Intern insights into the global health sector

Eshana Pussegoda reflects on her recently completed internship at the Nossal Institute for Global Health.

Eshana PussegodaMy name is Eshana, and I am currently in my final semester of the Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Relations and Politics, and Latin American Studies, at the University of Melbourne.  As a part of the BA, students can enrol in an ‘Arts Internship’ subject, and apply for internships at the organisation of their choice. Before committing to a Master of Public Health degree, I decided to apply for an internship at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, to get a taste for the global health sector.

A/Prof Alison Morgan was one of my undergraduate lecturers, and I was fascinated by her work in maternal and new born health. With Alison’s help, I was able to secure a placement in Nossal Institute’s Maternal, Sexual & Reproductive Health Unit.

During my time interning at the Nossal Institute, I was able to work on two projects; the Health Worker Voices COVID-19 project, where I learnt about the communications aspect of health promotion, and the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Module for Nurses in Kiribati.

The continuous professional development (CPD) module is being developed by Nossal Institute for UNICEF. It is being created to provide opportunities for nurses in Kiribati to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. I was able to assist in the creation of chapters for the final module, including: How to create monthly summary reports for immunisations, and How to deal with adverse events following immunisation. (AEFIs).

These projects gave me insights into the type of work I could be doing in the future.  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to intern at the Nossal Institute. The team made me feel so involved and supported throughout the entire placement, and gave me great advice regarding my own professional development.

I couldn’t have wished for a better internship placement, and can whole heartedly say the team played a big part in my final decision to pursue a Masters of Public Health.