THE BIOMEDICAL ADVICE 48 Careers FROM o say that the last 18 months have been challenging is an understatement. There are a number of reasons for me to say this; one of them is obviously the emergence of TO the SARS-CoV-2 , another was being made redundant a fortnight before the fi rst lockdown. TThe latter blindsided me, after working in a veterinary … in a remote part of Scotland for 18 years. It had been a really interesting and Dawn Alderson gives a challenging fi eld of work – we didn’t personal account of her know what would appear from one day to the next, both in terms of the sample career change in the types and the species of animals from middle of the pandemic. which they came. We had to have a good knowledge of the pathogens we’d expect to isolate from the tissues of dif erent animals, gained on a steep learning curve at the bench. Our raison d’être was surveillance, so we were always on the lookout for new and emerging . The irony is not lost on me. As well as considering the impact of isolating pathogens from animals, we also had to consider the impact of this fi nding on and give advice about the zoonotic nature of some of them. I did a thorough search at my mum’s haematology and transfusion, and the Hence, my views were of “one health” and house and, thankfully, found most of what choices for the next semester included that humans were one of the species we I needed... in an old sheep feed bag in a the fi rst two of these. Perfect timing. Over were also looking out for. corner of the garage. the next four months I was grateful that I I was very grateful that mice hadn’t had something constructive to do. Upgrading qualifi cations turned it into bedding, as they had one of It’s unfortunate that my plans to go I’d originally studied microbiology, which my jumpers from the same era. I nearly back to Coleraine to carry out the practical included , and then wept at the sight of documentation about parts of the modules had to be cancelled went on to gain an IBMS-accredited MSc a course. I may have been due to the pandemic. in biomedical , with a specialism similarly moved the last time I saw it, but But staf at Ulster worked in medical microbiology. However, my for entirely dif erent reasons. really hard to create meaningful BSc wasn’t accredited... ay, there’s the rub. A number of provide IBMS- alternative assessments, to ensure that Over the years I had considered accredited top-up modules, and this we could complete our modules. upgrading my qualifi cations, but still information can be found on the IBMS The outcome of having my qualifi cations needed to have them assessed by the IBMS website. However, having completed my assessed was that I needed to take three to confi rm which top-up modules I’d need MSc though Ulster University, I knew top-up modules, as suspected, and I now to take. With redundancy looming, and that their teaching methods via distance had two of them under my belt. very few employment options in my area, learning worked for me. Over the summer I kept in touch with the situation was more urgent. I knew I I sent away the paperwork so I could Rebecca Wright, a biomedical science hadn’t thrown out any of my University have my qualifi cations assessed. By my lecturer at Robert Gordon University in documentation, but where on earth was it? reckoning, I needed to cover cellular Aberdeen who I’d met at IBMS Congress Over the Christmas and New Year period , clinical and in 2019. She kept me motivated.

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passed all of the top-up modules, and Chartered Scientist, which has the am the proud owner of a qualifi cation required competences of: application of equivalent to an IBMS accredited BSc knowledge and understanding, personal in biomedical science. responsibility, interpersonal skills, Over the years my CPD ensured that I professionalism and professional was continuing to learn about veterinary standards. I have seen how parallels can and medical microbiology, and this has be drawn between these competences and been of value in my new job. Most of the the HCPC standards, as I work through I’ve isolated to date are my registration portfolio. familiar to me, as are others, such as A number of things have struck me Listeria monocytogenes and Fusobacterium about working in an NHS Highland necrophorum, which are seen much less laboratory – every member of the support frequently in humans than in sheep, staf , the biomedical , clinical for example. scientists and medical staf is dedicated The odour produced by Streptococcus to making sure that the output of the bovis, which I used to describe as “rancid laboratory is of high quality, that patient tof ee apple”, has a dif erent source in safety is paramount and that turnaround medical microbiology – the milleri group times are met. of streptococci. I recently spent some time learning Other dif erences that I’ve found about the role of the infection prevention so far include the range of media used and control team, and the Another person who deserves a and the methodology for carrying out multidisciplinary nature of patient mention here is Dr Declan McKenna, antimicrobial sensitivity testing. management based upon some lab results the module coordinator for haematology And then there are the unusual that we had just reported. That’s when and transfusion at Ulster University. fi ndings, for example seeing that you get an appreciation of the bigger Throughout the module, he recorded Staphylococcus sciuri appears as mint green picture. It’s a privilege to work here. video clips in which he reminded us when colonies on UTI chromogenic agar. The assignments were due in, congratulated manufacturers don’t mention that one. us when they’d been handed in, and When this discovery was made by a THE IBMS JOB BOARD generally kept us going. colleague at the other end of the bench, it took me back to the days of us The Biomedical Scientist Jobs is the careers A new job gathering round a plate when something and recruitment website for The Biomedical So, having signed up for novel appeared, and inspecting it like Scientist magazine and is the offi cial job my fi nal top-up module, a pair of penguins might look board for IBMS. I applied for a Trainee at their egg. I love that Its aim is to help IBMS members and Biomedical Scientist about microbiology. non-members to fi nd jobs and recruit post in the microbiology appropriate staff. department at Raigmore The bigger picture Both permanent and interim positions in in Inverness, and Another thing that has all areas of biomedical science are featured, was delighted to get the been useful to me has from veterinary and medical job. I moved in the middle been being on one of the to manufacturing and the NHS. of writing an assignment. Science Council’s voluntary For more info and to browse the latest

IMAGES: GETTY/SHUTTERSTOCK Thankfully, I have now professional registers as a jobs, visit biomedicalscientistjobs.co.uk

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