Medical Engineering Pathway
24 Months
The Level 4 Healthcare Science Associate apprenticeship is an ideal way for learners to gain a recognised qualification whilst working within a relevant healthcare science related industry.
The Medical Engineering pathway is specifically designed to support those learners working within a Clinical Engineering or Electronic Medical Engineering department, both within the NHS as well as within the private sector.
What You'll Learn
The apprenticeship scheme has taught elements that are split between core units where you will join other level 4 Science Apprenticeship learners from a variety of pathways, this often generates lively debate within class as many share best practice amongst the remote online classroom. In total there are nine core units that cover the fundamental topics you would naturally expect on an apprenticeship course based within healthcare science, some of the topics covered include:
- Health and Safety
- Effective Communication
- Legal and Ethical Context of Healthcare Science
- Quality, Audit and Innovation
As you gain mastery in the core units, learners will then move towards the specialist units that relate more to the department the learner is working in. Part of this provision includes the study of anatomy and physiology delivered via our state-of-the-art training package before learners move on to specialist sessions that include:
- The Medical Equipment Lifecycle
- Acceptance Testing of New Medical Equipment
- Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)
- Diagnosing and Rectifying Equipment Faults
Where This Pathway Can Take You
Upon completion of this course, you are likely to be in a Band 4 Associate Practitioner role, or in a position to apply for such role when one becomes available, the level 4 course is also an excellent starting point for applying to continue your studies at level 6, often within a University setting.
Future roles that could be applied for are within senior positions, management of equipment or departments and wider innovation-based engineering roles.
Why This Pathway Matters
Over the last 10 years there has been huge technological advances within medical devices, and this really came to the forefront during the COVID pandemic due to the increasing need in managing complex health issues.
According to the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine there are:
- Approximately 3,000 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) scientific and technical posts, including Clinical Scientists, Clinical Technologists, Clinical and Medical Engineers, and Medical Technicians.
- Recruitment remains difficult as experienced medical engineers are in short supply and only 28% of departments feel that have sufficient staff to provide a safe and effective service.
- The clinical and medical engineering departments support both in-hospital care as well as community care which means they are an essential service.
Entry Requirements
No previous work experience within Medical Engineering is required however learners will benefit from having a basic understanding of the role.
The learner should ideally be within a senior position, or working towards, to enable the successful completion of several of the core units.
Study And Workplace Balance
We operate a remote teaching format where core lessons are delivered once a month, followed by a 4-week period to complete the relevant assignments.
Learners will build an ongoing portfolio of evidence throughout the duration of the course and are expected to showcase their practical competencies via remote assessment.
Witness testimonies from peers will ascertain how the learner meets the behaviours expected of an apprentice and continued professional development from within the department logged as off the job training.
A Day In This Pathway Might Include:
- Improving patient safety
- Ensuring timely responses to issues arising
- Problem solving of a complex nature
What Makes This Pathway Special?
The course gives all learners an understanding of the medical equipment life-cycle from acceptance of medical devices all the way through to decommissioning. This is an excellent learning opportunity to see how medical engineering departments work, both in relation of commissioning, as well as planned preventative maintenance.
The additional knowledge of anatomy and physiology gives learners a deeper understanding of health and disease in relation to the human body, this helps highlight how medical devices are involved in directly providing a service to patients.
By delivering the training remotely, learners can work around the constraints of shift patterns within the department and find time to explore the underpinning knowledge of their industry.
Join A Lunch & Connect Session
We host monthly lunchtime sessions for employers, managers and prospective apprentices who would like to learn more about the Level 4 Science Associate Apprenticeship
During the session we cover:
- An overview of the programme
- All pathway options
- How delivery works in practice
- Opportunities for questions and discussion
Time: 12:30pm to 1:15pm
Format: Microsoft Teams
Style: Informal and supportive
Materials: Provided if you are unable to attend