Training, development and registration (clinical photography)

Training and education programmes

You will normally take the postgraduate course in clinical photography on a distance learning basis, while working in a post as a trainee clinical photographer but there is also an undergraduate course available. 

Graphic designers can also do a graduate or postgraduate certificate in graphic design for health.

• Staffordshire University runs graduate and postgraduate certificates in clinical photography or graphic design in healthcare. You'll need a degree for entry or relevant qualifications with experience and you’ll need to be in relevant employment. This is a 12-month distance learning course for designers and photographers.
• Cardiff University runs a postgraduate certificate in clinical photography. This course is delivered as a 14-month, part-time distance programme, which starts every September. The course is open to photographers and trainee photographers working within a healthcare environment and who are able to meet the programme’s learning outcomes. This distance learning course is accessible to photographers throughout the UK and overseas.
• The University of Gloucestershire runs a 3 year undergraduate BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (clinical photography) 

Programmes are often supported by the development of workplace-based assessment tools, assessment of equivalent learning and the development of academic careers.

Further details of the routes available and courses in medical illustration and clinical photography can be found on the Institute of Medical Illustrators website.

Find out more about the entry requirements, skills and interests required to enter a career in clinical photography.

• CPD, ASP and registration

  Continuing professional development

  No matter what level you are working at, as part of your development you will be expected to do continuing professional development (CPD) to show that you are keeping yourself up to date with the policies, procedures and new technologies in your area of work.

  Find out more general information about professional development

  Accredited Scientific Practice - development opportunities for healthcare science staff

  Accredited Scientific Practice (ASP) provides an additional route for your ongoing professional and scientific development as part of the healthcare science (HCS) workforce. ASP allows employers to develop bespoke, responsive, short course programmes to meet training needs within the HCS workforce. ASP programmes provide you with a quality assured, rigorously assessed qualification which can lead to voluntary professional registration with the Academy for Healthcare Sciences (AHCS).

  An ASP programme involves work based learning with academic study of modules from the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) portfolio programmes. Access to an e-portfolio is provided to record learning in the workplace while associated academic study is completed independently through an accredited university provider. In some cases, completion of academic study may also lead to an award of a postgraduate qualification from the university provider.

  Read more about ASP on the NSHCS website.

  Registration

  Registration is required for many healthcare science roles.

  On completion of your training you will be eligible to join the voluntary register of the Committee for the Accreditation of Medical Illustrations Practitioners and Academy for Healthcare Science.

  Please check details of the individual job or training place vacancy for information about registration when applying.