The live tests are adaptive
– Don’t panic if seems too difficult
Interview
• Invites mid March
• Interviews April/May
– Check the date and keep it free
• Select location preferences
– Rank locations in order of preference
– Better interview score = more chance of top choice
One of the best ways to improve your chance of an
offer is to be flexible on location
Interview
• Multiple Mini Interview
(MMI) format:
– 4 stations
– 4 Qs at each
– 10 min per station
– 2 min rest between
Specialism station
• Think about the role
• Look at Year 1 curriculum for each specialism
http://www.nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/curricula
• Scientific basis of techniques/procedures
• Diseases and health conditions
• What are the current developments, topical issues ?
Leadership & values stations
• Don’t be afraid to reuse examples from application form
• Think about what qualities/skills you need to show
LEADERSHIP
• What are the skills of a good leader?
VALUES & BEHAVIOUR
• Read the NHS constitution
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitutionfor-england/
• Have an example to demonstrate each value
Leadership & values stations
• What qualities are they looking for?
• Describe what YOU did, use “I”, sell yourself no matter
what the Q is about (relate it back to yourself)
• Use structure to your answers – e.g. CAR
• Conclude and relate back to future role as clinical
scientist/STP trainee – show research & patient focus
• Great book for MMIs
http://www.medical-interviews.co.uk/p-206-medical-schoolinterviews-book.aspx (check ebay!)
General science station
• Could be almost anything
– Study design
– Research
– Current news, hot topics
• Not just your area of healthcare
• Only station that cannot really be prepared for!
General science station
• What factors need to be considered in a scientific study?
General science station
• What factors need to be considered in a scientific study?
Some examples...
• Bias
• Control group – who are they? Are they really controls?
• Hypothesis - what is being measured?
• Consent
• Ethical approval
Interview tips
• Stay calm
– Being assessed on communication too
– Body language
• Don’t focus all prep time on the specialism
– It’s only ¼ of the interview
• Have examples thought out beforehand
– What skills/traits do these show about you
– Relate them to the job
• Mention impressive points from your application form
again
– They don’t know your application form
• Careers service – mock interviews
Questions
Thank you for listening!
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