Upon successful completion, we will award a Certificate of Completion of Higher Specialist Scientist Training. Trainees who graduate from the programme will have successfully demonstrated a standard of achievement that enables registration on the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS), Higher Specialist Scientist Register (HSSR) and eligibility for appointment at consultant level.
What evidence is required?
When applying for certification and to complete the programme, the evidence you are required to submit is dependent on the bespoke pathway and specialism you have chosen to follow.
This will include some or all of the following:
- successful completion of the Doctor of Clinical Science (DClinSci) in its entirety or component parts dependent on pathway
- completion of an Innovation Proposal and lay presentation project (all HSSTs)
- research Project or Evidence of exemption from Module C2 by virtue of a relevant and timely PhD
- successful completion of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (Life Sciences only)
- successful completion of CEng (Clinical Biomedical Engineering only)
- successful completion of the Independent Assessment of Practical Skills (Physical, Physiological Sciences and Bioinformatics only)
- workplace-based evidence demonstrating the appropriate application of specialty knowledge and skills through the quality and types of evidence in an e-portfolio (OneFile) and appropriately mapped to the domains of the AHCS Standards of Proficiency for Higher Specialist Scientists and to the learning outcomes of the specialist curriculum (all HSSTs)
- engagement with the Annual Review of Progression (all HSSTs)
- sign-off by the workplace-based supervisor as meeting the requirements of the Higher Specialist Scientist Training programme (all HSSTs)
Evidence required for Life Science pathways
HSST with FRCPath and Postgrad Dip
Successful completion of:
- Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists
- DClinSci: Section A (Leadership and Professionalism for Healthcare Sciences)
- DClinSci: Section C1 (Innovation module and lay presentation)
- Exemption from C2 by a relevant and timely PhD
- E-portfolio of evidence
- Sign off by Supervisor
- The Annual Review of Progression
With completion of:
- Postgraduate Diploma (Leadership and Professionalism for Healthcare Sciences)
HSST with FRCPath and DClinSci
Successful completion of:
- Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists
- DClinSci: Section A (Leadership and Professionalism for Healthcare Sciences)
- DClinSci: Section C1 (Innovation module)
- DClinSci: Section C2 (Research module)
- E-portfolio of evidence
- Sign off by Supervisor
- The Annual Review of Progression
With completion of:
- Doctor of Clinical Science
Evidence required for Physical and Physiological Science pathways
HSST with DClinSci
Successful completion of:
- Doctor of Clinical Science comprising DClinSci: Section A (Leadership and Professionalism for Healthcare Sciences)
- DClinSci: Section B (Specialist modules)
- DClinSci: Section C1 (Innovation module)
- DClinSci: C2 (Research module)
- IAPS pass including completed e-portfolio
- Sign off by supervisor
- The Annual Review of Progression
HSST with Postgrad Dip
Successful completion of:
- Postgraduate Diploma (Leadership and Professionalism for Healthcare Sciences)
- DClinSci: Section A (Leadership and Professionalism for Healthcare Sciences)
- DClinSci: Section B (Specialist modules)
- DClinSci: Section C1 (Innovation module)
- Exemption from C2 by a relevant and timely PhD
- IAPS pass including completed e-portfolio
- Sign off by supervisor
- The Annual Review of Progression