I analyse the cost-effectiveness of new drugs, to see if they are viable to be accepted within the NHS, or other countries' health care systems

I'm currently a health economist at a consultancy which involves data analysis and model building. I analyse the cost-effectiveness of new drugs to see if they are viable to be accepted within the NHS or other countries health care systems.

I had not heard of health economics and luckily came across this in a chance meeting on a train! However, the skills I had learnt previously in a data analyst role, and skills from the maths degree, have really helped me excel in my career as a health economist.

The specific skills you learn on a maths degree... have been a huge help towards the technical skills I use in my everyday job

Rachael Batteson

Health Economist, BresMed

Having a maths degree opens a lot of doors, which was a huge help as I was someone who didn’t really know what I wanted to do after university. It allows you to have a role in any sector and can open doors to technical roles and many others that are non-maths related.

Having a maths degree doesn’t just show that you are good with numbers but also shows an employer that you’re a good problem solver and a logical thinker, which is applicable to many roles.

The specific skills you learn on a maths degree, such as statistical language, modelling and problem solving, have been a huge help towards the technical skills I use in my everyday job. Mathematical software has also played a big role in my career so learning this at university has helped massively.

Additionally, the other skills you use at university such as time management, working to deadlines, writing in a specific way have all contributed to my career path.