The power of Social Media to Affect our Health and Fitness

This is my last blog post. It has been a long 5 weeks I must say. I’m actually sad that it has to go. I have had such a wonderful experience working off-site, being the only public relations intern, and most importantly, getting a first hadn glimpse at the revolution of healthcare communications and public relations.

With the rise of citizen empowerment, more and more people are jumping onto the fitspo train. With Instagram and Facebook feeds flooding with fitspiration and healthy living quotes aimed to influence, with images of daily meal recaps and monthly body building progress. From a public relations point of view, this new health revelation is the gateway for endorsement of PR in the medical industry.

In the age of social media, this is the give and take that fuels the fitness and diet trends. Communications at medical practices such as Mill Street Medical Practice and Travel Medicine Centre Perth can be improved, both by a better way of exchanging information and by a more timely delivery of information.

Social media allows for people to share their experiences living with chronic diseases and the treatments that they have performed. It gives a platform for discussion that allows for participation and comparison among other patients. My work placement at the clinic has illustrated that a dedicated function of public relations in the medical industry can definitely draw audiences and shape opinions.

A recommendation for the clinic is to implement health studies that can be in the form of articles, or surveys for educational health purposes to the general public. I’m grateful that I was able to do my PR placement in Perth. It was an amazing experience to learn more about Perth from a medical perspective. Perth's isolation doesn't stop its local communities from staying fit and healthy, with the influence of modern Internet and social media. It is amazing to think what the future of healthcare PR and communications will hold.

That's all for now fellow intern buddies.
Hope everyone had a worthwhile experience in the "real world" as much as I did. 

Thinking out loud..... The real world is intimidating

I always thought of myself as a people person, with the ability to get along with diverse groups of people: employees, students, the public, etc. But I feel like my potential and skills were crippled during this time. I would consider my interaction with the various employees at the clinic to be very formal and occassionally uptight. I loved the whole experience though, don’t get me wrong, everyone’s kind to the “new girl”. But still, it is definitely a lot more pressure than I imagined. And to think that I’m only going into the clinic for WEEKLY meetings. This goes to show how unready I am to enter the public sphere of reality. I’m finding it scary and lonely.

On another note, my meetings are always nonetheless pleasant. I try very hard to maintain enthusiam, and sometimes I feel like that might come off as a bit too much. Dr. Khoo is simply brilliant and intimidating. He realizes the evolvement of the health care industry and understands the need to change and progress. My placement has definitely taught me a lot about the medical industry and how online platforms are welcoming this change with open arms.

As a matter of fact, Google and YellowPages got into direct contact with my supervisor inviting him to contribute the clinic’s online presence on their respective platforms. It is interesting to think how the world has changed and that producers of content are in line with consumers of content. That’s all for now, folks!

Happy interning!