Question: What do you need to study to be a clinical engineer.

Simon Marchant answered on 16 Jun 2015:

Good question. There’s a short and a long answer. The short one is: You need to study for an engineering or physics degree. The long answer is below.

There are two main routes: the first is that you can become a rehabilitation engineer by doing the Practitioner Training Programme, which involves doing a degree with work experience in hospitals – then if you want to, you can apply for a promotion to the more senior clinical engineer, and for that you spend another three years as a trainee on the Scientist Training Programme.

The second route is that you can study any engineering degree (or physics, but most people study engineering) at university, and apply directly to the Scientist Training Programme. This application is very competitive, so it’s a good idea to find out lots about the job first. This is how I got in!

That only explains what you do at university, but in order to get there you need to study certain things at college. Rehabilitation engineering degrees need 2 science/maths A-levels, or I think will accept BTECs. Engineering degrees normally need a maths A-level and one or two science A-levels. Each university does it differently, though.

If you want more information on becoming a clinical engineer, a great place to go is the NHS Jobs website: I’ve put a link to the right part below. Hope this helps!

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/healthcare-science/careers-in-healthcare-science/careers-in-clinical-engineering-and-medical-physics/