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Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme
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Routes through the programme

Routes through the programme

Here are the different ways you can progress through the HSST.

There are two routes through the HSST programme:

Route 1 – physiological sciences, physical sciences and clinical biomedical engineering, clinical bioinformatics
Route 2 – life sciences

All trainees must demonstrate an achievement of the curriculum learning outcomes, but the means by which this is documented and assessed are different.

Programme component	Route	Assessment components	Assessment tools	Administrative responsibility	Component weighting
Mastery of scientific content	1	Professional doctorate (PD)	As required by the HEI provider of the PD	HEI	100%; must pass either the PD or FRCPath to receive the Certificate of Completion for the HSST from the NSHCS
	2	FRCPath, with an option to take selected, or all, components of the PD	FRCPath	RCPath
Mastery of clinical skills, values and behaviours	1	Workplace-based assessment (WPBA) Demonstration of scientific and clinical skills	Evidence of activity in the workplace submitted for assessment in the e-portfolio. NSHCS Independent Assessment of Professional Skills (IAPS)	Workplace, recorded and assessed in the e-portfolio and monitored by NSHCS.NSHCS in collaboration with Medical Royal Colleges (MRCs) and Professional Bodies (PBs).	100%; must have a satisfactory portfolio of evidence of activity from the workplace showing that all of the HSSR SOPs have been met, and either gain a ‘pass’ in the NSHCS assessment or FRCPath to receive the Certificate of Completion for the HSST from the NSHCS.
	2	WPBA FRCPath	Evidence of activity in the workplace submitted for assessment in the e-portfolio. FRCPath	Workplace, recorded and assessed in the e-portfolio and monitored by NSHCS.RCPath
Contribution to innovation	1	Innovation in Clinical Science (ICS) project	Innovation Proposal report and presentation to a lay panel.	MAHSE and NSHCS in collaboration with employers, MRCs and PBs.
	2	Contribution to innovation, service improvement, patient safety or quality management in healthcare science	Complete full research project, if not using previous PhD or FRCPath Part 2 as exemption	MAHSE and NSHCS in collaboration with employers, MRCs and PBs.

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