RSC News - pp7-14 - Royal Society of Chemistry

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MAXIMISING ME Working towards Chartered Chemist status ACHIEVING CHARTERED status in any profession denotes to the wider community a high level of specialised subject knowledge and professional competence. Chartered Chemist (CChem) is awarded by the RSC, so if you are an experienced, practising chemist who has an in-depth knowledge of your subject you may be eligible to apply. If you can demonstrate significant personal achievements based upon chemistry, professionalism in the workplace and a commitment to maintaining technical expertise through continuing professional development (CPD), read on. To become a Chartered Chemist you are required to: ● be MRSC or FRSC; ● hold an RSC accredited degree or equivalent; ● demonstrate that the chemical knowledge Professionally speaking ANTHONY CRAWSHAW MRSC is a 29-year-old analytical chemist who has an HND in Science (Chemistry) and a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from Sheffield Hallam University (an RSC accredited degree). After temping in various QC labs Anthony joined Quintiles in April 1999 as an analyst in the Pharmaceutical Analysis Lab and is now a laboratory supervisor. Here, Anthony explains how working towards CChem is helping his career progression. WHAT ARE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES? I am responsible for the day-to-day running of several projects. This includes organising the workload for three analysts within my team, as well as checking any work performed, preparing reports and protocols. I am also responsible for organising any personal development or technical training needs for my team. and skills derived from your education and training are critical to fulfiling the requirements of your job; ● demonstrate the development of 12 professional attributes. The Professional Development Programme (PDP) is the normal route to CChem and is part of the RSC’s CPD framework. The PDP is undertaken in employment and is for a minimum period of two years, with guidance usually provided through your line manager or an experienced colleague, who acts as a mentor . The PDP relates primarily to your achievements, approach and attitude towards work and work-related matters. On behalf of the RSC, the mentor supports you and ensures that the activities pursued are in accordance with high level professional WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE CAREER PLANS AND WHAT ADDITIONAL SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE THEM? Although I still feel that I am not fully rounded with regards to several analytical techniques, I would ultimately like to move upwards into a more managerial role. I now need to develop further my personal skills through expanding my technical knowledge and keeping up to date with the industry. I also need to develop my communication, organisational and multi-tasking skills. Other areas I want to focus on are developing my oral and written presentation skills and time management. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS? Quintiles offers a very rigorous training and development programme, specifically tailored to my level within the department. Working towards CChem gives me an advantage as the assessment encourages me to be pro-active in developing these skills in addition to following the company’s own training programme. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CCHEM TO YOU AND YOUR COMPANY? More and more, industry is placing a greater emphasis on personal development and working towards CChem has made me re-focus on my career and get back to practice that can ultimately be recognised by the award of CChem. Alternatively, if you have more than 10 years of appropriate postgraduate experience, CChem can be achieved via a Direct Award. This works in a similar way to the PDP but you are able to relate your application retrospectively to your experience. ● If you are interested in working towards CChem, find out more by contacting David Barr at Thomas Graham House (address on page 16), call 01223 432258 or email barrd@rsc.org. Full details are also available at www.rsc.org/members/cchem.htm The RSC’s CPD framework is available to all members. For a copy of the framework go to www.rsc.org/members/cpd/index.htm or email cpd@rsc.org the basics of chemistry. The Professional Development Programme (PDP) has encouraged me to work with people outside my own department, providing great networking opportunities. It has also given me an incentive to try and broaden my scope within our business and find new business opportunities/ services that may be of interest to our clients. I feel that the RSC’s PDP is well structured and extremely effective. I meet once a month with my mentor to discuss my progress and any new ideas. I feel that any member who is eligible but not currently working towards CChem should seriously consider it. It may seem like a lot of additional work, but in reality, if it is well planned and maintained, the PDP almost runs itself. At the end of the two years you will not only be highly regarded within your own company but also to any prospective employer. ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH ANY OTHER RSC ACTIVITIES? As the RSC Younger Member Rep for Edinburgh and South East Scotland, I am the first point of contact for members under 35 in the local area. I also attend local section meetings and organise events for younger members. I am also the RSC Rep for Quintiles. 12 RSC NEWS WWW.RSC.ORG
MBERSHIP Wanted: an enthusiastic young science writer THE RSC IS OFFERING student members a his experience confirmed his ambition to follow work placement opportunity on its new a career in science publishing. “I learned how to monthly magazine, Chemistry World. write numerous different types of articles, from The ideal candidate will be a young, industrial news items to full-length features, and enthusiastic student member of the RSC who the whole experience simply reaffirmed my wish is approaching the end of a degree or to be a science writer in the future,” he says. postgraduate course. The person selected will spend eight weeks with the RSC’s news team ● If you would like to be considered for the in Cambridge. The fellowship is supported by 2004 placement, send us your CV, together a bursary of £1,600 – generously provided by with a letter explaining why you feel you The Marriott Bequest Trust. would benefit from the experience and The aim of the Marriott student scheme is enclosing any samples of your written not necessarily to turn scientists into work (if you don’t have any examples then journalists, but to give them the chance to compose your own Chemical Science-style sample some of the opportunities available in piece) to: Editor, Chemistry World, Thomas publishing. The RSC is keen that as many Graham House (address on page 16). chemical scientists as possible are familiar Closing date for applications is 14 March with communication techniques and that the 2004. Please provide both home and profession is well-represented in the media. term-time contact addresses and Michael Nagle, 2002’s Marriott student, says telephone numbers. RI offers ‘science graduate of the year’ award L’OREAL AND the Royal Institution (RI) are To apply, candidates should submit a onepage summary of their research, indicating the inviting applications for The Science Graduate of the Year Award from students working in way in which it meets the criteria, together the life sciences, physical sciences, chemistry, with a CV and a report from their supervisor. plant sciences and medicine. There is no application form to complete. Now in its fifth year, the award is open to ● Send applications, quoting reference young researchers in British and Irish universities SG04/02, to: Head of Programmes, The who have not yet submitted their doctoral Royal Institution,21 Albemarle Street, thesis. The award recognises high quality London W1S 4BS or by email to research which shows originality and innovation. obrown@ri.ac.uk The winner will receive £6,000, media training ● For further information visit and life membership of the RI. All candidates www.rigb.org/events/awards.html selected for interview will be given special Applications to arrive no later than recognition, media training and a £200 prize. Friday 5 March 2004. Careers day proves useful for students SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT chemical involved with your university chemical society has given undergraduate and society, why not get in touch with local postgraduate students the chance to find or national companies and hold your out about potential employers and how own event? membership of the RSC can help with The RSC can help student chemical career development. societies by providing funds and lecture At a recent careers day, students heard a grants for such events, which can help attract number of presentations from representatives other sponsors. Sponsorship will help finance of Unilever, Pfizer, Celltech, GSK and the RSC, an event and provide the kind of profile who highlighted what companies look for in needed to attract students. new graduates. Careers days are a great way to find out ● For more information on funding go to more about specific careers. If you are www.rsc.org/getinvolved Younger members and Local Section join forces THE MID-ANGLIA Younger Members Network joined forces with the Mid-Anglia Local Section in December to hold the 2003 RSC Medicinal and Organic Chemistry Postgraduate Symposium. The symposium attracted delegates from as far afield as Cardiff and St Andrews, and showcased the innovative research of six postgraduate speakers and 40 poster delegates. Professor Chris Moody of Exeter University gave the keynote lecture on Heterocycles and Peptides. RSC members won all the prizes, with the poster prize being jointly awarded to Karen Johnston (Herriot Watt University) and Charles Papageorgiou (Cambridge University) who said: “The level of chemistry at the conference was extremely high and I feel privileged to have won this award. It was also very exciting and stimulating to share my chemistry with my fellow students and pick up some useful suggestions.” Charlotte Haskins (Cardiff University) – pictured above – received the presentation prize for her talk on ‘Applications of 5-endo-Trig Cyclisations to Target Syntheses’. Charlotte was grateful for the chance to talk about her project and said: “I was delighted to win the award; the whole day was fantastic – great talks and some really interesting posters. I think symposia like this are really important – it’s very rare for students to get the opportunity to speak about their work.” The day concluded with a mixer meeting which provided an excellent informal networking opportunity for both students and sponsors. This symposium was sponsored by the RSC, OSI Pharmaceuticals, GSK, AstraZeneca, Organon, Astex Technology, Pfizer and Lilly. WWW.RSC.ORG RSC NEWS 13
Page 1 and 2: FEBRUARY 2004 Outreach brings educa
Page 3 and 4: RSC rewards exam success EACH YEAR
Page 5 and 6: EU proposal on chemicals puts the o
Page 7 and 8: DIARY Your guide to RSC events in t
Page 9 and 10: Your guide to RSC events in the com
Page 11: EVENTS Key speakers lined up for el
Page 15 and 16: RSC awards research fund grants THE

RSC News - pp7-14 - Royal Society of Chemistry

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