Riding on watermelon tires

Α few days ago, as we were sitting on the couch discussing what to eat for dinner at my cousin's house, my nephew, a 4-year-old, asked me to tie up her collection of Pokemon metal tags with a rubber band. Putting my growth mindset hat on, I asked her, “why don’t you do it by yourself? I can support you, if needed.” Lo and behold, she managed to do it on her own, without any help. She tried various methods. She failed multiple times. During that time, I was observing her patiently, showing trust, and praising the effort. She succeeded and was mighty delighted in her accomplishment.?

That event triggered my reflection process, resorting to a cliché: the ability to be a lifelong learner is a necessity, if one were to survive in a rapidly-changing and technologically-complex society. Υet, as we grow older, we steer towards our comfort zone and what is known. I wish we could stay as curious and courageous as my nephew.?

Recently, I found myself in my nephew’s shoes. I was given an opportunity to ride a bike with watermelon tires: to experiment in something exciting, to learn in an area that fascinated me. The area of Drug Development. The process that brings a new drug molecule into clinical practice.

According to literature, Albert Einstein observed: “the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” This is what April Monge is ought to achieve with her team. The team’s mission is to accelerate clinical development by faster patients' recruitment using novel tactics.

Last September, April asked me to join her team for an assignment. I was available as my previous role was eliminated along with the whole department. That was an epic learning experience on its own, but let’s keep that for another time. Months into the assignment, a pos?t?on became vacant. It was offered to me. April shares core values and integrity with my role model and former manager, the late Mo Kadwa. I was happy to accept and join the team last June.?

It couldn’t come at a better time. I recently read a book, a memoir, about the story of a doctor who suddenly turned into a patient. Rana Awdish , MD the author, was that very same person. That book had a profound impact on how I perceive the healthcare-patient relationship. The book’s overall thesis is: doctors should never lose sight of their humanity. It’s all too easy to disconnect from patients and their feelings while at the hospital. In the end, patients are humans first and foremost.

Taken together, I am thrilled to take on a role with an anticipated direct impact on patients’ lives. This role comes with responsibility (the ability to choose my response), unique opportunities, fun, but also with a myriad of unknowns. It empowers me to fulfill my life purpose: use Science and Technology to empower humanity live a happier, longer and healthier life.?

Further personal publishing:

• Mindfulness and how each one can practice it. Read here
• Doing your best, Don't give up. Read here