Rachael Andrews

"The developer and explorer personality types describe me fairly accurately – I am an inquisitive problem solver! This is no great surprise as the role of an engineer is to explore what is needed and develop products or processes to solve problems. I was surprised to see that I match with the coordinator personality type as I don’t feel that my personality fits the description, but I do manage projects and this requires me to coordinate all of the individuals, teams and organisations working on a project."

"My core role is developing novel medical devices to solve unmet clinical needs, ultimately to benefit patients. Coming up with a design for a new medical device is a small part of the work required to introduce that new device into clinical practice – prototypes must be manufactured and tested, risks must be carefully assessed and reduced, clinical trials must be set up, and regulators must be satisfied that the new medical device is safe and effective before that device can be used on patients. It’s a long process, but the reward of seeing patients benefitting from devices we have developed makes our hard work worthwhile. My favourite parts of my job are learning about different areas of healthcare and bouncing around ideas for solutions with my colleagues."

"I was inspired to study engineering by my father – an engineer – who told me engineers save more lives than doctors. This sounds surprising, until you consider the engineering required to provide us with clean drinking water, grow and transport a wide variety of foods year-round, and build safe accommodation, to give a few examples. I had always enjoyed helping my dad with various DIY projects, and I wanted to apply my maths and physics skills to solve real world problems, so engineering seemed the perfect choice. I successfully applied for an Inspire scholarship, which supported my studies financially whilst also providing valuable work experience in the form of summer placements at an engineering consultancy. I was equally interested in healthcare and renewable energy, but I quickly learned that electrical engineering wasn’t my strength, so I opted for the bioengineering module and chose a dissertation project in that field. I really enjoyed working at the interface of engineering and biology in my dissertation, so I explored career options and discovered the fascinating field of healthcare science. I read everything I could about engineering careers in the NHS, as well as the latest news about breakthroughs in bioengineering, and I attended open days at hospitals offering places on the Scientist Training Programme in Clinical Engineering. My enthusiasm earned me a training post at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, and I haven’t looked back – I stayed on after my training and tried a few different clinical engineering roles, ultimately choosing to work in the Clinical Engineering Innovation team."

"I was a keen musician growing up, and Cambridge offers plenty of opportunities to play in a range of ensembles at a high standard. However, my healthcare science training involved placements across the country, so I wasn’t always able to commit to regular rehearsals. I took up a new hobby – latin and ballroom dancing – and have since persuaded my partner to join me (with a little help from Strictly!). I also try to keep active by cycling, walking, running and doing yoga. I follow the Effective Altruism movement, which explores how each of us can maximise our positive impact on the world – I have met some fascinating people through this. "

"Like many professionals, I spend most of time at a computer. In a typical day, I attend videoconference meetings for several projects, review technical documents, and send and receive lots of emails. Meetings range from exploratory discussions with clinicians to analysis of prototype test results and discussion of applicable regulatory pathways with colleagues from across the hospital. My favourite parts of my job are learning about different areas of healthcare and bouncing wacky design ideas off my colleagues."

"A levels in Maths, Physics & Music. AS levels (half A levels) in Further Maths & ChemistryUndergraduate degree (MEng) in Mechanical Engineering Masters degree (MSc) in Clinical Science (Clinical Engineering) as part of the NHS Scientist Training Programme"