APA News
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Reading moves to Birmingham
After a hiatus of several years the MChemA residential training course resumed at its new location at the University of Birmingham to compliment the online evening lectures currently being offered to MChemA candidates and other interested parties. A packed schedule was provided which offered lectures in topics such as DNA analysis and Food Law as well as practical lessons in microscopy.
Frazer Penman of Edinburgh Scientific Services was among the delegates. He remarked “Two highlights from the course for me were taking to the stand as an expert witness in a mock courtroom and the practical provided by the University of Birmingham staff in aseptic sampling. All the speakers and tutors did an excellent job in presenting or teaching their topic and were more than happy to answer any questions put to them. It was also great to spend time with my fellow MChemA students, Public Analysts and evening lecturers most of whom I’d only ever interacted with online.”
“The Reading Course” has played a part in the training of most Public Analysts working in the UK today. Public Analyst Duncan Campbell recalls his attendance in the early 1990s “ I was particularly mystified by the sessions on certificate writing as the whole concept of a formal certificate was completely novel to me. Mr Gardiner and Braxton Reynolds were my tutors and after a couple of years it all began to make sense. It was a privilege to return to the course many years later and help to de-mystify them to future Public Analysts. This part of the course is now being run as a separate event, with the first session taking place last autumn.
