Clinical engineer
Clinical engineers design, develop and maintain medical equipment used to diagnose illness and treat patients.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a clinical engineer, you could:
- develop artificial limbs, using advanced materials
- build and test medical aids, like heart valves, hearing implants and speech synthesizers
- design equipment to help doctors use new techniques, for example optical instruments for keyhole surgery
- manage medical equipment, such as scanners, imaging machines and monitoring systems
- carry out quality assurance checks to make sure equipment is working correctly and safely
- work closely with other medical professionals and technical staff
Working environment
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, in a laboratory or at a research facility.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a senior engineer, specialising in particular clinical areas, or move into:
- project management
- medical research and development
- university teaching
You could register for chartered engineer status (CEng), which recognises your experience and expertise. This could help when applying for jobs as a consultant clinical engineer.
You can also work in the private sector as a clinical engineer for commercial companies, that develop new medical devices and instruments.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- maths knowledge
- knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
- design skills and knowledge
- complex problem-solving skills
- knowledge of biology
- knowledge of physics
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- an NHS training programme for non-graduates
You can do a degree to start training as a clinical engineer.
Subjects include:
- biomedical engineering
- engineering
- pure or applied physics
- applied maths
- computer science
After your degree, you can apply for the postgraduate NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP). During the 3-year programme, you'll combine employment in the NHS with study for a postgraduate master's degree.
The programme covers several areas, including:
- clinical measurement
- rehabilitation engineering
- medical device risk management and governance
There is a lot of competition for places on the STP, so it helps to have relevant experience. You could do some voluntary work in a hospital to get experience of patient contact.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including a science, for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
You could apply to do a Healthcare Science Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
This takes a minimum of 3 years and is a mix of on-the-job training and study for a degree.
You could then apply to take further training with the NHS to become a clinical engineer.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
More Information
If you do not have a degree, you could apply for the NHS Practitioner Training Programme (PTP).
During the 3-year programme, you'll be employed in the NHS and study for an accredited university degree in healthcare science (clinical engineering).
To apply, you'll usually need:
- 5 GCSE grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English language, maths and a science subject
- a minimum of 2 A levels, including maths or a science
Equivalent qualifications to A levels in science or engineering may be acceptable, for instance an extended diploma in applied science.
You could also work as a clinical engineering technologist in the NHS and apply to join the PTP.
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council
Career tips
When looking to join an NHS training programme or an apprenticeship, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
Further information
You can find out more about becoming a clinical engineer from Health Careers and Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.