Dhanushke Fernando
I am currently studying medicine at the University of Western Australia. I am heavily involved in student advocacy, currently serving on the general committee of Western Australian Medical Students Society (WAMSS) – WA’s peak medical student body. Immediately following the Science Comm unit with Jenny, I finished up and submitted my masters’ thesis in November 2015, completed under the tutelage of Prof. Laura Parry. In the lead up to hand in, I presented as several conferences at home and abroad, specifically poster presentations and my favourite medium – 3 Minute Thesis (3MT).
From November 2015- to January 2016, I did a 3 month stint serving as Project Executive for a multimillion dollar start up in Sri Lanka, responsible for preparing the company to launch. It took all the tips I picked up regarding clear, concise language to keep potential business partners and suppliers on the phone, at a time when the company had zero market presence. Fast forward 8 months, all our competitors are starting to sit up and take notice….I think the 3MT training must have helped!
Studying the art of science communication has definitely helped me build on pre-existing communication skills. I have always considered myself to be a confident public speaker and communicator, however this unit forced me out of my comfort zone. It made me made learn three crucial questions:
1) What am I saying?
2) How and why am I saying this?
3) Who am I saying this to?
Doing the 3RRR Einstein- A- Go- Go radio show with Jenny and Shane was a real highlight – I had never been so scared yet exhilarated at the same time. I walked out of the studio thinking that if I could do a segment on live radio, I could do most things!
Now that I am studying medicine, the content and audience are different, but the general principles I learnt under Jenny’s tutelage still hold me in good stead. When conducting history taking interviews or clinical examinations with patients, I always remember to cut all the fancy medical jargon, and keep it nice and simple for my patients. I’ve always received good feedback in terms of rapport, content and general mannerisms, and believe that I honed these skills in this unit.
I think that this unit is a must for anyone working in any field science. It teaches you to take a step back and strip off all the complexities we have come to learn through countless lit searches and lab presentations. What you are left with is a clear, tasty morsel of scientific goodness, that any audience can appreciate, and that is really powerful!