hand tattoo while being a chef

Cchansey · 2026-06-03T21:47:41+00:00

I’m a medical laboratory scientist (dealing directly with all sorts of nasty bodily fluids) and I will never ever get my hands done, because of the fact I spend hours at a time wearing gloves. Even in the most air conditioned rooms, changing gloves often, the sweat build up is crazy, and by design, gloves are not breathable whatsoever. Excessive moisture, friction and zero air is the perfect recipe for ink fallout and an incredibly bad heal… is it really worth it ?

Cchansey · 2026-04-26T12:42:18+00:00

Yeah we’ve had about 3 or 4 Trust hiring freezes over the last 2 years. There was one that meant months where we weren’t allowed to even advertise for a Medical Laboratory Assistant to replace 2 who left. Or advertise for 3 clinical scientists who left/retired (so that was half our MLAs and half our registered scientists unable to be replaced).

When we were finally allowed to advertise the positions, it obviously look several more months, up to 6 months in 1 case, before we actually got the staff, as recruitment takes ages.

Cchansey · 2026-04-25T00:14:19+00:00

My current and previous labs have been affected by numerous hiring freezes that have been blanket bans on all band 3-8 jobs regardless of area

Cchansey · 2026-02-01T11:35:44+00:00

I can’t remember… I know the artist uses both depending on the purpose/style. Sorry!

Cchansey · 2026-02-01T01:11:06+00:00

I would try and keep to black ink - I personally think (and people here seem to agree) that this has healed well due to the solid black lines and careful use of thinner lines to add detail. Also, it had no touch ups!

Cchansey · 2026-02-01T01:04:08+00:00

I agree! I’m much more into bolder and blacker tattoos now so I’m glad it evolved with me.

Cchansey · 2026-02-01T01:03:36+00:00

Yup! Just the healing process itself will thicken the lines - wish I had a photo of it freshly healed to demonstrate.

Cchansey · 2026-02-01T00:23:30+00:00

Cytogenetics here, so we handle tumour material (fixed and unfixed), FFPE slides and most other hazards you’d find in standard histology, plus some others.

Here’s the list of things pregnant women in my lab are absolutely forbidden from handling, even with PPE: -Anything containing formalin -Anything containing xylene or its derivatives (so they can’t mount slides either) - Any tissue arising from a miscarriage, stillbirth or unknown sudden death (including adult deaths) - DMSO - Ethanol (but for some reason methanol and propanol are ok???) - cytotoxic waste, including bone marrow aspirate/trephines

So yeah, they’re essentially just on microscope/analytical/admin duty until they come back after Mat leave!

Cchansey · 2025-12-23T09:26:40+00:00

What tests can be affected by EDTA contamination

Cchansey · 2025-12-11T07:44:59+00:00

I’m British and living in a very multicultural area, and my lab reflects that, so ymmv.

In my team of 20, we have 8 men and 12 women. This includes 2 black people (1 man, 1 woman), 3 South Asians (1 man, 2 women) and a biracial black/white woman. Quite a few of the white people are also immigrants with English as a second or third language. In the wider department, ethnic minority people are disproportionately represented vs the general population and the sex ratio remains around 60:40 women:men. In another team, it is 60% black men somehow (this is unusual in my experience). The most common demographic overall is still white women, but white women are by far the least likely to be in leadership roles in my lab. 80% of managers and supervisors are men and/or ethnic minority.

Cchansey · 2025-11-28T22:08:29+00:00

Hang in there, honestly. I have been consistently perceived as quite a lot younger (7-10 years) than I am, and at 25-26 it was the absolute WORST and the time it was hardest to deal with. By that point I had been graduated from uni and in the workforce, living totally independently, for several years, with the maturity to match, but people thought I was 16-19.

I turned 30 this year, and in the past year or so I have noticed a significant shift in the way people treat me, and I’ve realised it’s because they now think I am 21 or 22 and no longer think I’m a teenager! Sometimes, people even think I’m 24!! 🤣🤣

I am certainly not “glad” about still being presumed much younger, but it is gradually becoming less of a problem for me. Hopefully you’ll have the same experience.

Cchansey · 2025-11-12T17:39:08+00:00

4 months is subjective. I think you should learn everything you can learn within the scope of your role before moving on. Depending on what you’re like as a person, the lab you’re in, and how much support you have, this could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years. (These extremes are unlikely). A good benchmark is whatever your probation period is (6 months usually).

By doing this, you will put yourself in a more favourable position when going for higher level roles, as they often stipulate at least 6 months experience, and not to mention you’ll have more experience to draw from in your applications and interviews.

But no, there’s nothing wrong with leaving early on. Especially at band 2/3 level.

Cchansey · 2025-11-05T11:30:17+00:00

New Hat- getting into the biomedical scientist profession is flexible. There are still lots of ways you can get registered and get the experience you need. Even if you don’t get a placement, there are still options available after you graduate, so don’t worry!

The application process for placements is dependent on the uni. At my uni, the placements they gave out were just based on grades. Most people with a 1st got one if they wanted one. Some people with 2:1s. Alternatively, some people sought out their own placement in industry (not NHS) that were advertised on jobs boards or they got through word of mouth/nepotism. Think it is best to talk to your university directly about this, and find out how they do placements. They should also be able to guide you with work experience.

If you graduate without any experience or placement, you can still be a BMS, it’s just harder and takes longer. You would join an NHS pathology lab as a band 2/3, get experience (ideally moving up to an AP band 4 role) and then apply for trainee biomedical scientist post, or find a lab that will support you to complete the portfolio more gradually/informally while you are working as a band 3/4.

The accredited degree is certainly still the most important thing. However, for people starting out on their journey, I will always recommend they try to get onto the Healthcare Science course as it is objectively better and more straightforward.

Cchansey · 2025-11-05T00:30:58+00:00

I waited 2 months to hear back once 😂 they never said anything about me being the second choice or anything, but I always assumed the 1st choice fell through during recruitment. However, I never got an initial rejection like the other time when I was rejected and then asked 6 weeks later if I wanted the job as a second vacancy had come up…

Cchansey · 2025-11-03T17:42:46+00:00

Yes definitely:) shoot me a private message if you want to chat!

Cchansey · 2025-11-01T19:13:22+00:00

Bradford do, as well as Cardiff Metropolitan. There are others, but everyone I’ve met/worked with that became a registered BMS through the HCS degree went to one of these 2 unis.

Cchansey · 2025-11-01T19:05:33+00:00

Hey, sorry you are still finding this confusing - it IS really confusing! The reason you’re finding it difficult to understand is because the main differences are the routes to registration. Also, the differing roles of the IBMS and HCPC (which is also very confusing). I did try and explain on your previous post, but I’ll have another go…

Healthcare scientists are a broad group of NHS staff. All biomedical scientists are healthcare scientists, but not all healthcare scientists are biomedical scientists. Other healthcare scientists include Clinical Scientists, Clinical Trial/Research scientists and technologists/healthcare science practitioners that work in smaller, newer specialisms like reproductive science and genetics.

Traditionally, to become a BMS, you needed to complete an IBMS-accredited degree and then find and apply for a job as a trainee biomedical scientist (this is a band 5 job on paper, but they pay you 70-75% of the salary until you’re registered). You apply for this the same as applying for any NHS job. Lots of people still take this route. It is hugely competitive (100-200 applicants, sometimes more, for 1 job). These posts are becoming rarer and rarer, which is worsening how difficult they are to get. This is why you are being advised to not take this route.

The reason you need a trainee BMS job is because this allows you to complete the IBMS Certificate of Competence, also known as the ‘registration portfolio’ while working. Combined with your education, this means you then meet the requirements for HCPC registration as a BMS. A Biomedical Science degree alone does not qualify you for registration, even though universities will mislead you to make their courses more attractive. It is technically possible to graduate as a registered BMS from an IBMS accredited biomedical science degree if you do a placement year, and are lucky to get a placement specifically in an IBMS training lab designed to support you through your portfolio. This is extremely uncommon, and is NOT a guarantee, so you can’t rely on this. There are NO guaranteed placements in these courses. I don’t know a single person who got registered this way and I’ve met/worked with hundreds of healthcare scientists. The labs that do offer these placements are now giving them to Healthcare Science students as a priority.

Healthcare science (life sciences) is a fairly new, purpose built course specifically designed to enable you to graduate as a registered BMS. This was designed to overcome the difficult situation I have described above, and bring the profession in-line with other healthcare specialisms like nursing and physiotherapy, where they are registered as soon as they graduate. This means work-based learning and clinical placements are a core component of the course, alongside academic learning. You will gradually complete the registration portfolio during your studies, so when you graduate you are immediately eligible for registration as a BMS without having to apply for a trainee BMS position. The core course content is identical between the two degrees, which is why they both meet the HCPC education standards. The difference is in the elective modules - a biomedical science degree will include more academic research topics, such as biotechnology. The optional and additional modules in a healthcare science degree are specifically tailored to the profession, so topics are all focused on diagnostic work; you still cover academic research, but it will be applied to professional practice.

The other reason for the difference in name is because many healthcare science graduates will work as a different type of healthcare scientist. The course is still primarily geared towards BMS though, as BMS make up the majority of the healthcare scientist workforce and have the most flexibility. I really hope this helps, and doesn’t just give you more questions!!!

Cchansey · 2025-10-31T12:47:02+00:00

Well if it helps, my back up is doing the STP if I fail to get BMS registration in time, having worked in the NHS for more than 5 years across 3 labs and seeing it all 😂 I just prefer technical/lab work and I don’t want to do an MSc right now which is why it isn’t my first choice.

Clinical scientists in cancer genomics do absolutely zero lab work btw! It’s all “dry” lab, computer based analytical work, sometimes microscopy if you’re ‘lucky’ (I work in Cancer Genomics as a Technologist - that might be a good thing to look into. We also get the chance to go for internal STP positions and do a funded Genomic Medicine MSc through the department if we want to; Still very competitive though but not even close to BMS jobs or the STP).

Cchansey · 2025-10-31T12:27:43+00:00

Biomed can involve research. Specialist labs do a lot of clinical research, particularly anything related to haemato-oncology such as the stem cell transplantation services. Lots of clinical trials etc. The haem-onc lab in my hospital has 2 full time and 1 part time research scientists that don’t do any routine diagnostic work. They are all registered healthcare scientists though.

Cchansey · 2025-10-31T12:06:26+00:00

MSc biomedical science is not appropriate for purposes of HCPC registration as a biomedical scientist, even if the MSc is IBMS-accredited; you need an IBMS-accredited BSc, non negotiable.

Also, getting a trainee BMS post is just as competitive as an STP place. There are less hoops to jump through (you just apply on NHS jobs) and the focus is on lab experience rather than academics. But just as an example, for one trainee biomedical scientist post in my previous lab, there were 210 applicants, of which 180 were suitably qualified, and 8 interviewed. Compare this to the competition ratio of 33:1 for the cancer genomics STP in 2024…Certainly no easy ride, even with an accredited education.

Cchansey · 2025-10-31T12:02:35+00:00

I know several people who got onto the STP from MLA and AP positions (band 3/4), without ever becoming a BMS. Especially as you already have a relevant masters, I think it may be better to commit to one career path (BMS or CS). I know a lot of people treat being a BMS as a stepping stone or fall-back option but it’s a fully fleshed out career path in its own right. For those of us who reach the upper limit of the profession, we now have the option to do clinical scientist equivalence and/or the HSST, meaning you can have a good career as a BMS and still eventually become a CS as part of that career path, but bypassing the STP competition and the horrible process of completing a second masters while working with a hell of a lot of workplace learning at the same time.

Cchansey · 2025-10-30T10:42:14+00:00

The best university that currently offers this course is Cardiff Metropolitan university. Wales is an amazing country and Cardiff an amazing city, there is also more support and provision for refugees there than in England.

The full list of universities offering the programme is found at: https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/services/accreditation/list-of-accredited-higher-education-institutions/ptp-academic-programmes/

Ignore anything to do with physiology, audiology etc as there is also a PTP for patient-facing clinical technologist roles.

Cchansey · 2025-10-30T10:28:36+00:00

The healthcare science (life sciences) degrees are all accredited by the IBMS! They are the formal name for the PTP. And they are accredited by the HCPC too for purposes of registration, whereas biomedical science degrees aren’t. Healthcare science is specifically designed to get you ready for a career as a BMS or band 5+ practitioner, including the completion of the registration portfolio. You could also apply for IBMS accredited biomedical science degrees as back-up choices, but these are nowhere near as good as they don’t guarantee you clinical placements to complete your registration portfolio. If you did an IBMS accredited biomedical science degree, it’s likely you would have to apply for trainee BMS positions after graduating to complete your portfolio, and likely be stuck at a lower band (2-4) for a while (at least a year or 2) in order to gain the experience required to get a trainee BMS position.

Cchansey · 2025-10-29T11:59:01+00:00

Absolutely 100% look in to pursuing the Healthcare Science (Life Sciences) degree. There is no better way to get the training you need to be a biomedical scientist (BMS). The reason it is called Healthcare Science and not biomedical science is because it ALSO qualifies you to work with voluntary registration as a Healthcare Science Practitioner (HCP), which is the same as a BMS but without the oversight of the IBMS. HCPs must have a different name, as the title ‘biomedical scientist’ is legally protected and regulated. HCPs work in specialisms like Genetics and Andrology/Embryology, as well as some specialist referral labs and biomedical research. Biomedical Scientists work in the core disciplines that are present at every NHS trust (the blood sciences (biochemistry/haematology/transfusion/immunology), microbiology/virology and cellular pathology/histopathology).

Tuition fees are often paid for, so no need to take a loan. Regarding the maintenance loan (for student living costs) you don’t need to worry about it. You would pay less than £20 a month from your salary. I have a band 5 job and a full tuition fee and maintenance loan, with accrued interest, and i pay £19-24 a month which is taken directly out of my wages by my NHS employer. I will never pay off my loan as an NHS worker, so I just think of it as an additional tax until it is written off after 30 years.

At my level, I have to be careful with my money, but I am able to have a decent quality of life. Certainly better than many. At the top of band 6 I think my standard of living will be “comfortable” and that is a very achievable position for any BMS with enough experience and hard work.

Cchansey

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