INDUSTRY FOCUS
Industry Focus:
Healthcare
MONICA COTTEE (CLASS OF 2000) CT Clinical Specialist, GE Health Care, ANZ Fondest memory of your time at Ave? The friends I made at Ave. I am lucky to say I am still very close to many of my high school friends. We met in the classrooms but are still friends twenty plus years later. We still laugh with each other at “in” jokes we made in our teens and send each other pictures from our school days. Favourite subject or favourite teacher? I absolutely loved Textiles class and was often told off by my teachers for sewing too fast. They were worried I would catch my finger on a needle! Proud to say that never happened.
The last two years of life in a global pandemic have undoubtedly changed many aspects of our lives. This is something Healthcare workers can certainly attest to, as they experience the effects on the front line and work to keep our communities safe. We have reached out to a few of our Alumnae working in the field across various roles to share their stories.
Mr Dunlop’s Maths and Physics classes were also favourites of mine. I remember laughing a lot in his classes even with such humourless topics. He made learning fun for me.
option would be to work in product development. This would mean I could positively influence and guide the direction of CT scanner improvements for the benefit of patients globally.
What inspired/drew you towards your current career?
Another direction may be in the clinical environment; heading up a CT department within a hospital where I can assist patients, train new radiographers, and work closely with the management team of a radiology department.
When it came time to start selecting courses, I started exploring a variety of science and medical professions. That’s when I discovered Medical Radiations and my future path into Radiography. This job combined my interest in science and working with people with many options for specialisation. How have you found working in healthcare during a pandemic? As CT Clinical Specialist, I no longer actively work with patients, as I am teaching and generating clinical cases for education, sales & marketing. However, during hospital visits I have seen how much extra work and stress the pandemic has placed on my radiographer colleagues. They have had to modify how the work and wear PPE to protect themselves, patients and families. What are your future aspirations in your professional life? My chosen career presents several options for me in the future. One
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Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers? Chose a career or pathway that interests you and where your talents lie. Then you can be passionate and enjoy going to work. If you want to travel, think about if your skills or profession can be transferred to another country. I was lucky I got to work all over England as a radiographer and travel for five years in my twenties. Finally, remember you are not always “stuck” where you begin. Skills can be transferred into different careers or workplaces. You never really know where in the world you may end up.
