llan Fernandez is the Executive Director of ACG Healthcare, one of the largest private medical groups that has existed since 1976 in the state of Johor. He’s experienced in working with several hospital groups, has consulted for both the Malaysian and Singaporean Ministries of Health, and currently has a joint-venture project with a private medical university in the country. Allan has over 23 years of experience as a medical administrator to his name.
He hails from a family of doctors and says he’s been in healthcare ever since he could remember. While children his age were reading comic books, Allan was looking at his parents’ medical journals! So pumped was he about the field that he implored his father to send him to the medical school of his choice in Australia. This was despite his parents, both doctors, not being keen on Allan becoming a doctor.
It was here while he was speaking with the Dean of his Medical School that a life-altering conversation occurred. His Dean asked him why he wanted to become a doctor and Allan replied that he wanted to run a hospital one day. “He [the Dean] walked me over to the law faculty and gave me the best advice of my life,” Allan said.
The Dean’s advice was “Don’t waste your time studying medicine if you want to run a hospital. Instead, learn business, learn law. Healthcare is more than just medicine! You have to understand the art, the science, and the business of medicine.” Needless to say, Allan heeded the advice and studied law as well as marketing in Australia. He also holds a Masters in Public Health. Under his leadership since 1999, ACG Healthcare has expanded and has served over 120,000 patients.
According to Allan, at the heart of being a Healthcare Administrator is the need to understand the nexus between the art, the science, and the business of medicine. Allan is focused in providing the best possible environment for medical professionals so they can offer quality medical care to patients.
But in recent years, Allan has had a change of heart. He realizes that he has spent much time and effort in helping doctors heal the sick that it struck him that nothing was being done for the healthy. “More specifically, what am I doing to help people stay healthy? We’re only sick 3 to 5 days a year. What are we in healthcare doing for those who are well the rest of the year? I want to spend the rest of my life helping people who are well,” said Allan, remarking that the narrative to the public must change from treatment to preventive healthcare.
Doctors and Medical Students Ought Not to Limit Themselves to Clinical Medicine
Healthcare and medicine are not the same. This is the narrative that has to change among doctors and the general public. There are patients and there are healthcare consumers. Healthcare consumers are those who spend money on vitamins and supplements, do annual health screenings etc. They aren’t sick but wish to ensure that they are continually well. Patients however suffer a physical ailment/condition and require a doctor’s assistance in getting well.
As it relates to doctors, while doctors are well prepared in clinical medicine, what happens when clinical medicine isn’t right for some doctors? What if some doctors would rather spend time with the healthy rather than the sick? “Should they be viewed as lesser than other medical professionals? Certainly not! “ said Allan.
In fact, Allan notes that this idea of doctors and medical graduates moving to other fields in healthcare ought to be seeded-in early. “Moving out of clinical medicine should not be seen as a cop-out but rather as a legitimate option from day one,” noted the Healthcare Administrator. This paradigm shift makes perfect sense when the health consciousness of consumers (preventive healthcare) becomes the focus of the healthcare industry. He urges young medical doctors to look at healthcare fields as there are many viable career options for doctors!
Young doctors would do well in preventive healthcare if they focus on curating services, products, and facilities that the healthcare consumers would want, he said. The focus would be in optimizing consumers’ healthcare needs. In 2019, Malaysians spent 9.5 billion on healthcare consumption such as vitamins, supplements, health screenings and other healthcare consumables etc. (Malaysian National Health Accounts figures). For a country of 36 million people, this is a great deal of money.
Suitable Areas In Healthcare for Medical Doctors
Allan knows of doctors who have diversified into mental health, senior care, workplace wellness, nutrition, therapeutics, concierge care etc. He specifically recalled a friend who has become an insurance agent and is making more money than he could ever have made had he remained in clinical medicine. His value proposition was a unique one and has worked well for him. This doctor assures his clients that as their insurance agent, he is invested in getting the right policy but as a doctor, he wants to ensure that they remain healthy.
Young doctors could get into allied health services, integrative/ lifestyle medicine, digital health services, healthcare administration, research, and pharmaceutical research and training among others. In fact, manufacturing companies are hiring house doctors. Doctors could also get into companies like Shell or General Electric for the corporate experience. Airlines and the maritime industries are also keen to hire doctors.
“Should a doctor not find something of interest here in Malaysia, there will always be someone, somewhere overseas who needs a doctor’s skills,” noted Allan. Doctors just need to know what they’re interested in or passionate about and the sky’s the limit as to what doctors can do in healthcare.
Expertise, Education and Knowledge Needed for Doctors Who Want To Get into the Healthcare Sector
If a doctor gets into a field where their medical knowledge and experience alone is insufficient to help him/her in their new careers, then the doctor must attain the necessary knowledge and training. “I always tell my doctors never purport to do something you can’t, or claim to know something you don’t. Your eye cannot see what your mind doesn’t know.” declared Allan.
In any case, every person could benefit from the advancement of knowledge and expertise. It is unwise for doctors to think that just because they are medical doctors and were among the smartest students in school, that they know everything. “Patients and healthcare consumers have an implicit trust in their doctors. They trust you to advise them on the right thing to do. So, always upskill yourself and have a willingness to learn,” said Allan.
As someone who hires doctors, Allan noted that a doctor’s medical degree gets him/her through the front door but doesn’t guarantee them the job. When hiring, Allan takes into account the doctor’s experience, skills, interests, and what they’ve done to upskill themselves.
Stay tuned for more from Allan tomorrow…
Disclaimer: The views expressed in these articles are those of the doctors/ individuals that Disruptive Doctors has interviewed and are based entirely upon the information provided to us by them. Disruptive Dcotors is not responsible for any inaccuracy of information conveyed to us.
