Meet Charlie Morscheck, Policy Officer in the Newborn Bloodspot Screening Condition Assessment Section, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Here they talk about their work in health policy and reform, medical anthropology and not being afraid to build the job you want. We were lucky to have Charlie as a Table Mentor at our ACT Career Transitions breakfast last month! 

 

What is your current role and how did you get to be there?

I graduated with an Arts/Science double degree majoring in human biology and anthropology in 2020 without having a clear plan for what I wanted to do with myself. I knew I wanted to work in something connected to healthcare but wasn’t sure I’d be cut out for the lab.

Instead, I took a job in consulting and was lucky enough to get to work on the National COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce where I learnt that I could use my technical knowledge in different ways.

After a few years of consulting work, I made the transition to the public service to build my experience in health policy. I currently work as a policy officer for the Department of Health and Aged Care in the newborn bloodspot screening section. 

How does your work contribute to the field? 

My team at work are always proud to share that newborn bloodspot screening is one of the longest running and most successful public health programs in Australia. While we only play a small role alongside the brilliant newborn screening scientists and rare disease specialists, the reform work we are leading aims to ensure the programs remain robust and responsive to emerging evidence going forward.

Working in rare disease is extremely fulfilling, and knowing the work we do will help babies and their families access the care they need keeps us all very motivated!  

What is a project you would love to get off the ground or a skill you would like to develop, if you had the opportunity? 

In addition to my work with the Department, I am currently completing a Masters of Culture, Health and Medicine at the ANU. The field of medical anthropology is something I am immensely passionate about, and I love to draw on theories from a range of different areas including posthuman theory, feminist theory, disability studies and queer theory to think about the ways healthcare and illness impact our lives.

I am particularly interested in how lived experience and ethnographic data can be used to inform clinical care and health policy, especially for transgender and non-binary people.   

What are your loves outside of work?

My life outside of work is taken up by my studies and being a dog parent to an 18-year–old schnoodle and a borzoi puppy! I am a certified tea snob and love to get lost down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about anything and everything. 

What is one piece of advice you could pass onto others following their own career in health and medical research sector? 

In my career, I have been extremely lucky with the opportunities I have been afforded, but it is always hard to tell if the opportunity will be the right fit. Jobs in consulting or government are extremely varied and it can be hard to know where it could take you in the beginning.

My advice to anyone thinking about a career in consulting or health policy is to not be afraid to build the job you want. By taking the initiative to lead new programs, giving advice on policy based on your knowledge, or by asking for the opportunities you want, you can build your own niche that aligns with your expertise and with your values.