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NHS Higher Specialist Scientist Training

If you are a registered and experienced clinical scientist, you may be interested in training to become a consultant healthcare scientist.

Consultant healthcare scientists improve patient care by applying their specialist scientific skills.

What does the training scheme involve?

  • a five-year programme at a similar standard to medical specialty training
  • work-based training and study at doctorate level
  • possibly gaining Medical Royal College qualifications (eg fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists).

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What opportunities are there?

It can be possible to find posts in:

  • clinical bioinformatics
  • life sciences
  • physical sciences and biomedical engineering
  • physiological sciences

Click on the boxes below to find out more about each area and find out more about the different healthcare science roles [1].

How do I get a place?

There are two ways to get on to an HSST [2] programme:

  • direct entry - apply for a newly advertised post in an accredited training department
  • in-service training - be nominated by your employer to move into an existing post

How do I apply?

Applications are made in spring, for entry later the same year.

For the very latest information about important dates, please check the National School of Healthcare Science website [3]

For 2019 entry, the recruitment window is due to open at 13:00 on Monday 25 March 2019.

Direct entry applicants must submit their completed application by no later than 17:00 on Tuesday 23 April 2019.  

In service applicants must submit their application by 17:00 on Wednesday 15 May 2019.  

No late applications will be accepted.

Find out more about HSST and apply through the National School of Healthcare Science website [3]

  • Clinical bioinformatics

    Depending on workforce needs for any given intake, it is possible to find posts in:

    • clinical bioinformatics (genomics) [4]
    • clinical bioinformatics (health informatics) [5]
    • clinical bioinformatics (physical sciences) [6]
  • Life sciences

    Depending on workforce needs for any given intake, it is possible to find posts in:

    • clinical biochemistry [7]
    • clinical immunology [8]
    • genomics [9]
    • haematology [10]
    • histocompatibility and immunogenetics [11]
    • microbiology [12]
    • molecular pathology of acquired disease
    • reproductive science and andrology [13]
    • virology [14]
  • Physical sciences/biomedical engineering

    Depending on workforce needs for any given intake, it is possible to find posts in:

    • clinical biomedical engineering [15]
    • medical physics (including diagnostic imaging sciences and radiotherapy physics) [16]
  • Physiological sciences

    Depending on workforce needs for any given intake, it is possible to find posts in:

    • audiological science [17]
    • cardiac science [18]
    • neurophysiological science [19]
    • respiratory and sleep physiological sciences [20]

Source URL: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/developing-your-health-career/nhs-higher-specialist-scientist-training

Links
[1] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles
[2] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/glossary#HSST
[3] http://www.nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/join-the-programme/nhs-higher-specialist-scientific-training
[4] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/clinical-bioinformatics/clinical-bioinformatics-genomics
[5] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/clinical-bioinformatics/clinical-bioinformatics-health-informatics
[6] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/clinical-bioinformatics/clinical-bioinformatics-physical-sciences
[7] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/clinical-biochemistry
[8] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/clinical-immunology
[9] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/genomics
[10] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/haematology-healthcare-scientist
[11] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/histocompatibility-and-immunogenetics
[12] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/microbiology
[13] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/reproductive-science-and-andrology
[14] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/life-sciences/virology-healthcare-scientist
[15] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/physical-sciences-and-biomedical-engineering
[16] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/physical-sciences-and-biomedical-engineering/clinical-measurement
[17] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/physiological-sciences/audiology
[18] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/physiological-sciences/cardiac-sciences
[19] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/physiological-sciences/neurophysiology
[20] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-science/roles-healthcare-science/physiological-sciences/respiratory-physiology-and-sleep-sciences