Sadhbh Carey - Medical Devices stream 

Sadhbh recently completed the HPRA Graduate Programme in the Medical Devices stream. She has continued to work with us as a Scientific Officer in the Medical Devices department.

Read more about Sadhbh's experience below.

How would you describe your overall experience in the programme?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the graduate programme. After college, I wanted to gain a better understanding of how medical devices are regulated in Ireland and explore the different career opportunities available in the sector.

The programme gave me the opportunity to learn about how medical devices are regulated and the role the HPRA plays in helping to ensure the safety of patients and users. During my time on the programme, I gained exposure to different stages of the medical device lifecycle through the rotations and projects I was involved in.

It was a very hands-on programme, and I worked across a number of teams within the Medical Devices Department, where the work was always varied and interesting. This included stakeholder engagement and communicating with members of the public, healthcare professionals and economic operators. My understanding of the medical device regulations grew through policy work and developing training resources for people involved in medical device regulation. I also got the opportunity to apply these regulations in practice while working on vigilance activities that help ensure devices on the market remain safe for users.

Throughout the programme, I felt supported by both my team and the wider department. My managers always encouraged me to learn, develop my skills and ask questions, and were happy to offer advice and guidance whenever I needed it. The experience gave me a great foundation for my current role as a Scientific Officer.

What key skills or takeaways did you gain from your stream?

I was always encouraged to take part in as much training and hands-on learning as possible. One of the biggest strengths of the programme is the number and variety of learning opportunities available.

Throughout the programme, I developed a strong understanding of the medical device regulatory framework and how it is applied in Ireland and across Europe. I gained practical experience through casework, working alongside colleagues in technical and clinical teams to help monitor medical devices and contribute to patient and user safety.

As part of this work, I had the opportunity to engage with other European and international competent authorities through vigilance activities and EU working groups. This gave me valuable insight into how regulators work together to address safety issues. I also got to accompany the Inspections Team on an inspection of an economic operator. It was really interesting to see how regulations are applied in practice and helped bring a lot of what I had learned into context.

Working with stakeholders and responding to queries from members of the public, healthcare professionals and economic operators also helped me develop my communication skills. I was given opportunities to present updates on projects and work activities to both my team and the wider department, which really helped build my confidence and presentation skills.

The HPRA also provides excellent training opportunities, including workshops on topics such as effective communication, organisation skills and psychological safety. There is also to a wide range of online training courses, for training and learning in areas that interest you and support your development.

How would you reflect on your time working at the HPRA during the Graduate Programme?

My time on the graduate programme at the HPRA was enjoyable and rewarding.

From my first day, I felt trusted with meaningful work and could see how my role contributed to helping protect patient and user safety.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the variety of work. I had the opportunity to work on a range of different projects and activities, which helped me gain experience across different areas of medical device regulation and develop a better understanding of the sector as a whole.

I particularly enjoyed working with the Assessment and Surveillance team in the IVD area and was delighted to have the opportunity to continue my career in the HPRA as a Scientific Officer.

The work is interesting and there is always something new to learn. Staff are encouraged to challenge themselves and continue developing their skills and knowledge, but there is also a strong focus on wellbeing and maintaining a positive work environment.

The people are one of the best parts of working in the HPRA. Everyone is friendly, supportive and willing to help. There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved outside of your day-to-day work, through committees such as Health and Wellbeing or Energy and Sustainability. The Social Committee regularly organises events such as pub quizzes and fun runs, and many departments organise their own activities, including book clubs and coffee mornings. These events are a great way to meet new people from across the organisation and there’s a good work life balance.