The University of KentCareers and Employability Service

Bioscience Jobs

Slides for this talk are available on the Science Careers Employability Award on Moodle

Main bioscience Jobs

• Research and Development

• Clinical Biochemists And Microbiologists

• Biomedical Scientists

• Science Teacher

• Toxicology, pharmacology, immunology

• Regulatory Affairs Officer

• Clinical Research Associate/Monitor

• Bioinformatics

• Medical Sales

• Patent Examiner

• Patent Agent

• Medical Communications

• Doctor

• Scientific Recruitment Consultant

• Production And Quality Assurance

STP – Scientists Training Programme - NHS

• Work in a hospital while completing a (fully paid for) Masters degree part-time.

Tasks include:

• Planning and organising work in clinical labs.

• Organising tests on patient samples

• Advising clinicians and GPs on use of tests and interpretation of results.

• Carrying out R&D as well as evaluation and quality assessment of diagnostic tests.

• Developing new and existing tests.

STP – Scientists Training Programme - NHS

• Clinical Biochemistry

• Clinical Microbiology

• Clinical Cytogenetics

• Immunological Scientists

• Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics

• Entry via the Scientist Training Programme (STP)

• Closing date normally February .

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/hospitalsci.htm

Forensic Biology Forensic Science Service. www.fss.org.uk

Disbanded!

Independent forensic contractors

• LGC - Middlesex - analytical science, consumer protection  pollution and health, DNA and drug analysis also document examination for Inland Revenue and DSS.

Not many vacancies advertised – need to make lots of speculative applications.

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/forensicsci.htm

Doctor

• Very competitive

• Kent graduates have obtained places at St George's, Birmingham, Warwick, Peninsula Medical School & Exeter.

• Talk to doctors and other medical staff, and get work experience in a hospital, hospice or home for the elderly.

• Normally need at least 2:1

• Apply via by mid October of final year as an “individual applicant”

• May need to take GAMSAT or UKCAT test

Doctor• NHS means tested bursaries available in

years 2, 3, and 4. Students have access to a reduced rate loan from the Student Loan Company. Tuition fees, student fee, and expenses for clinical placements etc. will also be paid. In 1st year will have access to the full student loan but no other financial support.

• Fast track (4 year) courses for  grads

• Also seewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/doctor.htm

• Now also 4 year fast track courses in DENTISTRY for science graduates at Peninsular Medical School , Queen Mary and Liverpool/Lancaster

Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics etc.

• Some shortened courses for graduates (2 years)

• Occupational therapy involves work with people with disabilities to enable them to live as independently as possible.

• NHS Bursaries available

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/nursing.htm

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ScienceJobs.htm

Research & Development

Can work in …• Industrial Companies e.g.

Pfizer www.pfizer.co.ukGSK www.gsk.com/uk-students AstraZeneca www.astrazeneca.comCovance www.covancecareers.com Abbot www.abbott.com

Early closing dates: apply October of final year!• University Laboratories • Research Associations e.g. Biology and

Biotechnology Research Council Laboratories www.bbsrc.ac.uk/organisation/vacancies.html

• Scientific Civil Service – DSTL

Research & Development

• Can get a job as a trainee research scientist in industry with a good first degree - Upper Second Class or better

• Advisable to get a PhD for a long term career in research. Promotion may be hindered without one - encounter "glass ceilings".

• Can be stepping stone to other functions: Production, Quality Assurance, Patents, Regulatory Affairs, Sales and Marketing, IT

Clinical Research Associate (CRA)

• Co-ordinates clinical trials on new drugs. • Employed by pharmaceutical companies,

Cancer Research UK, research hospitals and the Medical Research Council.

• Writes trial protocol • Finds suitable doctors to conduct trial.• Prepares documentation and supplies. • Initiates study centres. • Monitors progress of trials/writing report.• Experience in a related field (e.g. lab. work) helps.• Grads often enter as a Data Monitor – lower

level• Need good organisational/admin. skills and

outgoing personality.• Visiting lots of different hospitals and GPs• Innovex main agency for recruiting CRAs

www.innovexcareers.com

Regulatory AffairsCo-ordinates application procedures for the approval of drugs - safety, transport & storage

Involves compiling dossiers of info. on a new drug and submitting it to a national regulatory authority to gain permission to sell drug.

• Recruitment is erratic so make speculative applications to chemical and pharmaceutical companies.

• Vacancies in New Scientist• Few jobs but well paid!• See www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/cra.htm

for info. on both CRA and regulatory affairs

Medical Sales

• Employed by pharmaceutical companies to promote medicines etc. to doctors & pharmacists.

• Arrange appointments with doctors. • Make presentations to doctors, nurses, hospital

consultants. • Keeping chemists informed e.g. which drugs GPs are

likely to prescribe. • Attend company's regional meetings. • Car is your office. Constant people contact but can be

lonely. Spend a lot of time in doctors waiting rooms. Route into marketing & sales management.

• Get company car/laptop/iPhone. Must like driving!• Training. Initial 8 week intensive course covering sales

and product training and background physiology and anatomy. Must pass ABPI exam within 2 years.

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/medicalsales.htm#Medical

Patent Attorney

• Obtains patents world-wide. Reads descriptions of inventions/analysing novelty. Writes specifications of inventions in precise terms. Files applications for patents. Advises clients.

• EMPLOYERS: Mainly private consultancies. Also industrial companies.

Patent Examiner • Ensures applications for patents are within the requirements of

the Patents Act & don't infringe the rights of inventors. Examines the invention & searches publications to ascertain novelty. Considers legal matters affecting entitlement to claimed monopoly. Produces report for the applicant.

• EMPLOYERS: only UK Patent Office - Newport & European Patent Office

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/patent.htm

Medical Communications• Medical Writers - currently in demand. Write protocols,

clinical trials reports, patient information and marketing literature. Jobs with pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations and medical communications agencies. Easier with MSc or PhD

• Technical Authors produce technical manuals e.g. computer manuals.

• Science Writing. Increasingly done on-line.

• Science Events Management – organising conferences

• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/sciencewriting.htm

Bioinformatics

• Getting biological information (proteins, DNA and mRNA) logged, coded, retrieved in an easily accessible format. 

• Employers: Sanger Centre, European Bioinformatics Institute, MRC UK Human Genome Mapping Project, all in Cambridge, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford.

• Big pharmaceutical companies such as GSK or AstraZeneca recruit regularly,

• Postgrad. Courses:  Manchester, Leeds, Exeter, Edinburgh, Birkbeck, York – last 1 year. MRC gives studentships

Science Teacher• PGCE is one-year, full-time route into teaching

taken by most graduates – 60% classroom based. Many Kent students go to Christ Church

• Need to have spent about two weeks in a school with the age range and subject you wish to teach before you apply.

• There is now a bursary of £9k (with a First) or £4k with a 2:1

• Also Schools Direct and Teach First routes

• We have example teacher training application forms, and practice interview for teacher training: see www.kent.ac.uk/careers/siteach.htm

Science Vacancy Sources• Kent University Vacancy Database

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm I will email summaries of these to you.

• Prospects Web www.prospects.ac.uk

• The Biochemical Society www.biochemist.org/jobs

• www.careerscene.com adverts for trainee biomedical scientists.

• Science Recruitment Agencies - some offer temporary laboratory work in vacations. www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitephar.htm#agencies

• New Scientist www.newscientistgraduate.com

• Nature www.nature.com/nature

• Speculative CVs use directories such as Pharmafile (on reference in Careers Centre)

To Find Out More …...

• Science Careers pagewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/ScienceJobs.htm

• I Want to Work in … www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm

• Prospects Profileswww.prospects.ac.uk

Moodle Science Careers Employability Award

“Choosing a Science Career” assignment www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm#subject

Bruce Woodcock

• Deal with all Bioscience students

• A careers adviser is on duty for short (15 minute) consultations in the Careers and Employability Service any weekday morning 10.30-12.30 or afternoon from 2 pm to 4 pm. You don't need an appointment to see the duty adviser at these times. Just ask at Careers Reception to see them..

• Email: bw@kent.ac.uk

BIOSCIENCE JOBS

Slides for this talk are available on the Science Careers Employability Award on Moodle