Job Responsibilities
Main responsibilities the checking of the specimens every
morning. From about 8.45am till about 10am the results from
specimens plated out the previous day are analysed. These may
include blod cultures, swabs from leukaemic patients, wound
swabs and urines. It is obviously very important to be accurate
at this point as lives can literally depend upon these results.
It is equally important to be accurate with the treatment of
these specimens when they come in also.
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Job Requirements
To become a bacteriologist requires a degree, preferably in
microbiology or similar degree, (mine was
microbiology/biochemistry combined honours degree). Once you've
started your job then get some tuition from senior
bacteriologist and also the consultant bacteriologist, (rarely!).
These are fitted in as the job requires and there is little
hurry for you to complete thisd training as you get paid more
once you are done. Workload is not huge and this is not a
difficult course to pass.
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Uppers
The best parts of the job are when you get a tricky specimen with an obscure
bacterium and you manage to solve it. The specimens that come in are varied and
this can make the job interesting.
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Downers
Plating out 100 urines that come in simpply because it is
hospital policy to test every patient's urine upon admission!
Also working on the faeces bench, (which was the way my hospital
did things, that one person, for a set period of time, was
responsible for doing all the faeces!) and sifting faeces as part
of a parasite test was not very stimulating.
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Lifestyle
This is a good steady position which is a very safe option.
Although there is very little chance of promotion there is good
job satisfaction. It can at time be tedious - but what job
can't! The future is very secure as people will keep getting
sick and with superbugs dominating the scene there will always
be the need for bacteriologists!
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Compensation
Ooops, should probably have mentioned the pension scheme here!
the pay was pretty appalling although if you did this job for a
pharmaceutical company instead of the NHS money is much better.
No bonuses and very few benefits except that a few taxi firms
and pubs will offer you discounts if you work at the hospital.
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Advice to Jobseekers
This is a good steady position which is a very safe option.
Although there is very little chance of promotion there is good
job satisfaction. It can at time be tedious - but what job
can't! The future is very secure as people will keep getting
sick and with superbugs dominating the scene there will always
be the need for bacteriologists!
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