By providing evidence of the theoretical knowledge that underpins the practice of immunocytochemistry, the IBMS Diploma of Expert Practice in Immunocytochemistry provides evidence of the practical competence required to perform the techniques.
The qualification will help you to undertake a role that involves the interpretation and evaluation of the use of antibodies and antibody techniques.
You will also be able to participate in the training of biomedical scientists wishing to take the qualification.
Fees
£386 for the course fees.
£27 for the training logbook.
Criteria
To apply for the immunocytochemistry course, you must be an HCPC registered IBMS member at Member or Fellow grade with experience in immunocytochemistry.
You must also have a single named consultant pathologist trainer who has overall responsibility for mentoring you and monitoring your progress, and be working in a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) registered laboratory that has IBMS laboratory post-registration training approval.
If you are unsure whether your laboratory has IBMS laboratory approval, please check with your laboratory manager or training officer.
Payment methods
Payment must be made via either of the following methods:
- Card payment - you will be contacted for your card details once we have received the application form
- Purchase order - you must provide the PO itself rather than just the PO number and this should accompany the application form.
Please note that a £50 administrative fee will be applied to any refund if you withdraw from the qualification at any time.
Application
Please submit to the IBMS Examinations Team a payment of £27 along with your completed training log book order form.
To apply, in the year in which you plan to submit your portfolio for assessment, you will need to submit to the IBMS Examinations Team a payment of £386 and your completed application form.
Deferrals, withdrawals and mitigating circumstances
If you wish to defer, withdraw or highlight any mitigating circumstances, please contact examinations@ibms.org.
As a professional vocational qualification, the IBMS Diploma of Expert Practice in Immunocytochemistry is assessed through completion of a training logbook and portfolio of evidence followed by a written examination.
Training logbook and portfolio
The training logbook and portfolio of evidence provide a record of your training. They must contain evidence of regular assessments of your competence in reporting the specimen types covered in this qualification by your named consultant pathologist supervisor.
You can submit your training logbook once your named consultant pathologist supervisor is satisfied that your training is complete.
Examination
The examination consists of two short-answer written papers.
For further information, please refer to the Immunocytochemistry guidance document.
Key Dates 2023 Series
Friday 30 June 2023: Qualification Application Deadline
Friday 28 July 2023: Deadline for those wishing to re-sit in 2023
Friday 28 July 2023: Portfolio Submission Deadline. Portfolios can be submitted from week commencing Friday 3 July 2023
Monday 20 November 2023: Written Examinations
Submitting your portfolio
You must submit your portfolio electronically, hard copies will not be accepted. Please scan your portfolio and training logbook and send via email to examinations@ibms.org to download the files. Due to the large file size of the portfolio we recommend that you send your documents using a file sharing system such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Docs or WeTransfer, then send the link to examinations@ibms.org.
Further information on how to submit your portfolio and evidence can be found in the Immunocytochemistry submission guidance.