After graduating from Newcastle University in July 2023, Ella Rose Blackburn joined our team as part of the Applied Health Methodology Internship 2023 programme. In this interview, Ella reflects on her experience of the internship.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and why you were interested in the internship?

I did my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Newcastle University. Throughout my degree, I took a keen interest in research and learning new research methods. For my undergraduate dissertation I looked at women’s views and experiences of health behaviours during menopause. I interviewed lots of women and then did a thematic analysis which was interesting. So, when the opportunity came about for an internship that focused more on these types of methods, I jumped at the chance to gain some more experience.

How did you find out about the internship opportunity?

I got an email from Newcastle University advertising the internship after graduation in July 2023. Given how much I loved my dissertation and research methods I thought I’d apply. So, if anyone is looking at doing an internship, I’d say keep an eye on your emails – very important!

Can you tell us a bit about the research you did, why it’s important and what you learnt?

The internship involved working full time for two months. I was involved with the Admission Research Collaborative, which is looking to transform recognition and treatment of multiple long-term conditions in hospital. I was involved in a part called admission path, which aims to understand how clinicians manage patients with multiple long-term conditions in hospital. I conducted a scoping literature review to identify emerging published research in this area. I also looked at local and national clinical guidelines to see the extent to which long-term conditions were accounted for in the guidelines.

It’s important because people with multiple long-term conditions tend to be in hospital for longer, yet the systems are typically designed for people with a single condition. It’s an area that seems to be lacking in research but it’s crucial to understand how these services need to be changed so they can be better tailored for patients with more than one long-term condition.

I learned a lot doing this research, especially in multiple long-term conditions. The research involved methods that I learned about in my undergraduate degree, but the project allowed me to delve deeper. I really enjoyed it. So much so that the internship was extended until November.

What did you enjoy most about the internship?

I loved getting my teeth into the research, getting involved with the whole project, and learning new skills. It was lovely to work with such brilliant people too. It was also nice to be part of a community of interns across Newcastle University. We did extra training together and gave a presentation at the end to share our learning and experiences with one another.

What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?

I think learning to do a scoping literature review and using the systematic review software was probably the trickiest part, because that’s something I didn’t do at all during my undergraduate degree. But I did some training for using the software and I had a lot of support around me from the team.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for students thinking of doing an internship?

I think it’s important to get as much experience as you can under your belt. So, if the opportunity to do an internship comes your way, I would take it and try and throw yourself into the work as much as you can. I never thought when I applied for the summer internship, that it would open as many doors as it has for me. Believe that you’re exactly where you should be, don’t worry about the end goal and just try and enjoy the process of building a career for yourself!

What are you plans next and what are you looking forward to during the next few months?

The internship was amazing and helped me realise how much I enjoy doing research and that I want to do this as a career. I’m applying to do my master’s in September 2024. I’m still unsure whether to take the Psychology or the Public Health route. I think I’m just going to apply for them both and then kind of decide when the time comes. I’m hoping to apply for the NIHR pre doctoral fellowship as well. So, there’s lots of different options and hopefully the right one will just click into place.

I’m really looking forward to going to the Kendall Calling music festival in July. I’ve been there so many times. I think this is maybe my seventh time I’m going so I love it! I’m going to Malta as well. Me and my boyfriend are also looking for somewhere to explore during the summer. As long as we find somewhere I can swim in the sea, eat some nice food and see some wildlife I’ll be happy!