Case studies: Biomedical scientist: Camilla

Camilla graduated in 2007 from the University of Kent (Canterbury) with a degree in biomedical science. She now works as a biomedical scientist in haematology in Southend Hospital NHS Trust.

After completing a three-year BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science, I applied for a trainee BMS position and was lucky enough to get it.

Whilst training in the haematology laboratory, I completed my registration portfolio. This involved completing a portfolio of evidence that I was competent in all areas at my level and understood aspects of health and safety, laboratory protocols and national guidelines, and it enabled me to become state registered and work under the title of biomedical scientist.

Currently I’m completing my specialist portfolio in haematology and hospital transfusion. Again, this is an evidence-based portfolio of my understanding and competence at the next level, and once this is complete, I’ll become a specialist biomedical scientist. There is also lots of scope for development and progression and the next step I’m planning is to take an MSc in Transfusion.

I find my job very interesting; you never know what patients’ test results may reveal, but it can be repetitive. All areas of haematology - coagulation, transfusion and special haematology - involve a great deal of automation and the use of different analysers to carry out the sample testing, but we still perform manual tests, which in turn require results to be interpreted and in some cases call for further work to be carried out.

A typical range of tasks includes:

• analysing full blood count results;
• glandular fever screening;
• malaria testing;
• analysing full clotting screen results;
• advising anti-coagulant patients of their new medication dosage;
• performing blood groups and antibody screens;
• cross-matching blood for transfusion;
• analysing cell marker panels;
• general analyser maintenance, data input and microscopy.

The medical conditions I come across and investigate include HIV, leukaemia, malaria and other parasites, anaemia, haemophilia, diabetes and haemoglobinopathies to name but a few.

Being a biomedical scientist is a fantastic job. It’s challenging, demanding, fulfilling, satisfying and worthwhile and I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in the clinical aspects of science in the hospital environment.