Creative Careers in Medicine Podcast

In this episode of Creative Careers in Medicine (CCIM), host Dr Dana Phang is joined by Dr Jason Lam, who shares his compelling career journey from ballet to medicine. Dr Lam discusses his struggles during residency, experiencing isolation and burnout, which led him to take a year off to pursue a Masters in Sports Medicine and a Diploma in Child Health. Initially contemplating a return to plastic surgery, he ultimately chose GP training and focused on sports medicine.

Dr Lam speaks about the emotional challenges of transitioning from plastics to GP training, and the process of rediscovering his passion for dance and teaching. His journey included completing essential paediatric/ED terms in Darwin and receiving the prestigious Crichton Dance Medicine Fellowship in Melbourne. This fellowship provided him with invaluable experience and the opportunity to work closely with top professionals, leading to his contribution to a textbook chapter on the foot and ankle.

Clinically, Dr Lam practises with a special interest in sports and dance medicine, utilising a broad skill set that includes skin cancer management and ultrasound. He emphasises the complexities of treating dance-related injuries, particularly in ballet dancers, leveraging his own background as a dancer. Discussing the rigorous schedule of the Australian Ballet and the importance of conditioning and load management.

He shares personal advice on self-care and the importance of reassessing goals to prevent burnout. He recounts his post-sepsis recovery, which deepened his empathy for patients with chronic conditions.

They also touch on lighter topics, such as Dr Lam's interest in an alternate career as a chef and his pandemic hobbies of barbecue and coffee. Listeners will find Dr Lam's resilient and adaptable career path both inspiring and educational.

Visit Dr Jason Lam’s website here: https://www.drjasonlam.com.au/

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

In this episode of Creative Careers of Medicine Podcast, host Dr Elise Putt engages in a conversation with Dr Hatim Abdulhussein, Chief Executive of Health Innovation in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. Dr Abdulhussein discusses his journey from being a GP to leading innovation and technology projects within the NHS. Delving into service automation in healthcare, emphasising the benefits of robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) in streamlining tasks such as blood test analysis, patient registration, and online consultations. Dr Abdulhussein highlights how using AI for triage in general practices can optimise consultation times and significantly improve patient care.

Exploring future technologies, focusing on remote monitoring and P4 medicine: Participatory, Preventative, Personalized, and Predictive. Using continuous blood glucose monitors for diabetes as a prime example of these advancements. He shares insights from the international healthcare scene, noting the innovations in Australia’s remote healthcare solutions and accessible imaging technologies. He also underscores the importance of cross-country learning and the potential AI scribes and ambient voice technology hold for enhancing patient consultations.

Dr Abdulhussein touches upon the differences between public and private healthcare systems, particularly in the adoption of new technologies. Drawing parallels with the U.S. healthcare system and reiterates his belief in universal healthcare, despite the associated challenges. Addressing the UK’s NHS, he discusses the pressures of an ageing population and increasing comorbidities. Emphasising the need for an adequately staffed healthcare system by 2040 when one in five people may have a long-term disease.

Packed with insights on implementing technological advancements in healthcare, fostering innovation, and balancing clinical and non-clinical roles for a fulfilling career. Dr Abdulhussein encourages healthcare professionals to embrace new opportunities and be part of the transformative journey in medicine.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

In this episode of Creative Careers in Medicine, host Dr Dana Phang introduces Dr Ushma Narsai, a multi-faceted professional whose career spans across the healthcare landscape in both South Africa and Australia. Dr Narsai shares her journey into medicine, inspired by a pivotal moment in high school when one of her sisters fell seriously ill. Delving into her diverse roles, starting with her medical school experience in South Africa at the University of the Witwatersrand, transitioning into her internship at the largest trauma hospital in the Southern Hemisphere, and her ultimate decision to pursue general practice.

Dr Narsai discusses her extensive involvement in clinical trials, beginning as a sub-investigator in South Africa and advancing to the role of principal investigator in Australia. She also elaborates on the terms and roles within the field of clinical trials, offering guidance for those interested in pursuing this path.

Dr Narsai also talks about her role as a clinical editor for HealthPathways, and how a chance encounter with a patient led to this fulfilling opportunity. She breaks down the responsibilities of a clinical editor, emphasising the importance of writing clear protocols and collaborating with both clinical and non-clinical stakeholders.

Exploring Dr Narsai’s dual role at Avant as a Senior Medical Advisor and Claims Manager. Outlining the intricacies of her job, from managing claims and providing medical advice to supporting her colleagues through challenging situations. She highlights how her medical skills have seamlessly transitioned into these non-clinical roles, encouraging other physicians to recognize the transferability of their expertise.

They wrap up with reflections on balancing multiple roles and the cognitive shifts required to transition between them. She emphasises the importance of persistence and the confidence to pursue varied career opportunities within and beyond clinical practice. Dr Narsai also reveals her unfulfilled dream of becoming a writer, illustrating the diverse aspirations that many healthcare professionals hold.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of the CCIM podcast, host Dr Elise Putt sits down with Dr Michelle Johnston, an emergency physician at Royal Perth Hospital and a published novelist. Dr Johnston discusses the challenging balance between her clinical role and her passion for writing, emphasising the highly controlled environment of emergency medicine and the struggle to find time to write.

Sharing her writing journey, Dr Johnston recounts early failures and rejections, learning from feedback, and progressively improving her craft. She describes the long journey of her first serious work, "Dustfall," detailing the timeline and process of eventual publication in 2018 after numerous rejections.

Emphasising the slow, incremental nature of writing progress, Dr Johnston speaks about the significance of patience and focusing on the quality of work over the outcome. She identified herself as a "pantser" who does not outline her plots or characters beforehand, underscores the essential role of feedback and learning in developing writing skills.

Dr Johnston admires the work of authors such as Rebecca Solnit, Virginia Woolf, Barbara Kingsolver, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and several others, for their beautiful writing and profound sentences. She shares that her most formative books include "Catch-22" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude." For her, the craft of writing is about creating sentences that combine observation, philosophy, and poetry, while also engaging readers with rhythm and musicality.

Reflecting on her experiences in emergency medicine, Dr Johnston finds joy in the absurdity and delight in human behaviour and choices, although she is cautious about sharing specific patient stories. She emphasises the writer's role in capturing the unnoticed beauty and humour of the world around us, aiming to help readers see things from a new perspective.

Discussing her nonfiction work on the human body and critical illness, sharing challenges encountered when starting with answers rather than questions. Reflecting on the things she learned through writing, the importance of time, and feedback for improvement. When considering an alternative career, Dr Johnston expresses an interest in journalism, highlighting its significance in delivering fair and accurate information.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of CCIM, host Dana Phang is joined by Dr Nirvana Luckraj, the current Chief Medical Officer at HealthDirect Australia. Dr Luckraj's career spans multiple continents and diverse medical environments, offering invaluable insights for clinicians seeking new career opportunities.

Dr Luckraj began her career as a general practitioner in South Africa during a period of significant political change, gaining extensive experience in diverse medical settings. After medical school, she moved to the UK, where she held various hospital roles before settling as a general practitioner outside London. Her journey then led her to Australia, where she worked as a GP in the Sutherland Shire, and pursued locum positions in remote areas, including with the Royal Flying Doctors Society and Aboriginal medical services in Mount Isa.

Her curiosity for non-clinical roles led her to International SOS, where she managed medical assistance for companies and became the medical director for healthcare services for refugees and asylum seekers in detention centres. Dr Luckraj's career progression was fueled by her passion for diverse medical and cultural experiences rather than specific job titles. Being exposed to digital health in Singapore and role as a medical director at Babylon Health boosted her expertise in clinical artificial intelligence, software development, and regulation.

Feeling claustrophobic in Singapore during COVID-19, She moved to Australia to serve as the Chief Medical Officer at HealthDirect, her current role. She leads organisational-wide clinical governance, strategic initiatives, and represents HealthDirect externally. She shares the importance of career growth driven by passion and seizing opportunities, emphasising that every experience contributes to personal and professional development.

Dr Nirvana Luckraj's passion for exploring new cultures and her comfort with change have been pivotal in her international ventures, underscoring the minimalism and adaptability required for such transitions. Her journey serves as a testament to the value of continually learning and embracing new opportunities in the evolving digital health landscape.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of CCIM, host Elise Putt speaks with Dr Jackie Rabec about her journey from clinical medicine to prominent product roles in HealthTech and beyond. Dr Rabec, originally from South Africa, started her non clinical journey via an MBA at the University of New South Wales' Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), with an international exchange term in New York. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she grappled with an existential crisis and considered returning to clinical work in South Africa, but ultimately forged on to find her niche and zone of impact in the world of tech.

Her professional non-clinical journey has included roles in early-stage startups and scale-ups, including but not limited to working as a data & partnerships manager at Prospection and head of product at Heidi Health. Today, Jackie is a product manager at Google on the Payments Identity Team. She discusses the significant adjustment moving from smaller companies to a large corporation such as Google, where the product impact is at a much greater scale, with a correlatory increase in the number of cross-functional stakeholders & org complexity.

She broke into healthtech product management specifically because she found the field to be challenging and impactful. She initially did pro-bono work for a friend building a ward task management app for doctors in South Africa and took product management courses at NYU. Her early non-clinical ventures also included volunteering with Helpful Engineering to develop 3D-printed nasal pharyngeal swabs, to address COVID-related supply shortages. Dr Rabec utilised platforms such as LinkedIn and Seek, while actively networking with people that had trodden the non-clinical path before her, to uncover opportunities to break into the world of tech.

Jackie credits her mother, a doctor working in rural South Africa, for inspiring her initial interest in medicine. Her own clinical years were filled with hands-on experience in public hospitals in South Africa. Despite initially considering careers in journalism and fine arts, Dr Rabec's path led her to medicine before moving towards business ventures and non-clinical careers. Her decision to pursue an MBA in Australia was driven by a desire for greater impact on healthcare systems, more lateral creative thinking in her day-to-day, varied longer term career opportunities and flexibility to travel the world whilst pursuing a highly engaging job.

Jackie shares valuable insights on transitioning from clinical medicine to other fields, highlighting the importance of courage, self-assessment, introspection, and building a supportive network. She advises adopting a mental model of directional decision-making and being comfortable with ambiguity as key factors in pursuing varied career paths. When asked about an alternate career, Dr Rabec envisions roles intersecting health tech and global health, alongside personal interests in meditation instruction, painting, and being a dog mom.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

This episode of CCIM Host Dana Phang invites Dr Clare Skinner, an emergency medicine staff specialist and a former hospital director, who was the immediate past president of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. Dr Skinner offers insights into balancing a demanding medical career with family life. Emphasising the importance of strategic decision-making, rather than merely declining opportunities. Dr Skinner shares how an audacious approach has led to positive outcomes, despite the sacrifices and imperfections along the way.

Throughout her career, Dr Skinner has experienced gender bias and has navigated the challenges of being a woman in leadership roles. Recounting the assumptions made about her abilities and priorities, particularly during her pregnancy, and discusses the discrepancies in treatment compared to her male counterparts. Dr Skinner underscores the need for women to remain true to themselves in leadership roles, avoiding the adoption of aggressive male leadership styles.

They engage in a candid conversation about the complexities of juggling multiple roles as women in medicine. Highlighting the importance of prioritising and negotiating with partners to balance work and family life effectively, sharing examples from her own life.

Her journey to medicine was unconventional, with initial interests in medical research, music, art, and communication. Her formative years were shaped by a focus on health policy, public health, and education, but her internship at Canberra Hospital shifted her focus to clinical practice. Her admiration for a physician at Canberra Hospital inspired her to view medicine as an inclusive and community-oriented practice. Dr Skinner recounts her involvement in the Canberra bushfires, an experience that shaped her as a clinician and solidified her passion for emergency medicine.

They concluded with Dr Skinner stressing the importance of empathy and understanding within the healthcare system, acknowledging the challenges faced by medical professionals and the need for compassion in the workplace. She encourages individuals to reach out for support in times of psychological distress or addiction, highlighting the trust placed in health professionals.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of CCIM, host Dr Elise Putt sits down with Dr Bethan Richards, the first Chief Medical Wellness Officer for the Sydney Local Health District. They delve into the pioneering efforts by Dr Richards and her team to address the well-being of medical trainees and the systemic changes needed in the healthcare system. Noticing concerns about distress and burnout amongst junior doctors, Dr Richards led the implementation of a pilot program that included workshops on performance under pressure, physical well-being activities like boxercise and yoga, mindfulness training, and workshops on breaking bad news. The initiative showed promising results which garnered support and funding from the Ministry of Health.

With a diverse background, Dr Richards is a clinician, researcher, and lecturer. She co-directs the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, which boasts 75 researchers, over $60 million in grants, and approximately 300 publications per year. Initially resistant to a career in medicine, inspired by her father and a personal interest in science, Dr Richards eventually found her calling in rheumatology.

Dr Richards touches on the importance of extending well-being programs to senior doctors, emphasising that their well-being significantly influences junior doctors. Seeking guidance from Stanford, she developed a strategy to include all medical staff, with the ambitious goal of ultimately supporting all 14,000 staff members at her organisation. System-level changes such as introducing healthy vending machines and reinstating a popular food option for doctors were also implemented to foster social connections and improve well-being.

Dr Richards highlights the crucial role mentorship plays in personal and professional development, encouraging practitioners to seek out mentors and prioritise relationships. She underscores the need for systemic change in healthcare, advocating for small victories and finding joy in practice to mitigate burnout. Her advice includes identifying meaningful work, creating a positive and supportive work environment, and being proactive in seeking well-being resources.

Dr Richards also shares her passion for teaching, seeing trainees grow, and her love for the outdoors and nature, joking about an alternate reality where she pursued marine biology. Her multifaceted career and dedication to improving medical staff well-being offers a wealth of inspiration and practical advice for clinicians looking to navigate their career paths.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network

Welcome to a new season of Creative Careers in Medicine (CCIM) podcast! In this episode, Dr Dana Phang interviews Dr Michael Wright, a second-generation General Practitioner (GP) and health economist. He shares insights from his diverse career, which includes research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney, and his current role as Chief Medical Officer at Avant Mutual.

Dr Wright describes how his upbringing in a family with a home-based GP surgery inspired him to pursue a career in general practice. Sharing his journey through various medical disciplines during his training, revealing how his experiences in dermatology and psychiatry ultimately reinforced his commitment to general practice. His decade-long practice alongside his father and the evolution of their solo practice into a medical centre.

They also discussed Dr Wright's extensive involvement with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. As Deputy Chair of the NSW/ACT Faculty Council and a member of the Expert Committee for Funding Health System Reform, Dr Wright provides insight into how he collaborates with other GPs to influence policy and improve funding models to support sustainable general practice.

In his role as Chief Medical Officer at Avant Mutual, Dr Wright is committed to advocating for doctors and enhancing professional support. He leads the Advocacy, Education and Research division, working to develop resources that help physicians navigate the complexities of the healthcare system.

Despite his numerous roles, Dr Wright maintains a regular clinical workload, emphasising the importance of staying connected to patient care. He discusses how this ongoing clinical engagement keeps him relevant and informed, aiding his research and policy advocacy efforts.

Dr Wright had thought-provoking reflections on healthcare innovation and the challenges of increasing interest in general practice among medical students. He underscores the need for structural support, appropriate funding, and innovative models of care to attract new generations to the profession.

The episode offers a comprehensive look at a career that spans direct patient care, academic research, health policy advocacy, and leadership within a major medical organisation. Dr Wright’s passion for general practice and his multifaceted career path provide inspiration and valuable lessons for clinicians exploring diverse career opportunities.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Creative Careers in Medicine podcast, host Dr Elise Putt engages in an enlightening conversation with Dr Anni Mekhail, an intensive care doctor turned Google product manager. Dr Mekhail has an impressive background, having been a founding member of two successful bootstrapped health tech startups and co-authoring medical textbooks and articles in medical journals. She initially trained in New Zealand, then moved to the UK to work in the NHS, and now resides in Australia.

Dr Mekhail discusses her current role at Google, where she is a product manager on the identity team, working on big data platforms to determine user identities online. She explains the complexity and responsibility involved in ensuring secure and user-friendly verification processes. Also sharing her journey from clinical medicine to tech, detailing how her interest in the more data-driven parts of medicine and personal experiences guided her career shift. She talks about her various roles, including working in intensive care in both New Zealand and the UK, and her transition to tech consulting for Deloitte before moving into product management positions in startups and eventually Google.

Dr Mekhail offers valuable advice for clinicians interested in transitioning to tech, emphasising the importance of gaining diverse experiences, networking, and continuous learning. She also touches on the similarities between her roles in clinical medicine and product management, such as people management skills and cross-functional teamwork. Insights into her multifaceted career path provide inspiration and practical guidance for medical professionals contemplating a career change.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.