Transcript Patient Contact Careers - Monash University Faculty of

Patient Contact
Careers
Naomi Cox
Product Specialist and Territory ManagerSt Jude Medical Australia
St Jude Medical Aust
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Global company manufacturing cardiology
products
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Pacemakers
Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs)
Electrophysiology catheters
Heart valves
Stents
St Jude Medical Aust
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Currently work in Cardiac Rhythm Management
Division
Assist cardiologists/cardiac surgeons with
pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator implants
 Pacemaker follow-ups and clinics
 Education of doctors, nurses and cardiac
technologist
 Patient education
 Business role-responsible for a budget (big one!)
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Career path
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Always wanted to be a doctor!
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Did well in VCE-interview for med at Monash
but did not get in…devastated
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Decided to do BSc (Biomedical) and later (?)
transfer to medicine
Career path
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BSc (Biomed)
Anatomy
 Physiology
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Why did I decide to do these subjects?
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Because both subject interested me!
Career path
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How did I find my first job?
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Through a friend of a friend of a friend….
Ask your friends, family, colleagues - use your
contacts!
register with employment agency
 read newpapers/employment websites and send out
resumes
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First job was as a dialysis technician at the Royal
Melbourne Hospital (renal failure patients)
Career path
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Dialysis technician for 18 months and decided I
wanted a change
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Accepted to do medicine but declined the offer
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Looked at internal employment board at RMH
and decided to apply for a cardiac technologist
position without knowing anything about the
job.
Career path
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Thoroughly enjoyed area of Cardiology
interpret ECGs
 analyse holters
 stress tests
 tilt table tests
 haemodynamic monitoring in catheter lab
 pacemaker and defibrillator checks
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Career path
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Poached by pacemaker company
Role at St Jude:
Clinical Support Specialist
 Product Specialist
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In this work I use both anatomy and physiology
knowledge learned at university
Also need to be aware of latest studies and
clinical trials in arrhythmia and heart failure
management so need to know how to interpret
scientific papers
Typical day
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Day 1 post operation check
Find patient on the hospital ward
 Have a chat to patient and ask how they are feeling
and answer any questions they may have (usually
there are many!)
 Perform pacemaker check using programmer
 Call implanting physician with results and inform
nurse looking after the patient
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Pacemaker implant
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Meet patient in trolley bay outside theatre or
cathlab and talk them through what to expect
from operation
Prep patient for surgery and help set up lab
Discuss product to be used for the patient with
doctor
Pacemaker implant Cont…
Be the ‘eyes
and ears’ for
the doctor
whilst
he/she is
implanting.
Pacemaker implant cont
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If implanting a defibrillator induce arrhythmia
and shock patient
Check the device post operatively to make sure
leads have not moved
Pacemaker/ICD clinic
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Patients with pacemakers/ICDs must come for
follow-ups on a regular basis ~6 months
Follow up is done in conjunction with physician
Other duties
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Education for nurses/techs/doctors
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Sales calls to implanting physicians and inform
them of latest technology
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Pre and post op checks for major operations
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Clinical trials
Future prospects
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Started a Master of Public Health at Alfred
Hospital (Monash Uni, Melbourne Uni, Deakin
Uni consortium) to learn more about clinical
trials
3 year course part-time
Take home message
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Not getting into medicine was not the end of
the world for me!
There are many other career options that can be
just as rewarding that you may not even know
about or have considered.
Be creative when looking for a job and do not
have preconceived ideas!
Talk to people, ask questions.