Equipped for the working world
WHEN Gabrielle Jackson spent a summer holiday doing work experience at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed Malaysia), it brought her biomedical science degree to life in a way she had not expected.
Never did she imagine that just two years later, it would also help kick-start her dream career with one of the largest and most innovative medical companies in the world.
As a 20-year-old undergraduate, Jackson travelled across the world to spend a month assisting with the set-up of cutting-edge laboratories and the trialling of new equipment before NUMed’s biomedical science degree programme was launched in 2013.
Now, Jackson has completed her degree and is working behind a desk for the first time.
She attributes her success in landing a position at Johnson & Johnson to the easy access she had to industry-leading professors, laboratories and facilities while at the University of Newcastle.
“My time at NUMed was a unique opportunity to see how the university’s biomedical science undergraduates are trained and the wealth of resources that they have access to.
“The hands-on experience of the preparation and support within medical and hospital environments also played a crucial role in shaping my ideas for my future career. Besides confirming my passion for the industry, it also inspired me to pursue the career that I have today,” she says.
Jackson developed a curiosity for the pathophysiology of diseases, which first piqued her interest in pursuing a biomedical science degree.
She also found it interesting to be able to combine her interest in the theory of human sciences with a profession that offered her exciting opportunities in an innovative industry.
Jackson’s experience in NUMed gave her skills that demonstrated her broad educational understanding and knowledge of how to apply what she had learnt at university in a real-life environment.
She came to appreciate the true value of work experience and strongly encourages others to pursue internships or similar opportunities during their time at university.
Jackson is currently a medical sales representative for Johnson & Johnson and has been in the role for almost a year. Her responsibilities include administering a set of hospital accounts and securing sales of gynaecology products in operating theatres and out-patients departments.
“At NUMed, I learnt the importance of having high-quality medical equipment and how it can have an impact on the performance or standard of a procedure. I also learnt the commercial aspects of medicine such as how to manage the purchase of equipment while operating within a budget. This has helped me in managing, supporting and doing business with clients,” says Jackson.
Many career options are available for biomedical science graduates. Biomedical science degrees are highly valued in the medical industry as graduates gain an understanding of the functions of the human body as well as the scientific, experimental and critical skills valued in many industries.
Graduates have excellent career paths ahead of them, including roles in clinical research, medicine and dentistry, financial sector, industrial science and a vast array of commercial roles.
“Being a biomedical science graduate, I would have looked at other roles in the medical field if I had not come to work at Johnson & Johnson. Personally, I think I would have explored the option of becoming a medical journalist,” says Jackson.
About the university
Newcastle University, UK, has established an international branch campus in Johor, Malaysia, to provide its undergraduate degrees in medicine and biomedical science as well as opportunities for postgraduate study.
The programmes are equivalent to those of Newcastle’s UK-based provision and lead to the award of the same degrees.
By choosing to study at NUMed Malaysia, students will obtain a reputable UK qualification from an internationally recognised university at a cost significantly less than that of studying in the UK.
For more information, visit www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/