The Institute of Biomedical Science

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Specialist Diplomas: Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

I am not a member of the Institute. Can I complete the specialist portfolio?

A candidate must have be a current corporate membership of the Institute of Biomedical Science for a least a year before starting a Specialist Portfolio Assessment. Corporate classes are Licentiate, Member, or Fellow.  Associate members are not eligible.

Why do I need to complete the specialist portfolio?

Holding a Specialist Diploma is part of the criteria for upgrading your class of Institute membership from Licentiate to Member. It also demonstrates that you have been assessed against a benchmark standard for a specialist practitioner in your chosen discipline. It is therefore different from the registration portfolio required for HPC registration which is used to evidence that an individual has met a threshold standard of fitness to practise which is profession-specific, rather than based solely on a single discipline.

The charge by the Institute for the specialist portfolio is £125. Who should pay?

This is a local decision. Both the employer and individual benefit from the opportunity provided by the professional body to facilitate, evidence, and formally recognise the acquisition of specialist skills and knowledge. The charge is a nominal one-off amount towards providing this service to Institute members, and will also cover external assessor expenses for the endpoint assessment.

When can my portfolio be assessed?

You are required to be a corporate member of the Institute for a minimum of one year before a specialist portfolio can be externally assessed by the Institute.

How long will it take for a date to be set for my assessment?

This is dependent on the availability of an external assessor. It could be up to two months from receipt of your application form. Please apply well in advance of your preferred date in order for the Institute to organise an external assessor.

Portfolio Organisation and Evidence

When I completed the registration portfolio I was required to have one file of evidence. Must I approach the specialist portfolio in a similar way? Does it involve as much work or do I simply fill in the portfolio?

The principles applied to the registration portfolio also apply to the specialist portfolio. Evidence required for both should not exceed one lever-arch file. Much information has been published in The Biomedical Scientist and in sections of this portfolio.

Can you provide advice on how to present, organise and complete the specialist portfolio?

There should be an index and the evidence should be organised to match the sections of the portfolio.
 
What evidence do I need?

The type of evidence is indicated by the Evidence of Achievement section, and this is the ONLY evidence required.  It must of course be relevant to the knowledge and competence statements.

In order to sign off some of the sections it says "answered questions set by trainer..." (on a particular subject). Does this mean that there is no point getting other evidence for this, and that the only evidence required are some questions I have answered? Also I have several pieces of evidence for some sections but haven't yet been given any questions to answer from my trainer, so I’m guessing this section cannot be signed off until I’ve done them?

The requirements for the evidence of achievement sections are clearly stated.  All of them have "questions set by trainer".  It is essential that your trainer conducts an assessment exercise that tests your knowledge as applied to the particular techniques - this is the purpose of the "questions asked by trainer".  Once completed and you have evidence of this the trainer can sign off this part of the portfolio.

Can I use evidence from a laboratory I worked in before I started my SP?  I used to work in a reference lab and have copies of published papers with my name on which cover techniques in the SP but not done in my current laboratory. Obviously my trainer couldn't sign to say they'd witnessed my practical skills, but would that be ok to cover the principles?

The requirements for the evidence of achievement sections are clearly stated and do not include copies of published papers. (You could put these in your professional portfolio).

Who signs?

The Evidence of Achievement section requires the trainers name and signature, and therefore should be signed by the person who assesses competence at the end of the relevant training. Underneath is an area in which to confirm the section has been completed and the evidence assessed and checked internally (e.g. by the training officer). In some instances this will be the same person.

Is the person who signs the person who actually trained you in that technique, or does it have to be the training officer? Is it okay for a BMS1 to sign (if they did the training) or does it have to be a more senior person? I have a very "reluctant" training officer!

Someone in the laboratory who has assessed your competence should provide the signature for the portfolio.  As long as they are competent to train and assess you, the grade of staff should not be an issue.  However, the training officer (or someone senior) should take responsibility for assessing the evidence is appropriate for each section and sign the section underneath the Evidence of Achievement section.

You may wish to discuss these points with your trainer and perhaps with them also review the guidance on the IBMS website.  It may also be helpful to clarify the role of your training officer with your line manager if they are "reluctant" as this may affect the training status of the laboratory if there is inappropriate support for training.
 
How do I complete the Reflective Logs at the end of each section?

The aim of this part of the portfolio is to encourage you to think about your experience and how you can apply your skills in other areas. Try to capture what the laboratory does in relation to the topic, what you have learned, and how you apply this in the context of patient diagnosis. Future learning is identified by how you wish to build on this experience. It is very much an expression of your personal experience.

Training and Standards

I have been working as a trainee biomedical scientist, then as a BMS1 for almost two years in a specialist laboratory (four years in total), but only applied for my specialist diploma book after changing my job and starting an MSc. Should the date of my specialist training be when I became registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) or when I received my book?

It is normal for a newly registered practitioner to commence a period of specialist training in order to consolidate and extend their skills and knowledge in their specialist discipline.  Therefore you may have accumulated evidence suitable for your portfolio in advance of receiving it.

Can I use anything I sent for assessment for my MSc, as I completed this while HPC-registered for the past two years?

It may support you training but evidence should be specific to your training and assessment in the laboratory.

Do I need to complete all sections of the portfolio?

Yes. However, not all sections require evidence of practical competence (it may state ‘Be able to describe...'). Similarly, some skills may be transferable such that, together with knowledge, competence in some techniques may be considered to be achievable, even if the laboratory does not perform the method routinely.

How long does training take?

Although training can be expected to take up to two years after registration, it may be possible to complete the portfolio in less time if an individual has previous relevant experience to build upon for their specialist training (e.g. experienced gained in a single discipline while on a 12-month university placement).

As a training officer I have just received a specialist portfolio for a member of staff. How best should I proceed?

There can be no substitute for careful reading of the introductory sections of the portfolios, relevant articles in The Biomedical Scientist and the Education and Careers/Specialist Portfolios section of the IBMS website. You may also wish to contact training officers in other departments to share ideas and good practice so that you fully understand what is required. It is important that you develop a training programme. This can be based on the old 'logbook', but should, of course, be geared to the specialist portfolio. The crux of the qualification is the ability of the individual to articulate knowledge relevant to their specialist practice (e.g. training junior staff).
 
The portfolio says: "Answered questions set by the trainer". What questions do I set?

Questions must relate to the knowledge and competence sections and are informed by your own professional ‘working’ knowledge of the principles and application of the techniques. The level of knowledge should reflect that required of a specialist practitioner (see Learning Outcomes in the introductory section). Questions may be verbal during a tutorial session (if so, keep a record of them), written short questions and answers or multiple-choice exercises. The format is at the discretion of the individual trainer and will depend on local circumstances.

Are there any courses available to support completion of the specialist portfolio?

No specific courses are run by the IBMS, although you may wish to contact your local IBMS branch or university to see if anything is available or can be arranged. Some universities have developed MSc courses with work-based modules linked to the specialist portfolio.

Do I need to complete my training in one laboratory?

No. There is no requirement to complete in one laboratory and in some cases it may be desirable to have a secondment to another laboratory for some modules.  However, the laboratory must be approved by the Institute for training.

Specialist Practitioner Status

Do I need the specialist diploma to advance my career?

Although the Institute's qualifications are not mandatory for professional advancement, they do provide a mechanism by which the employer can measure someone's competence to practise at a higher level.

When can I do on-call?

When your employer (and yourself) believes you are competent. Ability to do on-call is defined by the employer and depends on the scope of practice required to perform an out-of-hours laboratory service competently to the required standard.  As with the registration portfolio, the specialist diploma in not linked explicitly to on-call (although it might link to certain elements).

I am changing disciplines. Do I need to undertake a second specialist portfolio?

Not necessarily. There is no requirement to complete a second specialist portfolio; however, there is a requirement under HPC regulation to be competent in one’s scope of practice, and the specialist portfolio is one way you can gain this competence and evidence it. This could also be guided by the requirements of the knowledge and skills framework (KSF).

I work in a Blood Sciences department.  Which Specialist Portfolio should I apply for?

Your laboratory manager must apply on your behalf for the most appropriate discipline-specific portfolio that represents the bulk of your scope of practice (i.e. test repertoire).  Modules can be substituted with one or more modules from specialist portfolios of other disciplines. The Specialist Diploma award transcript will reflect the main discipline plus altered modules.

Tags: Education and development