An enthusiastic team of young healthcare scientists hung up their lab coats at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) for a day in January 2019 and set off to visit Holte School in Lozells.

The trip was part of a series of annual events to promote careers in medical physics. Trainee Healthcare Scientist, William Newman, explained: “This visit was an outreach event promoting medical physics as a career and also healthcare careers in general. This is something we have done for a number of years and we try to visit a variety of schools across the city.”

The team met with around 60 pupils in total, all from years 11 – 13. The teenagers enjoyed a careers talk highlighting the range and type of scientific jobs available within the NHS. To then demonstrate how science, and medical physics in particular, is put to use, the pupils took part in a number of workshops demonstrating the principles of radiation protection, imaging and radiotherapy.

The workshops were all excitingly interactive and put to use a variety of scientific equipment from portable ultrasound scanners to nerf guns.

William said: “The Holte pupils, teaching staff and the QEHB team all seemed to enjoy the day. Pupils were interested and engaged and asked some very intelligent questions. It came as a pleasant surprise to hear most of them were already considering a health career, but few were aware of the work of Medical Physicists.”

William also acknowledged that the event could not have taken place if not for the support of the team’s managers, the school staff, the organising committee and volunteers who were all present on the day. He sent thanks too to the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) and the Society for Radiological Protection (SRP) for the loan of demonstration equipment.