Relatively new to the healthcare industry and public relations in general, I’ve come to realize two things:

 

1. I am nowhere near earning the illusive title of "healthcare maven" or "PR Pro".

2. I've noticed a stark correlation between new study results and trips to see my primary provider.

 

See Rebecca Johnson’s advanced stages of breast cancer increasing in young women study, for reference. Yes, I went to see my doctor after this one was published. Yes, I wanted to make sure the lump I felt wasn’t really a lump. 

 

Lighthearted tomfoolery aside, working in the healthcare industry, as a public relations professional, is a blessing and a heavy responsibility. We hear of tragedy, triumph and trepidation all in a days work. We filter, file and fetch information. We are the wordsmiths of a world consistently in flux, messengers of hope and heartache.

 

This is where I want to be and where I feel I belong.

 

Cures for diseases will be found, more effective ways to treat and prevent ailments will be perfected and children will be brought into this world healthier and happier, some day. These are the stories I can’t wait to tell, one day.

 

Until then, I’m here, in this industry, to learn as much as I can and work as hard as I can, sharing the lessons I learn along the way.

 

I expected to feel overwhelmed in this world of medical speak and scientific journals, confused by the array of acronyms that have the ability to make any well educated man say, “pardon?”

 

What I didn’t expect was this overwhelming attachment I feel to new research, the sincere pride I feel when our doctors receive accolades, even when I’ve never met them, and, of course, the hypochondria that now follows me like a shadow.

 

The expectations I had quickly became fact or fiction. It’s the lessons I’m learning that continue to need updating.

 

Thus far in my career, these lessons are rather simple: work hard, help others and be passionate. All the rest can be learned. My advice to bright, wide-eyed graduates: don’t panic, among other things…

 

Always be prepared – know your jargon and know when you’re no longer the expert. It will happen, trust me.

 

Be flexible – you are needed when you are needed. No longer should you think you have a job from 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Offer to help, always be available and share your contact information. You are young…embrace it.

 

Don’t speak just to be heard – be informative, interesting and timely. No one cares about what you have to say until you prove yourself. Right now, you are young, optimistic and have too big of an ego. Start by being humble, I think it works better than being rude.

 

Be cognisant of time – pitch when you have something interesting and packaged. Know a reporters beat, first and foremost. If you’re pitching a story about healthcare to a reporter that covers finance, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Remember you are a messenger not a circus act. Leave the hoops and fluff at home, they are usually not needed, unless you’re pitching a story about a fluffy cat that hula-hoops – it’s unlikely that you will though.

 

Remember you are a person – no one wants to listen to a recorded message over and over again, humanize yourself and your speech.

 

Not every story is a story – what you find interesting may not be interesting to someone else. I’ve been raving about fecal transplants for the last couple months, but that doesn’t make it a story – even though I think it is.

 

Be kind and listen – I believe you must learn something from everyone you meet. Before you part ways with someone remember one thing about them – their favorite sports team, where they are from, how many kids they have – these little things are the most important.

 

Research – research, research and do more research. If this sounds redundant it’s because it’s important. Know your story, know the facts, know the reporters, know your pitch, know more than you think you need to know. Oh, and have a back-up plan.

 

Carry a notebook with you, everywhere – sometimes the best stories come at the most inconvenient of times. I love having a notepad with me at all times. It will help you collect your thoughts and remember details later.

 

I know these are simple concepts, but I believe they are incredibly important. I’m young and still have a lot to learn, but I’m a sponge ready to absorb the information I am given.

Be the best at what you can, leave the rest for others. No one wants to be mediocre at everything. Find your niche.

 

As always, thanks for listening. Please feel free to like, comment, share, tweet, email and stalk me at your leisure.

 

Oh, and be kind to others.