Protecting the UK from a Zombie Apocalypse with HEOR!

By Evie and Sophia, Year 12

On Thursday 11th December, Sixth Formers were given the chance to practice their problem-solving and STEM skills when they were visited by Tom and Cerys from HEOR. HEOR is a company that provides analysis and evidence to support healthcare decision making; in this case, this was presented in the form of making ‘models’ to determine the best and most efficient outcomes.

The model that the Sixth Formers had to deal with was an intricately planned ‘Zombie Apocalypse’. Throughout the model, they had to debate over how to spend millions of pounds to protect the country from the spreading of zombies, all whilst considering the very real needs and wants of people like the military, healthcare professionals and the Government, who wanted to spend as little money as possible.

It was a fun and interactive experience and an effective way to learn about the possible career paths that STEM subjects could give you. One of the Sixth Formers who took part said: “It opened my eyes to careers I never even considered I could do with my STEM-related A-levels”. Another student quoted: “I’m not studying STEM subjects at A-level but it really offered me a different perspective on the types of jobs that may be open to me should I change my mind at university. Hearing Tom and Cerys’ experiences also reassured me that I don’t have to have my career set in stone just yet.” Lastly, another Sixth Former valued how the workshop from HEOR gave them “a really good insight into how much maths can be used on a daily basis.”

We would just like to say a huge thank you to Tom and Cerys from HEOR for such a fun, insightful and educational experience. We would love to work with them in the future to provide opportunities to students interested in STEM subjects and the wider world of modeling.