Emma O'Sullivan - Medical Devices stream 

Emma 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 Emma's experience below.

How would you describe your overall experience in the programme? 

Overall, I found the programme to be fast-paced and gave me end-to-end exposure to the entire lifecycle of a medical device – from before it goes on the market to how it continues to be monitored afterwards. At every step of the process, I learned how patient safety was the top priority.

I began by supporting implementation and engagement, liaising with both colleagues and external stakeholders, who included members of the public, healthcare professionals, and economic operators such as manufacturers and distributors. This involved answering public and professional queries, sharing key regulatory updates, refining processes, and helping to create training and educational content, including EU-level initiatives.

Weekly touchpoints with my team and cross-functional collaboration kept the learning curve steep but supported.

As my exposure grew, I worked on cases across the full device life cycle: seeing how applications come in, how risks are assessed, and how devices are monitored once on the market.

These experiences enabled fast progression to a Scientific Officer role, and I learned that smart, risk-based regulation turns complexity into patient safety. That sense of purpose made the programme immensely rewarding.

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

I developed a strong life-cycle, risk-based mindset, seeing how decisions connect from application intake through post-market surveillance and calibrating actions to what most affects patient safety. I built confidence engaging with stakeholders by handling queries from the public and healthcare professionals and translating complex requirements into clear, usable guidance.

My regulatory and technical range broadened across key case types, including classification, adverse incidents, FSCAs (field safety corrective actions), vigilance enquiries, market surveillance activities, and drug–device combinations.

I helped improve processes by updating SOPs and working instructions, so processes are clearer, faster, and more consistent.

Regular collaboration, both internally and with external bodies, broadened my perspective, sharpened my judgment, and helped me reach decisions faster.

Ultimately, these experiences taught me to turn complex evidence into clear, proportionate decisions and to communicate them with confidence. It's helped me move from first identifying a safety issue to making a decision with pace and clarity, while keeping patient safety at the centre.

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

From day one I had real ownership of my work, which was backed by accessible mentorship, weekly touchpoints, and cross-functional collaboration.

I was encouraged to contribute beyond my day-to-day work through engagement, education, and real-world surveillance work, which built my professional profile in the organisation and grew my confidence.

Experiencing the full device journey – from applications to post-market monitoring – made me see how my work had a direct impact on patient safety. Importantly, the environment supported progression: the experience and trust I built led to a move into a Scientific Officer role.

High standards, balanced with support for well-being, made that growth focused and sustainable — a foundation I’m excited to keep building on.