Summit Session: Dr. Izzhar Putra on Climbing the Corporate Ladder as a Doctor
If you missed the Summit, we’ll be presenting contents from the Summit Speakers for your benefit each week.
Dr. Izzhar Putra obtained his MBBS degree from the United Kingdom and completed his House Officer training there. He had lived in the UK? for over 10 years. When it came time for him to decide on his specialty training, he was undecided and opted to return to Malaysia.??
He became a contract medical officer at the emergency department of a hospital. For four months, he experienced a toxic environment where harassment and bullying was evident. This was so different from his experience in the UK where even as a medical student, he was treated as a valuable member of the team.?
One day, he was summoned by the Medical Board where an offer was made to him by three Professors to pursue his Masters in Emergency Medicine. Dr Izzhar was surprised but hesitated in taking the offer as he wasn’t sure he could commit his time to a troubling work environment. He asked for some time to adapt to the environment with the possibility of revisiting the offer in the future. That response did not go down well with the Board.??
Thus began his transitioning experience. In identifying his strengths with the aid of an executive coach, he transitioned to the corporate arena. Identifying his strength was key to his career success.? His journey began at the largest local pharma company where he knew he would learn everything from marketing and sales which is his interest, as well as? planning, operations and regulations. This is as opposed to what normally occurs in a multinational pharmaceutical company where roles are very specialized.?
He went on to obtain an MBA degree in Singapore which taught him a great deal. With time, he moved up the corporate ladder and he became the Commercial Director for one of the largest multinational pathology labs and oversaw a sales and marketing team of about 40 persons. Today he’s Head of New Business for a large multinational clinical diagnostics organization as well as the Director for a hospital medical laboratory.?
Here are five important takeaways or life lessons from Dr Izzhar’s session:
1. You need to know who you are
When doctors know themselves they can make a better decision concerning their lives. They can live out their dreams and not someone else’s dream which would only lead to regrets. Knowing yourself involves trying out a few things to see what excites you and brings you joy. In his case, Dr. Izzhar loves writing songs from scratch and considering what’s needed to make them excellent creations music-wise, as well as thinking of ways to market them.
He found that this creativity correlated with marketing. Marketing is about having an idea, brainstorming on it, identifying the right campaign to promote the product, getting the necessary approvals, and launching the sales team to sell the product.?
In hindsight, Dr. Izzhar realizes that he instinctively knew that the offer made by the Medical Board for his long term career in Emergency Medicine wasn’t right for him. He also wasn't about to be swayed by peer pressure to embark on something that didn’t feel right to him. He knew to hold off on the offer because he knew himself and it kept him from making the wrong career decision.
领英推荐
2. Make your own decisions
Doctors ought not to fear making decisions because of the fear of making the wrong decision. Even if a wrong decision is made, because of the existence of a higher power, “What appears to be the wrong decision initially, will turn out to be the right one, eventually.” said Dr. Izzhar. Doctors would be wise to embrace the notion that everything happens for a reason.?
3. There are many similarities between business and medicine
Doctors need to know that medicine is not purely a scientific degree but also a management degree. For example, when a patient comes to a doctor with complaints of chest pain, the doctor engages in history-taking, patient examination, and taking tests with the doctor having a potential diagnosis in mind. When the results are in, the right medication in the right proportion is issued to the patient and the problem is resolved. The same process applies in business.?
When the sales of a product have dropped, the sales manager checks the record, pinpoints the locations? where the sales have dropped, speaks to the sales team serving those locations, then connects with customers in those locations to gain more information about the drop. If it becomes clear that customers prefer the competitor’s product because it is viewed as better although more expensive, his R&D department would be quickly instructed to make massive product improvements. In the meantime, to retain customer loyalty, a promotion possibly involving a big discount on the product is made.?
Doctors possess certain crucial skills acquired through their medical profession which are transferable to the field of business: time management, setting priorities (as to which patient needs priority care), analyzing and hypothesizing, and communication skills both verbal and no verbal are all highly prized in the field of business.?
Likewise, doctors have character traits which are imperative in their profession. These traits make them valuable in business and include leadership qualities, a sense of accountability and responsibility, attention to details, and skillful use of their hands. Compared to other professions, doctors are doers and not mere talkers!
4. Leaving for the right reason
Doctors ought not to leave clinical medicine simply because of push factors such as a toxic work environment, bad bosses, bad colleagues etc. The right reason to leave would be the pull factors. What’s out there that’s pulling a doctor out of medicine to get into a new career? Pull factors will sustain a doctor in any field as life tends to show that? the grass is not always greener on the other side. In fact, “The grass is only green where you water it”, quipped Dr. Izzhar.?
5. When you’ve made up your mind about what you want to do with your life, don’t let anyone stop you.
It doesn’t matter that parents, employers and friends are displeased with your career transition decision. After all, this is your life and your happiness matters. But it does matter what your spouse thinks about it. So, gain his/her support and cooperation where your career plan is concerned.