Publish date: 15 March 2024
For our final profile of Healthcare Science Week, we meet Stephanie.
What is your name, role and where is your place of work?
Stephanie Williams
Senior Biomedical Scientist – Pathology Education and R&D Lead
Describe a day in the life of your role
My role is a bit of a niche one, my role is split into 2 parts and I generally spend 80% on education and 20% on R&D. With the R&D side, I liaise with our Trust NIHR team and provide Pathology support for new and ongoing trials. On the education front, I support our individual laboratory training officers, liaise with local universities, schools and colleges (arranging placements and work experience opportunities, attending careers events), run internal CPD sessions. I’m also in charge of hunting down funding for courses and projects. As Healthcare Scientists we are not allocated any funding for training (even essential courses) or CPD from the Trust so a significant part of my role is trying to track down available funding from external sources, to allow us to keep our skills up to date and offer the best service to our patients.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
The variety, there is so much you can do as a Biomedical Scientist. No two days are ever the same.
What was your career path to the position you’re in now?
I started in Pathology working as a Medical Laboratory Assistant while I had a gap year after Sixth Form, deciding what to do with my life. Up until this point I’d always thought I wanted to be a doctor, but after spending time in Pathology I decided to embark on a degree in Biomedical Science at Liverpool John Moores University, after which I secured a job in the Microbiology department here at BTH and completed my training to become a Specialist Biomedical Scientist. After working here at BTH for 10 years, I then moved to the private sector and worked as a Microbiology Application Specialist, this role gave me the opportunity to spend time in different Pathology departments across the UK, Europe and the US, an amazing experience. I’ve been back in the NHS now for 18 months working closely with our next generation of Scientists, it’s a part-time role which gives amazing work-life balance allowing me to continue to do what I am passionate about but also juggle a toddler’s diary!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Setting up and delivering monthly tutorial sessions in Pathology to support pre-registration Trainee/ Apprentice Biomedical Scientists.
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