Olivia, a Neurosensory Sciences graduate discusses her journey at Aston University
Clinical Science (Neurosensory Sciences) MScc graduate Olivia McNicholas discusses her journey discovering her interest in Epilepsey, her experience applying the theory learned at Aston into clinical practice, and her current role as a Clinical Applications Specialist at Seer Medical, a medical technology company providing long-term EEG-ECG equipment to monitor patients with Epilepsy.
Why Aston University and Neurosensory Sciences?
I leant about Epilepsy during my undergraduate degree and thought it was a really interesting area. After my undergraduate degree, I worked as a healthcare assistant and at this point, I knew I wanted to work directly with patients with Epilepsy in the field of Neurophysiology. I came across the Scientist Training Programme (STP) which is a combination of work-based learning and the part-time MSc at Aston University. I was really motivated by this blend of learning methods, knowing that I could apply the theory I would be learning at Aston directly into my day-to-day role. I was also really interested in the research modules that Aston offered and the opportunity to complete a project with experts in the area.
What did you enjoy most about the course?
I enjoyed meeting other like-minded people studying for a similar career in Clinical Science (Neurosensory Sciences) and other healthcare sciences, and also meeting and learning from lecturers who were already well-established in the field. I also really enjoyed the research modules and completing my final year project itself. I had amazing support from my supervisors and completed a project in a research area which was completely new to me. The long-term monitoring (EEG) modules were also really interesting as this is the area of Neurophysiology I am most interested in.
Extracurricular activities
As I was a part-time student and struck by the COVID pandemic mid-way through my studies, I did not regularly partake in extracurricular activities or clubs. I did however give pole fitness a go in my first year - that was really fun!
Placement
I completed my MSc part-time whilst being on a 3-year placement with University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. In my first year, I undertook rotations in various areas of the hospital to complement my theoretical learning, such as in the Audiology and ophthalmology departments. In my second and third years of the MSc, I specialised in neurophysiology. It was great applying the theory I had learnt at Aston into clinical practice and seeing how these different specialisms have many similarities but also plenty of differences.
What would you say to any student thinking of studying your course at Aston University?
Go for it! The course at Aston has opened up so many doors for me from clinical work in NHS hospitals to private commercial work with Seer Medical. I have continued to complete research projects from the skills and contacts I made as Aston which I would not have been able to do without this experience. As cringey as it sounds, I have also made friends for life from the people I met on the course.
Career advice for students
Healthcare science is a surprisingly small field; make friends during your degree programme but also keep in touch as you will probably end up crossing paths again throughout your career! Also, there is no harm in contacting a hospital which you are interested in working with even if they are not currently advertising. They will likely keep your details and get in touch if something comes up in the future - it's great to get your name out there!
What is your current role and what do? What do you enjoy most about your role?
I am currently a Clinical Applications Specialist at Seer Medical, a medical technology company that provides long-term EEG-ECG equipment to monitor patients with Epilepsy. In this role, I travel to hospitals all over the UK to promote the system and talk about how it puts the patient and the user at the forefront of the experience. I also connect patients for their monitoring and report on these long-term studies. What I enjoy most is meeting a whole range of people working in Neurophysiology and seeing how the different departments operate.