Ever had an x-ray? Seen a scan of a new baby in the family recently? You may be able to picture a nurse or radiographer who performed a scan; but what about some of the complex equipment that is needed to monitor and diagnose patients today - who designs it? Who tests it? How about the people who buy and sell this equipment to hospitals? Some of these people may have degrees in science and engineering subjects, but many more of them will use mathematics and science principles on a daily basis.

Some of us know a bit about genetics – we learn it in school. Today’s scientists are finding out more than ever, so that we can start to predict which diseases are more likely to affect us later in life – heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s to name just a few.  And it’s not just the science of genetics that is important, the development of new drugs and their use is just as crucial. This involves medical sales representatives, economists and marketing specialists, who sell the new drugs to hospitals and doctors, who decide how to improve the health of the nation and communicate the benefits of all this to you and me.

The jobs we have considered here all require the use of science and mathematics – some of these jobs will be carried out by people who have qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but some of them have used their interest in mathematics and science subjects at school combined with written and verbal communication skills to be just as involved in the area of health. Want to know more? Read on to find out more about jobs in health…

These sites will also help you dig deeper:

NHS Careers

Careers in the Pharameutical Industry

Cogent Careers 

Careers in Biomedical Science

Bioscience @Work