Trainee Biomedical Scientist Review

My placement in the haematological oncology lab in Leeds was very enjoyable. I was able to put many of the theories I'd covered in my first two years at university into real world context. It was so interesting, there was never a dull day and I feel that I learned so much, not just about the haematology side of things but about the thought processes a diagnostic scientist develops as they discover more information from different test results.

I was welcomed into the team very quickly, within a week a felt right at home and like I could approach anyone with questions, never mind if they were support workers or as high up as consultant haematologists. Everyone was so helpful, knowledgeable and willing to help my development and share their knowledge.

Within the first fortnight my supervisor and I had drawn up a learning plan in order to make sure I got the most out of my placement. I worked with my supervisor on a daily basis at first to develop the skills I needed to carry out my project. After this I then worked less directly with her but we still had a brief chat at the start and end of each day to see how things were progressing and what the aims of the following day would be. Towards the end of my project when I was in the process of writing up my report, my supervisor actually had to have time off work due to ill health but all the while she was happy for me to email or text her about any issues with the report or even just for general feedback as to how it was coming along.

Most days were fairly busy, particularly once I had begun my project work. The main time really that wasn't so busy was the first few weeks when I was just shadowing people to learn of each of the different areas of the lab. The last month of the placement was spent mainly in the office as I compiled the results of my project and wrote up my report, which basically meant that I was managing my own time in those weeks.

After I had developed the skills needed to complete my project, I was basically working independently for most of the working week. I had brief chats with my supervisor everyday to ensure we were still on the right track with the testing I was performing and to discuss the next day's tasks. But other than that, once I'd been trained I was allowed to just get on with the work without having to check with my supervisor every five minutes. This was good as it meant I was free from restrictions whilst at the same time still being able to go to her if I needed to, and also saved time since my supervisor was a very busy person so I wasn't having to wait for her to be available until I could get on with my work.

Regardless of the scientific skills I developed, there are plenty of transferral skills that I have gained from my placement that will be useful through all areas of life and employment. Time management, people skills, analytical skills, problem solving are just a few skills that will benefit me in my final year of university and beyond.

Mostly the atmosphere was jovial, friendly, relaxed and warm. Everyone knows their place, their role within the lab and does their job accordingly in a manner that benefits the patients first and foremost, but that also allows for harmony and a pleasant working environment. There were fun days like the Christmas quiz and whenever anyone had a birthday there would be cakes and sweets and lots of excitement, but at the end of the day the work done in that lab is extremely important as if affects the lives of ordinary people. So the team realise this and makes the work their most important priority, without it feeling strict, authoritarian, or even just plain boring.

My supervisor had a project in mind for me before I began the placement, however it took almost three months for some of the reagents I needed to arrive. This meant that for a while I was helping with routine procedures as I had nothing to do for my project. To be fair the first few weeks were spent introducing me to the different areas of the lab so I didn't actually have to wait three months, it was more like three weeks once I was competent. This is the only real criticism as I think that they could've ordered any new equipment to be there for when I started since they knew I was coming about five months in advance. But apart from this everything else was very well organised.

I learned a range of techniques during my placement even though my project on really required one main technique. This is due to my supervisor's philosophy of spreading knowledge in the hopes of creating and developing great scientists. She was very keen for me to learn about all of the different tests that the lab performs and also to increase my theory knowledge as well as practical skills. Every Thursday was Back to Basics where for half an hour she would cover a chapter of a major text book or carry out case studies or various other learning exercises in a seminar format in order to keep the employees up to date with their competencies. She allowed me to attend these sessions and to fill in competency worksheets and have them signed off by someone more senior in order to develop my skills in a controlled and organised manner. She also spent a lot of time discussing my options after graduation with me and advising me on available opportunities.

There is a national training scheme in the NHS to develop Clinical Scientists about which I spoke at length with my supervisor. I am really keen on applying for this and luckily she happens to be involved in the recruitment of candidates for this programme! It is a very competitive training programme with around 8000 applicants per year for only around 250 positions. Therefore my supervisor has suggested that if I'm unsuccessful in my application, she would be happy to have me back there as a support worker and then I can apply again as an in-service applicant for the training scheme. That way is slightly more secure as you don't compete with all the other applicants so as long as you pass the interview the job is definitely yours.

As my placement was self-sourced and not a standing agreement, I was the only placement student in that organisation. However, with regards to the other members of staff the social scene was good. There were nights out organised maybe every other month, which I think is about right. There were of course, other nights where some of us would go for a drink or a meal after work but it was an official work night out. There was also a nice day out for afternoon tea, and of course my leaving do when my placement had come to an end.

I was based in Leeds for my placement and had to rent an apartment for my stay there. It was fairly reasonably priced rent of £425 per month for one bedroom, secure entry, 5 minutes walk from city centre and 15 minutes walk to the lab. Perfect location. As Leeds has 2 universities, costs are relatively low for pubs, bars and restaurants as there are a lot of students in the city. Most restaurants for an evening meal for two people came to £35-£40 including one drink each. Some places much cheaper of course and a few others dearer. Bars and pubs are fairly cheap where you usually get change from a fiver for a pint of lager, can't say that in London! (And I do know this as I go to university in London).

Again, as Leeds is a student city there was always plenty going on to keep people entertained. From festivals to theatre, streetfood markets and parades. Many open mic nights, indie bands etc. Pool or darts tournaments in local pubs. Hundreds of bars and pubs, both big chains and many smaller independents that serve locally brewed ales. Same with restaurants and cafes. Room escape games, cinema, bowling etc etc. Every time my boyfriend visited once a month or so, we always found something new to explore that we hadn't seen during his previous visit.

There are lots of things going on in Leeds, as mentioned in the previous answer. Given the fact that my working week was Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, I had every evening and weekend free to explore and get involved in the many activities that were taking place across Leeds during my time there.