Nicole Bulkmans specialised in pathology at the VUmc (2012) and obtained her PhD for research into primary hr-HPV testing in the population screening for cervical cancer (2008).
She then worked for 10 years as a pathologist in Haarlem for the Spaarne Gasthuis in Haarlem and Hoofddorp and the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk. At the time, she introduced new techniques in care pathways, such as molecular diagnostics, rapid breast diagnostics and Mohs surgery, and supervised a merger and remodelling of the pathology department.
In addition to her diagnostics work, she is a member of the Professional Interests Committee (In Dutch: Commissie BeroepsBelangen, CBB) of the Dutch Association for Pathology (In Dutch: Nederlandse Vereniging voor Pathologie, NVVP).

Since January 2023, Nicole has been working as a pathologist at Pathology-DNA with a focus on lung, gastrointestinal and uropathology.