The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) hosted a panel of health communication professionals in a convocation this past week. The panel included Shelley Walker, Director of Communication and Media Relations at Tennessee Department of Health, McKenna Mitchell, Development Coordinator at Muscular Dystrophy Association and alum of the department, and Mollye Dietrich, Instructional Designer and Communications Specialist at HCA Healthcare.
There are many corporate communication jobs in the healthcare industry, and the panel provided three unique examples of how students might put their skills to work after graduation.
“The panelists spoke about the healthcare industry in general and how diverse the field is. They described their career paths, the wide variety of communication jobs, and how the role of communication in the healthcare field is vast,” described IABC events coordinator, Renee Schroeder.
“This convo taught me about the many hats that communication professionals wear in the healthcare industry. Some of the speakers mentioned they were in charge of input for social media, others mentioned they were in charge of communicating outbreaks of diseases,” said Claire Buerger, vice president of IABC.
The healthcare industry is booming in Nashville, and there are many internship opportunities available for students who want to learn more.
In fact, Dr. Amy Schmisseur, who is piloting a Health Communication course this coming spring, described Nashville as a “hub” for healthcare: “Nashville possesses a strong demand for those trained in healthcare as well as communication professionals whose job is to provide support and advocate for the growing health needs and concerns facing our community, our nation, and our world. This course is centered around understanding how communication functions at all levels within the healthcare industry, and how that communication affects health related outcomes,” Schmisseur stated.
IABC is a student-run organization that connects students to professional world of communication through convocation programs and other events.
Go here to learn more about IABC.