The Institute of Biomedical Science

Promoting biomedical science

Promoting science during Healthcare Science Week

Many members are involved with the promotion of biomedical science through media, the public, trusts and hospitals and even within the profession itself!

Promoting biomedical science ranges from briefing healthcare colleagues on the work of the laboratory to attending trust meetings and dealing with the local press. The Institute, with its focus at national level, depends on the voluntary efforts of members to promote their profession at local level.

Careers promotion

There is recognition in science circles that more needs to be done to promote careers in science, including biomedical science, to school pupils. Links between laboratories and schools, leaflet distribution to libraries or careers offices, laboratory placements and workshops, presentations and demonstrations at local schools and colleges are all activities that can increase interest and awareness of biomedical science as a potential career option.

Laboratories can also join in with hospital public open days to exhibit the human side of science and demonstrate the work carried out in laboratories.

Many labs are well-used to providing careers advice to local schools, facilitating placements and organising visits and open days, and have invented ingenious and imaginative ideas for linking biomedical science to human stories to illustrate the importance of laboratory diagnosis to patient care.

Institute representatives can also attend meetings and conferences as a way of promoting biomedical science within a more general healthcare context. Such conferences or meetings range from career conventions or specialised science interests to those organised by such bodies as the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. If you know a conference or a science meeting is happening and would like to attend as an IBMS representative or perhaps even run a display stand, then please contact the IBMS office which can provide with materials, stand banners, Institute promotional merchandise and tips to help you represent the profession.

Healthcare Science Week

Healthcare Science Week aims to acknowledge the important contribution made by all the healthcare scientists in the NHS and to educate young adults, the media and other NHS staff about the different roles played by healthcare scientists in healthcare. A wide range of activities are organised across the UK by the Department of Health and healthcare scientists.
Information on 2010

National Science and Engineering Week

National Science and Engineering Week is organised by the British Association for the Advancement of Science and takes place every March. National Science Week aims to celebrate science and its importance to our lives, providing an opportunity for people of all ages across the UK to take part in science, engineering and technology activities.

A wide range of events are organised by individuals, community groups, organisation and science groups.

Like during Healthcare Science Week, biomedical scientists have organised public open days or evenings, displays in hospitals, shopping centres and other public areas, careers evenings and talks in schools and local colleges and career stands in schools and local colleges.

National Pathology Week

National Pathology Week is coordinated by The Royal College of Pathologists and sponsored by Siemens. It is made possible by the hard work and effort of the hundreds of  pathologists, scientists and technical and administrative staff working in hospital pathology laboratories across the UK.

Biomedical scientists worked with other pathology colleagues to organise laboratory tours, open days, school visits and stands in shopping centres to raise awareness of the specialty and its central role in modern healthcare.  The IBMS strongly supports this initiative and is works closely with the central team to plan the week.

Healthcare science ambassador

A number of biomedical scientists have enlisted on ambassadors schemes such as the SETNET Science and Engineering Ambassador Scheme or Healthcare Science Ambassador Network to inspire schoolchildren to the excitement and diversity of science.The Healthcare Science Ambassador Network is an initiative made up of scientists working in the health service who want to inspire and encourage a new generation to direct their talents, interests and skills towards becoming the healthcare scientists of the future.

The Healthcare Science Ambassador scheme aims to bring together healthcare scientists, working at any level in the NHS, to champion their work and encourage young people to study science, engineering or technology at a higher level. The benefits for young people include enhanced scientific learning, opportunities to see scientists working in a healthcare environment, work placement opportunities and the ability to make more informed career choices.

What's involved?

You only have to give us half a day every year to become an ambassador. As an ambassador, you could support school activities such as:

• Healthcare Science Week
• science and engineering clubs
• STEM competitions and events
• extra-curricular experiences
• careers guidance and mentoring
• work-based placements for teachers and students in NHS labs.

One of the most important jobs for a healthcare science ambassador is simply to be yourself. Giving young people the chance to meet today’s healthcare scientists can be motivation enough to inspire future generations.

Those who already volunteer as ambassadors say it’s great fun, really rewarding and an excellent opportunity for networking and personal development.

Register at www.stemnet.org.uk

Further information

IBMS publications: Promoting science

IBMS publications: careers