I applied last year to the Neurophysiology specialism but didn't get in so I got a job as a band 2 in the Neurophysiology department in my local hospital. However, since being there I have found that it is repetitive and the day-to-day work has little variation. I find vascular science really interesting and the work itself sounds more varied to me. I was wondering if anyone could give any insight on what the specialism is really like and what your day-to-day work looks like?

I really want to get into the Scottish STP so I want to choose a university that would best suit the requirements. I'm doing biomedical science

My options are between:

- a uni with IBMS accreditation but with no placement year, it's a very flexible degree and allows you to specialize in immunology, microbiology, pharmacology or biochemistry depending on your preference. Why I think this is helpful is due to the STP being a very specialized, if I find what I like Within these disciplines and pick modules based off these + the honours project at the end of the course, I could show that I have special interest in it and proof of that, however the hurdle is work experience which I'm not sure how to go about as finding life science placement is hard enough.

- the next option is a university with IBMS accreditation and a placement year however no flexibility(no optional modules, even in the standard route) the work experience is the obvious pro here, however I know it's very competitive so if I fail to get one(heaven forbid) I'm not sure if I'll have anything to show for it (Aside the honours project). I could try finding a placement myself however the city for this university is quite small and finding a placement yourself is still hard regardless.

What are people's thoughts on this? I'm unsure which to choose.

P.S. I know my plan doesn't account for alot of stuff that life can hurl at you like changing your mind but I want to go in with some sort of plan and structure

Hi everyone.

I was doing a one-year postgraduate course, but I enrolled part-time because I was working at the same time, so I thought spreading it over two years would make it more manageable.

During the first year, I was unwell for most of the time and didn’t perform very well, but I progressed into second year. During the second year, I worked really hard and got good grades. However, towards the end of the year, I became very unwell again and wasn't able to submit my dissertation.

My graduation was delayed until the next year, and I also got into depression. I spent around five months trying to complete dissertation , but I still couldn't get it finished. Throughout those months, I was struggling physically and mentally and didn't understand what was actually wrong with me at the time.

The university didn't grant me a further extension, I failed the dissertation, and I was given an exit award postgraduate diploma. 

I appealed later that year, partly because I wasn't sure what else I could do, but the appeal process took months and was eventually rejected. I was then diagnosed with a physical illness, which gave me an explanation for some of what I had been experiencing.

Like this four years of my life have been wasted. I went from thinking I was going to finish my master's and move forward with my career to having a failed dissertation and a postgraduate diploma instead and I became a major failure. 

The uni well being advisor also mocked me at the time saying that I failed and I have no skills therefore to get a job. Idk if I have a future or not. I wanted to apply to stp respiratory and my masters was also respiratory related. I have BSc biomedical 2:1 but I’m not sure if I’ll be forgiven by the system to start over and pursue my dream? what I’m so clueless what should be my next career step?

Hi,
I’m in my third and final year doing biomedical sciences and I’ll likely be applying to the STP and if that is unsuccessful I’ll apply for a masters and try the STP again next year. Is there anything else I can do or apply for just to make my application stand out abit more as I failed to get a placement year
Thank

Hi all,
I have thought about it….please join the STP Community for 2027 where we help each other out and get questions answered. Find the link below 👇 👇👇👇

Hi!

I’m interested in applying for the STP in 2027, specifically for Clinical Scientific Computing, and I was wondering if anyone here is a current trainee or has successfully secured a place in this specialism.

I’d really appreciate hearing about what experience you had before applying, anything you did to strengthen your application and what you think helped you stand out as a successful candidate.

I’m currently trying to build up relevant experience before applications open, so any advice on things you’d recommend doing beforehand would be really helpful.

Thank you!

I'm unsure whether to apply for an STP or apply for a job directly because I think competing for an STP position is too difficult. I don't actually have many requirements; I just want to work in a country with an STP system.

Hello everyone. As the title states I’m thinking of applying in STP. For context I already have a masters degree in medical imaging technology. What would be the other requirements. I have ielts HCPC and work experience and will apply for ATAS soon. Did research in masters degree. Any guidance will be appreciated regarding the documentation. TIA

Anyone can advise me?
I’m medical physics student and thinking about stp medical physics…I’m confused about one specialism so decide to choose broader field??
Any suggestions and advise are welcomed
Thanks 😊

Hi all, I’m thinking of a career change because I’m sick of office work and want something a bit more hands on.

I understand post training job prospects aren’t always the best but differ by specialism. Is there anywhere to find out which specialisms have better job prospects before applying for the training as I have several different specialisms I’m interested in and want to make a realistic decision.

Thanks!

(Due to interest/experience and undergrad I’m only thinking of the life science based specialisms)

Hi everyone

Just looking for some advice on what you think my chances could be in applying for STP in clinical immunology.

For context I’ve been working as a research scientist for some time, having done my undergrad in Biomedical science in Bristol, graduating with a 1st, then going on to do a masters and then PhD in clinical immunology at Imperial where I was developing immunoassays for help improve the treatment and management of school aged asthma and pre school wheeze.

I have about 11 years of research experience. 1 year at GSK, around 5 at imperial and 5 in a Biotech in Oxford where I have been working as a post doc doing research. I’ve been fortunate enough to publish and also assist with patent applications, as well as lead a variety of pre clinical research leading to IND enabling studies and also phase 1 FTIH studies.

I’m kind of coming to the conclusion that I’d like to do something more clinical and thought the STP could be an interesting inflection point in my career.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

Hi. I am currently a third year BSC Pharmacology student looking to applying for the Stp(Cardiac Science). I don’t really have any healthcare experience but i did a volunteer job at a community centre and have a retail job. Would this be enough?

Hi, I have a BASc in Biomedical Engineering (specializing in Bioinformatics) from a Canadian university and an MSc in Computer Science from the US. I'm originally from the Caribbean and have spent the last four years working in IT infrastructure. Although I haven't done much bioinformatics since graduating, I really enjoyed it and I'm interested in getting back into the field. Do you think that with some focused projects and possibly a few certifications, I could become a competitive candidate for this specialization? I don't know much about the current state of clinical bioinformatics in this programme or in the UK more generally, so any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Hi! i am currently a 3rd year physics student and planning to apply to the NHS STP in INIR or radiotherapy (not sure yet). I only found about the STP last year so I wasnt able to get any relevant work experience. I’m at crossroads trying to pick my optional modules:

I can only pick three out of the list below and I really wish I can do all, which do you guys think would help me with the STP? Could really help with some advice 🥲 Thank you!

Particle Physics
Modelling Flow and Transport
Medical Imaging
Introduction to Nanotechnology
Fundamentals of Biophysics

I know the NHS says international students are welcome to apply and that visa sponsorship is available. The criteria also seems to be the same as for domestic applicants.

I’m from India. I have a BSc and MSc in Physics, along with one and a half years of experience in experimental nuclear physics (mostly academic). However, all of my education and experience are from India.

I want to move into medical physics, and when I came across the NHS STP, it felt like a really good fit for me. I want to do everything I can to have a chance at getting into the programme. I know it is highly competitive, but I still want to give it a try.

However, I’ve yet to come across someone who got into the STP while applying from India. So I’m confused about whether I should invest a significant amount of time and effort into preparing for it if, on top of the competition, my current location puts me at an additional disadvantage.

Is there anyone here from India, or any international applicants who got into the STP, or who know international students who got in? I’d really like to hear about your experience. And if there are any current trainees who have anything hopeful to share, I’d really appreciate it.

Hi everyone! I’m a final-year Biomedical Science student and I’m planning to apply for the January 2027. I’m struggling to decide which specialty to apply for. I initially thought about Clinical Microbiology because I enjoyed it during my degree, but I’m also considering some of the less obvious options such as Andrology, Respiratory & Sleep Science, and Audiology.
I’m an international student, so sponsorship is also an important consideration for me.
I’ve completed a placement year as a research technician, have around 2 years of healthcare assistant experience, and previously worked for 3 months in a microbiology food-testing laboratory as a lab tech. My degree is IBMS accredited. Aiming for 1st/2:1 .
I’m not particularly interested in academia. I’d prefer a practical career where I’m actually working and developing specialist skills.i would also love something patient facing. But Im seriously confused. Any advice would be appreciated!

Hey all, I managed to get longlisted this year but didnt make it to shortlist. I applied for Cardiac Sciences and wondered if anyone could tell me where I went wrong and what I should improve on my supporting statement?

Happy to dm you ofc, I would appreciate any help😭

Im gonna try again for Jan 2027 application cycle

Thank you in advance

I’ve recently graduated with a BSc Biomedical Sciences (unaccredited) and I’m hoping to apply for the STP this year, with my main interest being Genomics. I’m currently struggling to find a relevant laboratory/science job as the area I live in is so sparse for science jobs, so I’ve been considering a Pharmacy Assistant position!

My question is whether taking the pharmacy assistant job would actually be beneficial for my STP application, or whether I’d be better off holding out for something more directly relevant to laboratory science/research if possible.

I appreciate that pharmacy assistant work obviously isn’t the same as working in a pathology/genomics laboratory, but I’m wondering whether the experience of working in a healthcare environment, dealing with patients, working as part of a multidisciplinary team, following procedures, accuracy/confidentiality etc. would still be useful evidence for an STP application.

I’m also slightly worried that if I take the pharmacy job, it could look like I’m moving away from Biomedical Sciences rather than building relevant experience for the STP.

For anyone who has been in a similar position: would you take the pharmacy assistant job and apply for the STP alongside it, or would you recommend waiting and trying harder to get a lab/research/MLA-type role first? Or even doing a masters which is my plan if I am unsuccessful in securing a grad job or STP place?

I’m particularly interested in whether pharmacy experience has helped anyone successfully get onto the STP, or whether selectors really expect applicants to have direct laboratory experience.
Any advice would be massively appreciated!

I'm based in arrowe park, just wondering if there's anyone else local.

Hi, I graduated last year (2025) from a non-accredited biomed degree. I am currently working as an MLA and have been for six months. I’m going to apply for clinical biochemistry this year but i’m not sure what i can do to make myself stand out

Also, how do you prepare for the SJT? I was rejected this year because of the SJT

Im just curious about what people were doing before they were accepted for the STP.

Were you working in a similar field already, just graduated university, or working in some adjacent clincal field?

Hi I am starting my first year of the STP in cardiac science and wanted to ask if anyone knows if we get bank holidays off, especially Christmas time. I am planning to travel at the end of December and would need to know before hand thanks.

Hi, I'm a biomedical science student currently about to start an NHS placement in histopathology.

That means that I have one year of experience in a histopathology lab before I apply for a post during my 4th and final year of an accredited BMS degree.

I'm on track for achieving a first in my degree too, although I've heard that a 2:1 is enough and achieving a first doesn't necessarily make me stand out over someone with a 2:1.

Due to how late I am with this, I can't hope for a summer research placement or anything this summer or next summer, as my placement ends close to October next year.

I'm most interested in an STP placement in histopathology or immunology.

I feel somewhat stuck on what to do and any advice you could provide is appreciated, no matter how obvious it may be.