The Scientist Training Programme (STP) is for well-qualified science graduates with a passion for science and patient care, and with the motivation, behaviours and values needed for the NHS of the future.
As a trainee you will be employed in a scientific department, normally in the NHS (or in some cases by an NHS private partner or a private healthcare provider), for a three-year training period. During this time, you will complete:
- a part-time master’s degree (fully funded)
- a programme of workplace training, using an online e-portfolio
- a final assessment of competence
The training post is salaried at NHS Agenda for Change Band 6. On graduating, you would be eligible for statutory Clinical Scientist registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and would be able to apply for Clinical Scientist roles in the Health Service.
The curriculum for the programme is comprised of a series of core and scientific modules. Each of these modules is made up of two parts:
- academic learning delivered and assessed in the university
- work-based learning and training where you develop and apply your academic and clinical knowledge and skills in the NHS workplace
Graphic about the structure of the STP
The academic part of the programme
The accompanying master’s degree is theme based with specialist and generic modules eg. a MSc in Blood Science with a specialty in Clinical Biochemistry.
The generic elements include items such as:
- professionalism
- patient and carer perspectives
- ethics
- communication skills
- a research project