Medical Statistician Apprentice Review
at AstraZeneca
Degree Apprenticeship
Data Analysis, Pharmaceutical
Macclesfield
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
3.6/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
Medical Statistician Apprentice (Level 7). 4 days a week working as a statistician in Oncology and 1 day a week studying for Masters. The day to day is extremely varied and depending on what rotation you are in (you typically do 3 rotations, 1 year each). During the apprenticeship you shadow study statisticians as well as work as a study statistician when you're ready. There is no shortage of work and you are exposed to many opportunities from the get go.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
It is challenging and exciting. You get to experience a variety of trials and directly contribute to oncology research. It is very rewarding. There are periods where the workload can be overwhelming, especially alongside the masters. Also, the experience you have can depend greatly on your rotation/manager/team at the time.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
There is no shortage of development of both soft and hard skills. You will constantly be learning more statistics, coding, and other skills relating to the role. There is also plenty of workshops and opportunities all year round. I would be surprised if a role with more developmental opportunities existed.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
The organisation and structure continues to improve. It is a relatively new apprenticeship scheme. There is a specific early careers team within oncology statistics which continues to get stronger and more organised as individuals move through the apprenticeship.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
Support exists but since it is such a huge organisation it can be difficult to navigate and access it. It can also heavily depend on your line manager rather than a standard quality of support across the company. As a whole, there is very much a positive attitude that employees should be supported.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
The support from the University is greatly lacking. Their waitlists are extensive and ultimately unhelpful. I think any support you need, expect to get it from AZ.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
The modules are quite generic, which is probably a good thing for early careers statisticians as it leaves you with broader and more applicable knowledge should you choose to change your career. However, even the specific Medical Statistics module (which there is only one of, in year 2) lacks a lot of the statistics used in AZ. It would have been great to go into a lot more detail to strengthen that knowledge.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
There are a lot of events and social activities. A lot of them can be quite busy and loud though, so can be difficult to make connections if you don't do well in those environments.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a great company to work for. There are a lot of benefits as well as a vibrant community. I always feel inspired and challenged by my peers and it is a very driven work culture.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?
Go through the careers website in detail. Everything you need to ace the interview is there. During the interview, everyone will do their best to help make you calm, so don't worry if you're nervous. If you need any support for the interview process- ask for it.
