Supporting future talent in health: McCusker Centre intern reflection from Thilini Hettiarachchi

During my internship with the Office of Medical Research and Innovation (OMRI), I had the valuable opportunity to experience a real-world public health work environment and contribute to work supporting health research and innovation in Western Australia.

When I began as a communications intern, I had little idea of how I could contribute, as I do not have a communications background.

However, through my Master of Public Health, I had learned that communication plays a key role in any health initiative, and I saw this as a great opportunity to develop practical skills in this area.

From the first day, I was assigned a variety of tasks that helped me understand how to translate complex information into clear, communication-friendly language that can engage different audiences.

I had the opportunity to develop content for a range of platforms, including the website, newsletters and social media, across upcoming, ongoing and post-event activities.

Through this, I learned that each platform requires a different style, level of detail and tone to effectively communicate a message.

This experience also helped me strengthen my ability to plan and prioritise tasks while ensuring that key messages remained clear and consistent across multiple channels.

At the beginning, it was challenging to move away from academic writing and avoid using technical language, but through revising my work and applying feedback, I became more confident in communicating effectively.

In addition to communication skills, I gained experience using workplace tools, which helped me better understand how digital platforms can support teamwork, organisation and task management.

The team environment at OMRI was extremely welcoming and supportive, which helped me feel comfortable from the beginning.

As a newcomer to the Australian work environment, this played an important role in building my confidence, particularly in expressing my ideas, asking questions and engaging in professional conversations.

Overall, this internship has been a valuable experience that has strengthened both my professional and communication skills.

It has provided me with a strong foundation for my future career in public health, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to work that supports health research and innovation in Western Australia.