Dee Mathieson, Managing Director of Elekta Ltd and Head of Service for Linac Solutions, strives to deliver the very best radiotherapy treatment solutions to patients in the UK and globally.
Throughout her career she has encouraged women to consider roles within STEM industries and offers mentoring advice on how to climb the career ladder. In this article, Dee has outlined her top tips for women looking to take a career in STEM.
Firstly, take on a career that you feel that you can make a difference.
My career has been linked to providing the very best cancer care and ensuring the best outcomes through advances in technology. It has been incredible to witness first-hand how innovative new technology is rolled out to support patients and healthcare professionals during the pandemic. In the past year, we’ve all faced huge challenges and oncology departments have truly felt the brunt of the NHS crisis. Only through world class technology and investment in innovation can we support patients and care providers. For example, innovation in technology such as AI is helping to solve the backlog in patient waiting times coming out of the pandemic.
Seek out new challenges.
Take a risk and take every opportunity to advance careers. By seeking out new challenges you will learn new skills, meet new people and understand what you like, and what doesn’t work for you. We must all learn throughout our careers, at every stage. Never forget that.
Additionally, it is vital to share lessons learnt and experiences, only then can we see more women encouraged into STEM fields.
Love what you do.
It’s really important to love what you do. Work takes up a lot of time in your life and if you don’t enjoy it, look for other opportunities. Don’t be afraid to try different roles along the way. Be bold and ambitious, but not arrogant, people don’t like arrogance and it will limit your career opportunities and effectiveness as a leader.
Diversity is vital.
Finally, know and encourage diversity. We need more women in healthcare and the medtech industry. Women in senior roles should embrace mentoring and coaching of younger members of the team. It is vital to share lessons learnt and experiences, only then can we see more women encouraged into STEM fields.
At Elekta we connect with the local community through a focus on STEM education and development activities within local schools and colleges. We offer opportunities for local students to spend time at Elekta carrying out work placements, we support STEM initiatives and fairs and work to create a symbiotic relationship with local educational establishments.
About the author
Dee Mathieson is Managing Director of Elekta Ltd and Head of Service for Linac Solutions UK. Elekta is a leader in radiation therapy for cancer treatment and Dee is focused on making a difference in cancer care and outcomes through advances in technology. She also is motivated by the opportunity to share my experience and expertise with younger colleagues through coaching and mentoring.
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