What is Route 2?
Route 2 is an alternative route to Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration as a Clinical Scientist and open to those that have not followed a formal training programme, such as STP, and has been in operation for many years. The basic requirement is a first or second class appropriate Science Honours degree.
This route is often appropriate for:
- those with an MSc in Medical Physics or Clinical Engineering
- individuals who have specialised in a particular area of Medical Physics so has a narrower range of experience than those that have followed a formal training programme.
You will need to build up a portfolio of experience through work. This experience needs to be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet all the competencies as defined by the Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS).
It is unlikely that this can be achieved in less than 4 years of postgraduate experience but there will be wide variation in individual circumstances. Also, it is essential that supervised clinical science practice is included in a hospital environment so you will need to find a suitable job to get this experience.
We support Route 2 by offering Clinical Scientist training. We will find an External Advisor to help mentor you through your training, including ensuring your training plan will meet all competencies.
Eventually you need to demonstrate that you achieved these competencies. Your completed portfolio of evidence (of your training and experience) will need to be submitted to the ACS for review. If it is satisfactory then you will be called to an assessment interview. If successful, you will be awarded a “Certificate of Attainment” from the ACS which can then be submitted to the Health and Care Professions Council to gain entry onto the register.
You can see more information about the ACS competencies here.