VICDOC Summer 2025 - Flipbook - Page 16
There are interesting things hiding in
to identify problems than to solve them.
the corners; you don’t have to follow
But I'd like to hear more about process
the main path.
improvement, as I strongly believe that’s
where we can make significant gains.
There's a big focus in oncology
research on clinical trials and new
drugs and that's absolutely as it should
be, because they are very important.
But there are many other aspects
You can have the best doctors in the
world, but without good processes and
care integration, healthcare can’t reach
its full potential to provide excellent
patient care.
to oncology research that are also
interesting and important. For example,
prevention research, health economics,
and implementation research,
which explores how to best get new
discoveries into the clinic so they can
actually make a difference.
Sometimes
there is more opportunity for distinction
in areas where there is less competition
– but the flipside is that you don't always
have the same supports.
We need to focus on preventing
the things we can because our
health system is being flooded and
overwhelmed.
I've learned to reframe experiences
that could be seen as failures, and to
understand them differently.
A career as a clinician-researcher is
a rollercoaster ride. There are some
amazing highs, but there are also lots
of lows, like spending weeks writing
a grant that is not funded. I’ve learned
not to think of outcomes like that as
failures. I liken it to mountain biking,
a hobby I enjoy but at which I am not
especially skilled.
If you’re not falling
off the bike, you're probably not
pushing yourself to get to the next
level. I’ve come to see ‘failure’ in much
If we prevent the diseases we can
the same way, it’s often a sign that
prevent, then our health system can
I’m stretching my abilities and
concentrate on treating the things
learning more.
that we can't prevent.
I’d also like to
see stronger integration of the many
Learn more about iPrevent.
disconnected components of healthcare.
We call it the healthcare system, but to
Learn more about Preventing
me it frequently feels like a healthcare
Cancer with Medications (PCMed).
‘unsystem’. Of course, it’s always easier
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