paxis said:
1. How much choice do Bioscience Officers get as to what field they get trained in or does it depend on the need of the Forces? I plan on specializing my BSc Honours in Microbiology and Immunology (changed from my last post) and would like to work with cells (which I guess means that I'm leaning towards health/occupational hygiene). I wouldn't be sent to do applied R&D on stuff like equipment would I?
Hard to say - while CF need plays a role, you obviously can't fill certain positions unless you have the right background. As a junior Bio (as in "Pre-PG"), you could very well find yourself involved in some sort of job you were not expecting. For example, I started off doing aerospace physiology, which I had no idea even existed before I joined (and loved every minute of it). Some positions you can "OJT" into with some coursework, some you need a certain check in the box like the PG. So, until such time as you start down either the Industrial Hygiene (IH) or Human Factors (HF) path, you leave yourself open.
Remember as well that the BSc is just your foot in the door. You say that you like working with cells, but the important thing to remember is that a Bio
is not a defence scientist. I completed my undergrad in biology and did lots of genetics - haven't done any of that since my commissioning. Can't really say that I miss it either, because I've been able to do what I consider to be much more interesting things.
2. Dirt Digger (or anyone else in the know), is the above information still accurate for place and duration of the MSc?
The IH PG is currently in Bethesda, although I've argued that it should also be offered at UofT (where I did mine). The HF PG was last offered in Monterey, although that might change to Bethesda as well. In the past, HF was also offered in Loughborough, UK. This one is almost impossible to predict for the future, as the trade is trying to maximize what we get out of the programs. Length of training hasn't changed.
3. I've been doing a bit of career exploration and it seems that in the civilian scientist field, there is a lot of emphasis on research and lab experience. Is any of this necessary/useful for entry as a Bioscience Officer? How much research does each specialization within the Bioscience trade do?
It really depends on what you mean by "research and lab experience". On the IH side, you don't really do hypothesis-based experimentation. As a short example, there's concern that chemical X may be an exposure issue for people in job Y. I would research the chemical and investigate the job, then make a sampling plan for routine exposures. My team would then go out, complete the sample plan and send the samples off to an accredited lab. Once the results came back, I would compare the results against accepted Canadian standards and determine if there was a problem. The basics are actually fairly similar to doing a patrol or a small party tasking, with people filling certain roles, using specialized equipment and meeting specific timings. HF falls along the same line, but it's the area I have the least amount of trade experience in and can't go into a lot of detail. HF also does a lot of project management.
Not really a lot of lab-coat style work done in the trade. Emphasis is more on the scientific method toward doing studies and scientific writing. I do very little true research outside of reading journal articles, although I have presented results from environmental sampling at conferences. Again -
not defence scientists!
4. What pay scale does Bioscience Officer fall under?
We're classed as Specialist Officers, but we're paid as General Service Officers. The real difference is that we bypass the rank of 2Lt and go straight from OCdt to Lt.
5. More of a fun question: upon entry, what element uniform do Bioscience Officers wear (since it is a purple trade)? I heard that Bioscience Officers wearing Naval uniforms get cherry red bands between the gold rank bands on their sleeves
The element seems to almost be a roll of the dice. The year I joined, all three of us ended up army, although one has since transfered over to the naval uniform. They try and keep the numbers balanced between the three, but this is one part of the joining process that's a true mystery. I think it involves several beers and a dart board.
What you've heard about the bands are true for the navy - the docs wear a difference shade than other medical trades.
I hear they do that a lot.
