Medical Doctors Making an Impact in the Corporate Sector Part I

Dr.? Bryan John Paulose believes that there are vast opportunities available for doctors and dentists within the corporate sector. A dentist by profession, he noted that doctors moving into the corporate world is a rather new occurrence in the country.? He also states that the timing is perfect for doctors to make this move in view that the sector is not yet saturated.?

Having served three years in the government system with no opportunity in sight to embark on a Masters degree, Dr. Paulose made the decision to create that opportunity for himself. So, he moved to the private sector, specifically to BP Healthcare as their Dental Director while awaiting the result of his application to do his Masters at King’s College, London.?

?His roles within corporations such as the Dental Director at? BP Healthcare and as the 3M Consultant for Malaysia and Singapore for their Oral Care Solutions Division have given him much insight regarding roles for medical doctors and dentists within the corporate sector.?

Currently, Dr. Paulose is the Education and Training Manager for Malaysia and Singapore for Straumann, a Swiss company best known for their dental implants. Today the company is diversifying its expertise and extending its reach within the field of dentistry all over the world.??

Dr. Paulose is also an Oral Health Consultant clinically based with Perlin Loke Dental Surgery where he combines digital and analogue dentistry to help his patients. He’s also completed his Masters of Aesthetic Dentistry at King’s College and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. He offers his insight on career opportunities for doctors in the corporate world.?

Roles for Doctors in the? Corporate Sector

EDUCATION & TRAINING MANAGERS FOR DOCTORS IN CLINICS Due to the lack of career pathway for specialization in the public healthcare system, many doctors moved to the private sector and started their own GP practice or joined GP clinics for employment. Doctors in the corporate sector are able to offer? training and knowledge advancement to these GP doctors by presenting experts who are able to accelerate the learning process among these doctors. Dr. Paulose noted that even senior GPs are looking to upskill themselves to excel in primary care, what more junior doctors.?

Furthermore, coming from the corporate perspective, mergers and acquisitions of clinics are commonplace. A doctor in a corporate role? is able to provide a platform of experts who can speak on certain portfolios, thereby ensuring that the doctors in the clinics within the corporations are always updated on the latest knowledge and medical technology.

In fact, this is exactly what Dr Paulose has been doing as the Education Manager for Malaysia and Singapore at Straumann. He’s been upgrading the knowledge and expertise of? doctors affiliated with Straumann via speakers well known for their area of expertise. He’s also been sharing knowledge and technology acquired from other countries which are advanced in certain procedures with dentists in Malaysia and Singapore.?

?According to Dr. Paulose, “Doctors in private clinics do not have avenues for knowledge advancement unless they turn to their alma mater or their seniors. But imagine if a company created a platform where different key speakers who are experts in different medical backgrounds graduating from the US/UK/Australia and different medical universities within Malaysia are accessible via a forum where doctors can come and learn from them!”?

“This is sure to? expand the horizon of the doctors when they gain the kind of training they had always sought but never had access to. Just Imagine, that? by growing that platform, you’ll be able to impact the healthcare industry on a wider scale,” he exclaimed.

Doctors also make the best MEDICAL SCIENCE LIAISONS (MSLs)? for companies compared to sales reps because they know medicine. Many corporations have now discovered the power of selling via doctors. In fact, the need for doctors as MSLs is on the rise. Because of the credibility derived from their medical training, doctors in this role hugely impact the sales of products? and services.?

For the same reason, doctors would make excellent ADVOCATES for products and services. Product advocacy emphasizes credibility over commercialization. A doctor’s credibility in authenticating or validating products and their usefulness cannot be undermined.?

Corporations are also in need of MEDICO-LEGAL EXPERTS. Doctors with a Masters degree in Law are able to advise companies on matters such as negligence and the like. In certain cases, it is a prerequisite for companies to have medical doctors in certain positions within a company.

Doctors Don’t Need an MBA Degree to Join the Corporate Sector

Doctors already possess some diagnostic skills which help them approach a problem in a methodical way. This skill which doctors possess is useful for solving any work problem they’re faced with. “It’s really the same as in the hospital system except that in this case, doctors have pivoted out and are solving? a different set of problems for the private sector,” said Dr. Paulose.

?Therefore it is not imperative for doctors to have an MBA to work in the corporate world. However, depending on their roles, certification and certain degrees may be needed.?

For example, the expertise an MSL requires pertains to regulations and not management. They would do well to take up courses such as the Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist Program (to know more, visit the MFM website).

Likewise, a doctor who is a medico-legal specialist in a company? would benefit from a Masters of Law degree. But if doctors get into management roles, then an MBA is advisable.? In fact, doctors aspiring to become a Medical Director would do well to acquire an MBA degree. “Even today, universities are filling the gaps within healthcare with niche courses such as an MBA in Healthcare,” said Dr. Paulose.??

In any case, getting additional certification is always good as it helps a doctor to become more credible. What would be advantageous, said Dr. Paulose, is for doctors to familiarize themselves with corporate jargon and MS Office skills such as excel etc., things which doctors were never taught in medical school.?

There’s more from Dr. Paulose on Tuesday! Stay tuned…

Disclaimer: The views expressed in these articles are those of the doctors/individuals MFM has interviewed and are based entirely upon the information provided to us by them. MFM is not responsible for any inaccuracy of information conveyed to us.?

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