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What is a pathway that could lead to a career in health communication?

I am a first-year university student studying Communication and Media with a strong interest in science & medicine, in terms of how topics such as these are presented to the general public
# #medicine #communication

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Marina’s Answer

There are some very powerful female voices in the mental health x self-compassion x wellness space (Instagram, e-newsletters and podcasts) that share scientific research to back up the importance of self-care. Maybe creating content that shares your learnings or unique perspective is how you can connect your media and science interests?

If this type of content sounds interesting* to you, check out Thrive Global (https://thriveglobal.com/) and Real Food Whole Life (https://realfoodwholelife.com/). These companies do a fantastic job of distilling medical research into simple, digestible tips everyday people (like me) can incorporate into their daily lives to live happier and healthier.

I think the topic of mental health is starting to be more publicly talked about, especially during a pandemic, but there is so much to unpack in this field that I see a lot of opportunities in the future.

*Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement or advertisement. I am personally sharing my opinion and some resources that have worked for me.

Marina recommends the following next steps:

Discover which science/medical topic you want to share info about
Research what content is already out there for that specific topic
Got a unique perspective that isn’t out there? Share it!
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Bonnie’s Answer

Have you tried coding? Solving problems in Health care is huge especially now during COVID-19. Visit Udacity.com and try their free online courses. Network and find out what connections they have to finding job matches in Healthcare. I got a Nanodegree their and I recommend their curriculums.
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Susie’s Answer

You sound like you might enjoy eLearning - while I have worked in the industry for many years some of the most exciting projects that I worked on were for the medical industry! I have colleagues who now work specifically in the health industry as learning designers/information architects. The health industry along with many others are trying to make information more easily accessible to people across the country and give people access to training online is one of the easiest ways - these things need to be created by creative people - sometimes with a technical background, but with the right software and passion you can do it!

Susie recommends the following next steps:

Take some instructional design courses.
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Caitlin’s Answer

What a fascinating time in the world to have this interest -- as we can see the value of clear, credible health communications across the world. You have already invested in the "Comms" side of work, and now you need to marry that with some technical expertise/experience on the medicine/science side.

I noted that you are writing from Toronto - how lucky for you because you have a great university with a strong school of Public Health, the Dalla Lana School within U. Toronto. If you haven't already, I would check out their website - - including their bulletins. That should help provide some inspiration in terms of paths you might pursue.

There are a variety of ways that you can combine your interest around medicine/communications - - from communicating directly to the general public to help change perception or behavior to crafting or advocating for different health policies that impact communities - large and small.

I think you have chosen a rich area of interest with lots of possibilities. Now is the time to figure out how much technical knowledge you need or want to acquire to support/advance your communications goals.
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