Josephine Mensah is studying a T level in Science, at Cambridge Academy of Science and Technology.
Josephine is currently on an Industrial Placement 2 days per week for a few months within the Cytology department. In the role she is taught and supported by other staff members, including apprentices.
Josephine is from the second cohort of T level students that the department have had. The department find it really rewarding supporting and sharing their knowledge and skills with students.
We asked Josephine some questions:
Why did you choose to study a T Level Qualification at College, and why did you choose CUH NHS for your placement?
Doing a T-level course gives you an insight on how things work in the real world. With a T level there are many opportunities to help you gain more practical knowledge of the workplace instead of just learning theory… you get to know how it is applied in life. CUH does an amazing job, helping patients each and every day, and as someone who is always happy helping people I have always wanted to work with CUH to have a positive impact on people’s life.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
My day starts by checking on the board to find out which tasks I am due to do, which might be either on staining or writing macros for samples. When that is sorted I get to the laboratory put on lab coat and gloves, prepare for disinfecting, cleaning and stocking up everything ready to start.
If I am on staining I have to check if the control slides are ok by sending it through to the office, if it is ok then I load in the samples which are ready for pap staining in the Gemini staining machine. I then do some wiping down and wait for it to come out after 20 mins, then cover-slip it and circle where the sample is with a marker and match them with the right patient detail. When a sample called a QD comes in I do a manual staining by dipping the slides in agents for 15 seconds and air-dry it, then take it to the office to check it if its ok, then cover-slip it and match it up with the others.
With the macros the sample is passed down to you after booking in, then I do a microscopic description for the samples using their colour and the quantity and the preparations it needs and write slides for it. There is a lot that goes on within a day and things can happen unexpectedly but in all it ends up a successful day.
Would you recommend T Levels to other students?
Studying a T- level is a great course, which gives you hands-on experience of how things work in a real job. I will encourage anyone who wants to do this course and take it seriously. It gives you many advantages in getting an apprenticeship (or other job) next since you already have the skills from the work placement. The experience also helps to enhance your personal statement”
Gaining experience in this work placement has helped me develop skills to balance time and use it effectively. Time managing effectively is one of the most important skills an individual needs; doing work tasks at scheduled times and learning how to plan ahead is really useful for the future.