My Summer Internship, Alicia (2020)
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½Ó¿Ú has an innovative Careers and Mentoring Programme, Alicia, one of several internship bursary recipients, tells us her internship story.
Tell us about your internship with Orygen?
In June 2023, I paused my PhD and began my internship with Orygen, supported by the Ting-Hway Wong fund. Orygen are a world-leading youth mental health organization in Australia that deliver clinical care in-person and through their online platform. Digital mental health platforms have generated significant public interest in recent years as they are more accessible and cost-effective than traditional face-to-face psychotherapy. However, treatment adherence is an area of concern for these interventions. Indeed, a recent study found that only 3% of users still opened the mental health application 1 month after onboarding. While working with Orygen, I have conducted research investigating whether user characteristics can be used to predict engagement and clinical trajectory. Findings from research like this can be used to inform how treatment is delivered through the platform and can help to identify which individuals may need additional support in their therapeutic journey. We aim to publish the results from this study in the new year.
What sort of connections have you made?
While conducting this research, I have worked alongside leaders in the clinical and computational research domains. Through forming these collaborations, new research projects have emerged; in September 2023, myself and a team of researchers at Orygen and the University of Melbourne were awarded an MRFF Mental Health Research Grant to conduct research that aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of clinical diagnoses, and in turn improve the treatment of young people with mental health problems. After the completion of my PhD in Cambridge, I will return to Australia to work on this project as a Postdoctoral Researcher.
How has the internship helped you on a personal level?
It has been a great pleasure working at Orygen over the last 6 months on work that I believe to be hugely impactful. Indeed, at a more personal level, in addition to the confidence that I have gained in my skills, I have also gained confidence in my ability to adjust to a new environment, meet new people and be content spending time by myself. Aside from work, I have had the most incredible few months exploring Australia and discovering the most beautiful beaches, tasting (lots) of wine, and befriending the locals.
This experience, and the abundance of opportunities that have ensued, would not have been possible without the support from the Ting-Hway Wong fund, for which I am extremely grateful.
With the generous support of the Ting-Hway Wong Internship Fund, the College is delighted to be able to offer financial support to current students to undertake internships during their studies. The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to Alicia (2020).
