networking in physician services
Networking is about linking individuals, exchanging services and/or ideas of interest. Several times I have used my relationships to ameliorate my services as a physician. When relationships are made, one has to follow-up and be ready to play the long-term game in order to keep contact.
I am always keen to broaden my network when involved in arranged or chanced meetings. Last year, Cameroonian doctors were called upon to a meeting that would build the foundation for a medical syndicate. On arrival, I met colleagues from home and abroad and from diverse specialties. I spared no time to create new links by exchanging contacts and also discussing different points of interests. As an active member of this syndicate, I continue to interact with my colleagues, especially through a social media group of about 600 members. Here, we discuss issues plaguing our profession and share different ideas and professional opportunities.
I am currently working on curbing birth related complications in my locality. The main cause of this being pregnant women not knowing when labor could begin and hence end up giving birth at home due to the long distance to the hospital. This prompted me to liaise with my classmate, the medical director of XXX - a startup involved in ameliorating the medical follow-up of pregnant women. After presenting my case, we are both working on the possibility of including my locality into the program so that pregnant women could have a better follow-up and hence reduce home births.
Another instance when I used my networking skills was in ameliorating the follow-up of my AIDS patients; many of whom have difficulties coming back for control visits after commencing treatment. In the past, I had cooperated and kept good relationships with catholic missionaries who ran a "XXXX" fund in their church. This fund was used to help parishioners who could not afford healthcare. Most of my AIDS patients being poor and abandoned could benefit from this fund. I advocated at the "XXXX" for an enlargement of their target population and presented to them a list of some patients in need of help. My advocacy at the "CARITAS" permitted some of my patients to be included in the fund with a possibility of adding more with time. Most importantly, a volunteer was provided to help do a door to door follow-up of some patients; acting as a liaison between the patients and the hospital. This has gone a long way to increase patients' compliance to treatment.
As a Chevening scholar, I will engage with other scholars and alumni, especially with those in my field, sharing ideas and experiences. This will permit me share my own network, develop relationships and career opportunities for myself and others. Also, I will create a social media forum to help prospective candidates with tips on the Chevening application procedure. After my studies, I will network with incoming scholars hence enriching the Chevening community with my own experiences. The Chevening community in my country and the world at large is very diverse; I hope to use my networking skills to meet people of interest to my goal of ameliorating the access to healthcare in my country.
