Roslyn Rountree is an Engineering Institute of Technology graduate who is obtaining a second qualification through the institute while working in the biomedical engineering field.
She completed her Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 2018. She is now working through EIT’s Advanced Diploma in Biomedical Engineering program.
Her daily responsibilities include ensuring that medical equipment is working correctly, efficiently, and — most importantly — in a safe manner. Her job is two-pronged because she has to ensure both patient and hospital staff can use the biomedical devices.
“My industry has multiple areas in which it cares for people,” she said.
“All of which are continually growing and developing every day, not only to improve patient care but also to improve how patient care is implemented.”
Rosyln’s journey has been everything but traditional. Her career initially began in agriculture. After graduating high school, she enrolled at Emerald Agricultural College. She acquired her Diploma in Beef Cattle and a Diploma in Rural Business Management.
After graduating from Agricultural college, Roslyn spent eleven years working in the mechanical engineering world. She found jobs as trade assistants in a few different mining companies and completed an apprenticeship as a diesel fitter. Worryingly, the jobs market within the mining industry was sluggish at the time Roslyn was looking for more work.
“I had experienced the roller-coaster of the mining industry more than three times,” she said.
“The last time left me looking for any job I could get my hands on as it was hard to find work within my industry at the time. On a whim and with a lot of doubts in my own abilities, I had applied for a mechanical cadetship with Biomedical Technology Services within Queensland Health.”
The cadetship saw Roslyn having to relocate from Mackay in Queensland to Brisbane in the same state. In Brisbane, she learned about surgical instruments at a workshop.
“This is where I learned multiple aspects of not only design but shaping techniques and a lot of hands-on skills from my mentor. A part of the cadetship was that I was required to study and gain an Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, which was through EIT.”
Once she graduated from the Mechanical Engineering program, not only did she gain the recognition as a Biomedical Mechanical Technician, she also felt a strong sense of accomplishment. Roslyn felt that learning theory was never her strong suit — she was more of a hands-on learner. During the course, she found EIT’s unique online training methodology, which combines theoretical and practical skill-building, was a better fit for her and helped her become a student of her trade.
After gaining insight and skills in the industry, she was ready to begin branching out and going cross-disciplinary. And as luck would have it, the branching out would take her to where her heart was: home.
“I was given the opportunity to apply for a transfer into the electrical medical aspect. If successful, I would be able to move back home to Mackay. Being successful in gaining the transfer, I was to study with EIT again to gain an Advanced Diploma in Biomedical Engineering.”
By April 2020, she will have completed her qualification. As her career matures, she predicts she will always have to have a finger on the pulse of what the biomedical industry is doing.
“Within the next five years, I will be looking forward to growing my knowledge on the workings of more specialized medical devices. You never stop learning in the medical industry, as there is always going to be new equipment, new upgrades, and continued development. So I am looking forward to seeing the growth in the years to come.”
Roslyn is now a living testament that with EIT and the determination to achieve in the engineering industry, one can take on many different roles in several different disciplines. She said EIT has assisted in facilitating her shifts between engineering disciplines.
“The engineering industry does not fit in a square box — there are so many angles and opportunities in the engineering world. Coming from a hands-on background, it allows me to use the skills in a different way and view things differently. There is no limit to where these types of industries can take you, within your own country, or even those traveling across the world.”