Five Biomedical Science BSc (Hons) students from the University of Abertay Dundee have received commendations from Roche Diagnostics following their third-year work placements.
The students spent their 18-week placements working in local hospitals, training in state-of-the-art laboratory diagnostic skills and producing Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) portfolios as part of their training to become professional biomedical scientists.
At the end of these placements, the portfolios are reviewed and Roche Diagnostics award the student with the best portfolio a £100 cash prize and an engraved glass paperweight. This year however, the review panel felt that the standard was so high, that they decided in addition to the main prize winner, a further four students should be given a Certificate of Commendation in recognition of their extremely high standard of work.
Steven Swanson was the overall prize winner while Danielle Iwanio, Danielle Mooney, Aftab Amin and Billy Smith received certificates of commendation.
Gayl Wall, Placement Manager at Abertay, said: “The placements provide an invaluable opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience of many aspects of the biomedical sciences and healthcare sectors. Our students benefit greatly from the support and expertise of the biomedical scientists and other NHS staff based in the placement laboratories of Ninewells Hospital, Perth Royal Infirmary and Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.
“They are able to hone their academic skills in real working environments. This puts them ahead of the crowd when it comes to applying for employment in what is a very competitive sector.
“Roche Diagnostics have been an excellent supporter of our placement programme.”
Abertay students taking other subjects, such as food science and engineering, also benefit from work placements in a variety of sectors.
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Pictured left to right: Gayl Wall (Placement Manager), Danielle Mooney, Billy Smith, Danielle Iwanio, Aftab Amin, Steven Swanson, Kevin Smith (Programme Tutor Biomedical Sciences).