EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues HPC Agrees to Regulate Clinical Technologists

May I point out that there is no formal link between the Agenda for Change process and the regulation of Clinical Technologists. The profiles developed for Agenda for Change have not been used or considered by the VRCT team.

Additionally, the criteria used by the HPC to decide whether a profession should be regulated or not are based on the profession's "potential to cause harm", not on its educational qualifications!

Finally, IPEM, ART and IIE are currently working hard to develop partnerships with educational providers in order to produce relevant clinical engineering degree courses for Technologists.

Regarding the point that new graduate staff often lack the necessary practical, abilites that's just a fact of working life in general. Most youngsters come out of Uni very green and it takes a good year for them to be of any real use. I've trained a couple of graduates in fault finding before now and I only have (very) old C & G qualifications.

Anyone who has ever studied knows that a lot of what they are learning is just jumping through hoops to demonstrate their academic ability. The proportion of what they study that will actually later be used is often quite small. So they will need to learn a lot of new stuff when they get into a particular area of work. The degree shows they are good learners.

So once the graduate staff settle into the real world they should be a lot more able than an oldies like me in the long run.

If we are developing the profession, that's the way to go!

Marc

Marcel

Just to support what you say, I came into the field as a graduate and I can confirm that I probably use less than 5% of what I learnt at University (or Polytechnic as was back then). Most of my knowledge and skills I use now is gained from on the job learning, from colleagues, courses or what I have to go out and learnt myself.

Doing a degree gives you a foundation with which to improve, it certainly doesn't make you competent or valuable once you have just graduated, that has to earned through hard work.

Yes, being a graduate indicates a propensity and ability to learn. Fine. My main concern is that we are now looking at a potential training period of 5 - 6 years (inclusive).

Compare that with what we have had - on the job training at the same time as the academic bit. At the end of 2 - 3 years you have someone who has experience and a qualification (HNC/D) which is relevant. Or as some of us did - an apprenticeship.

It is the change to having this in conjunction with a degree that needs addressing.

The HPC have agreed to regulate but........

Has anybody heard anything since that statement was made?

Rome waen't built in a day

There is a lot of talk of having to have a degree but how many places actually do a degree in Clinical/Biomedical engineering? You would ideally need this rather than a generic electronics degree as it would lessen the further training required.
U of Kent at Canterbury did one and I think still do it but how many more are still going?
Robert

I thing Glasgow do one and there used to be a joint effort between Derby and Nottingham (or Nottingham and Leeds . . . . or somewhere). I'm fairly sure I saw something advertised in South Wales not too long ago - might have been Cardif.

But they're few and far between.

Perhaps the NHS University will be putting a suitable course on ? ? ?

I started working in Medical Physics as a technician three and a half years ago. I was employed at the low end of MTO2 with an HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I had no previous experience in electrical/electronics as a career. I am still an MTO2. There has not really been a training scheme for me to follow. I recently applied to join the voluntary register. I was rejected because apparently I need four years' experience unless I have been completing a registered training programme. I have been trained up in-house on a wide variety of equipment, attended manufacturer's courses and studied (and passed) the post-graduate Anatomy and Physiology module of the Medical Physics MSc at Leeds University. I have been calibrating all the audiometers and tymps for the last eighteen months, and I carry out PPMs and repairs on a daily basis. I would really appreciate a scheme that can recognise my training and that of others, so that we can be registered properly. It would also help us to be promoted to the working grade.

yes, yes, yes, but where are we now with regard to HPC and registration?

It will affect us all but.....

The University of Cardiff School of Engineering do an MSc in Clinical Engineering, part time, distance learning, which is well worth looking into for those looking to extend or formalise their career in biomedical engineering. Only problem is, Cardiff town centre is too damn close!!!!!!!!!