The Requirements for Incorporated Membership are set out in Rule D:4 as follows:

Incorporated Membership is open to persons who fulfil the following conditions:

(i)      normally hold a university degree, a Higher National Diploma, a BTEC/SCOTVEC Higher National Certificate, or an equivalent academic qualification in their primary discipline, AND

(ii)     have undertaken the equivalent of 3 years basic training which can be taken concurrently with the educational component, AND

(iii)    have undertaken the equivalent of 1 year of supervised training in their primary discipline, or biological engineering, or physical sciences applied to medicine or related biological sciences, AND

(iv)    have undertaken a period of extended responsibility and training, in a position of responsibility within any branch of physical sciences or engineering applied to medicine or related biological sciences, for a period of not less than three years, AND

(v)     they are engaged as clinical technologists in or associated with any branch of biological engineering, or physical sciences applied to medicine or related biological sciences AND

(vi)    have satisfied the Council that the aggregate of tertiary education, training and responsible experience is not less than seven years, AND

(vii)   are not less than twenty-five years of age.

Incorporated Members may use the designatory letters IIPEM.

Guidelines for Applicants

Applicants for Incorporated Membership should be working in a responsible position as Medical Technologists and should have acquired substantial responsible experience in that role, in addition to meeting the specified educational achievements.

For those working in the NHS, Incorporated Membership,  is the appropriate membership category for those fully-qualified as clinical technologists in either medical physics or clinical engineering, and should be regarded as of equivalent value to Corporate Membership, which is the appropriate membership category for those fully-qualified as clinical scientists or clinical engineers.  It is recognised, however, that some Incorporated Members may have been working as clinical technologists when elected to Incorporated Membership, but have found that their roles have become those of Clinical Scientists, even though they may continue to be employed on an employment grade applicable to technologists.  Employment grading is not a matter for the Institute, and so it will not disadvantage Incorporated Members in this position who can demonstrate that they meet all the criteria for Corporate Membership.

The key distinction between Incorporated and Corporate Membership for those working in the NHS in a clinical role, is whether or not candidates meet the requirements for registration as a Clinical Scientist.  If they do Corporate Membership is appropriate.  If they do not, Incorporated Membership may be appropriate and, until such time as the Health Professions Council decides that it will register Clinical Technologists, those aspiring to be Incorporated Members of IPEM should also register with the Voluntary Register of Clinical Technologists.

Applications for Incorporated Membership should be proposed by two Fellows, Corporate Members or Incorporated Members.  Proposers should, wherever possible, have a detailed professional knowledge of the candidate, but it is acknowledged that clinical technologists, in particular, may be working in situations where there are no IPEM members.  In such cases, IPEM members in other departments or neighbouring hospitals, universities etc. will be pleased to be proposers but, in cases of extreme difficulty, the Head of Department should be given as a supporter and a note should be included with the application to explain the circumstances.  A reference will be requested from named proposers.

All Incorporated Membership applications will be sent to the Registrar for Incorporated Membership for initial assessment.  If it is clear that the written application together with references meets key criteria and has sufficent merit to proceed to interview, then the Membership and Training Manager will arrange this at the next available session.  Interviews are conduct by two experienced assessors and interview sessions are held three or four times per year.  Applicants will have to attend at their own expense.  Applicants whose applications are unsuccessful may request guidance from the Registrar about actions they must take to ensure a future application is successful. 

Application for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) Registration should take place concurrently with an Incorporated Membership application, where applicants have undertaken specialist training and acquired responsible experience in an engineering subject.  In these cases, interviews for Incorporated Membership will be undertaken by assessors who are Chartered or Incorporated Engineers and will take the form of a Professional Review Interview. Applicants for Incorporated Engineer Registration who are already Incorporated Members will be required to complete an application form, which will be considered by the Incorporated Engineer Registrar, after which the candidate will be required to attend a Professional Review Interview.