Randi's journey underscores the value industry-university partnerships bring to students, La Trobe, and industry sectors alike. It is her passion for all things digital health that drives her, and, at La Trobe, she found a community that could facilitate her interest and ambition to bridge the gap between healthcare and technology.
Throughout her studies, Randi embraced work experience opportunities to enhance professional development and career prospects in her chosen field.
“The ultimate goal after university is to enter into the industry.
“Industry work experience opportunities, on offer thanks to (La Trobe’s) strategic partnerships with industry, are really good pathways for students to develop their employability skills along with their studies. In particular, for international students, it is an opportunity to gain Australian work experience,” she says.
Ever proactive, Randi was involved in the University’s Career Ready Advantage Award, achieving Silver and Gold status.
“My response to every opportunity is ‘yes’. I recommend it!”
Online tutoring and volunteering at Community Health Advancement and Student Engagement (CHASE), helped her secure a sought-after internship with La Trobe industry partner, Medibank – one of Australia's leading private health insurers.
“I wanted something related to my pathway and I wanted to develop my career skills, particular to healthcare.”
As a direct result of her connection with the organisation, Randi was able to start her master's research with Medibank on ‘Australian Consumers' Behavioural Study to Understand the Use of Digital Health in 2023: A Cross-sectional Pilot Study’.
Her industry supervisors were the then Head of Virtual Health, Joey Calandra, and the Health Evaluation Lead, Tracey Marriner. After this project, Ms Marriner became a member of the La Trobe Digital Health Course Evaluation Committee. Randi's academic supervisors were Dr Urooj R Khan and Dr Michael Liem.
Her placement, which spanned 13 months, provided Randi with critical insights into the healthcare industry.
“I think it was the turning point in my life because I started after just eight months (of study) and I was able to really develop my professional skills.”
Participation at the La Trobe University-Medibank Planning Day stands out as a pivotal moment not just during her placement, but also in her academic and professional career so far. Presenting in front of senior stakeholders from both La Trobe and Medibank was a challenging yet enriching experience.
Randi adeptly navigated the change from academia to the professional realm. Upon the conclusion of her contract with Medibank in December 2023, she finalised her studies in January 2024 and secured her position at i-scribe within two weeks. This smooth transition highlights the critical role of industry collaboration in equipping students with both the in-demand skills and relevant work experience that employers highly value.
“Employers do not (solely) focus on the grades which we achieve… they want to know our working skills, our career skills, alongside our studies,” she says.
Randi’s education and practical experience at Medibank were instrumental in securing a position at i-scribe, a startup on a mission to enhance patient care, streamline clinical workflows, and empower healthcare professionals through innovative AI solutions.
“Joining a startup at the initial stage of my career transition, it's a very good opportunity to get numerous experiences as I am assigned to do multiple roles without being limited to a single responsibility. It's an opportunity to grow along with the company.”
Randi’s network and experience continue to open doors.
i-scribe has connected with the Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition (CDAC) at La Trobe, and the team is working with Prof Daswin De Silva and master’s students. Now on the other side of the fence – as an industry partner – Randi is actively engaged with the university to explore innovative techniques for extracting medical information from doctor-patient conversations. The collaboration focuses on testing various AI development approaches and establishing methods to assess AI accuracy within a clinical context.
“Our next prospective project is collaborative research with La Trobe ARCH partners – through Prof James Boyd,” says Randi.
With the company working in the AI space and with research projects in the pipeline, the 2024 La Trobe Partner Showcase presented itself as a significant opportunity for i-scribe. The event highlights the strength of current industry-academia partnerships and also serves as a platform to enable industry and university researchers to connect and identify more innovative collaboration opportunities.
Randi's experience with La Trobe demonstrates the significant advantages of industry-university collaboration. And her journey continues. Watch this space!
Are you a member of industry and interested in La Trobe’s student industry placement program?
Together, through these exchanges of knowledge, experience, and dedication, we can build a resilient, industry-ready and future-focused workforce, united in our commitment to the growth and development of individuals and the broader community.
Securing students for an industry placement is a simple process. We can assist you throughout – from the development of a placement description to promoting to students and signing an agreement.
To get started, visit Engaging student talent or contact La Trobe Talent on latrobetalent@latrobe.edu.au
For general enquiries or more information, please contact industry.engagement@latrobe.edu.au
