IN 2017 I attended my first patient after graduating from medical school. A woman of middle age had been brought to the emergency room of a hospital in Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, after suffering a left hemisphere stroke. Her son, looking pale and confused, tried to remain calm as he watched his mother receive care. He was still in middle high school, and his father had already passed away.
I was a general practitioner back in the day, a passionate one. It had been my childhood dream to become a doctor so I would be able to treat my parents if they ever got sick. Now I would often spend upwards of 20 minutes conversing with my patients and learning about them. I firmly believed that educating patients about their conditions, management strategies, dietary habits, and exercise routines was essential for them to lead longer, healthier lives.
In 2020, my husband Wilsen and I were blessed with a son, and with the onset of COVID-19, I chose to take a break from my practice to protect my child from the virus. After about nine months, I knew that I still wanted to be a doctor, so I moved 1,600 km from Balikpapan on the east coast of Borneo to Bandung on the island of Java, to take up a neurology residency.
Neurology to me is the most complex and yet the most beautiful system in our body. I was always reminded of the glory of our Creator every time I learned about it.
I worked as a research assistant in the Neurology Department at Padjadjaran University in Bandung to build networks and gain experience. I contributed to clinical trials that focused on mapping the causes of neuroinfectious cases in Indonesia to improve neurologists’ approaches and treatments.
After two years, I finally took the test. But when I looked on the admissions website the day the results were announced, I discovered that I hadn’t been accepted.
I felt low for a few days, but then another opportunity came my way. It was with a big life-science company, a state-owned enterprise in Indonesia, where my role was to provide scientific reviews of new life-science products that could be brought into the country, and how they could improve the quality of life.
It was here that I realised my vision: to provide the best care and treatment for patients in need.
I was however looking for something more, something different. And on 13 November 2023, the day I turned 31, I was just casually scrolling on LinkedIn when I found it. The job title was Market Access Specialist, but it was the description that caught my whole attention: “Every 30 minutes, a stroke patient who could have been saved dies or is permanently disabled because they were treated in the wrong hospital. Our mission is simple. To increase the number of patients treated in stroke-ready hospitals and to optimize the quality of treatment in all existing stroke centers.”
I forwarded the job posting to Wilsen, saying, “Babe, this job is too cool! I’m applying for it, okay!”
Looking back, it is clear to me that it was not a mere coincidence; it felt like destiny. By then, Wilsen and I had been in a long-distance marriage for three years, only seeing each other for about a week every three to four months. He’s a geologist and has to be near the site when a new well is being drilled. Whenever he had to leave, our son cried.
This new position not only allowed me to return to Balikpapan to be with my husband; it was a role in which I believed I could make a bigger impact on society. Even though I hadn’t in the end pursued a career in my medical profession, I knew that all I had learned and experienced wouldn't go to waste.
I received a warm welcome from my team on the day I joined Angels. They took me out for lunch and very quickly made me feel part of a remarkable team.
During my first week, I completed the New Consultant Pathway training on the Angels website. I was amazed at how well-prepared the courses were, and how comprehensive the material designed to facilitate our transition to becoming an Angels consultant.
In my second week, I had the chance to participate in a code stroke workshop for one of the biggest private hospital chains in Indonesia, the Hermina Group. I realized the training was primarily aimed at the hospital crew, but I found myself taking notes and learning so much from all the speakers.
Later on, I had the opportunity to meet a neuro-champion from a diamond award-winning hospital in Jakarta. Dr Peter Gunawan from Siloam Hospital Jakarta (TB Simatupang) generously shared insights about their success and about the importance of team support. He enthusiastically explained that when Code Stroke is activated, everyone is on high alert. The pharmacy team promptly delivers the stroke bag to the CT scan area and the radiographer ensures the CT scanner is operational and ready.
Dr Gunawan also detailed their protocol for treating patients at the CT scan, which they started last year. Previously they treated patients in the ER but treating at CT enabled them to cut more door-to-needle time. In fact, they have published a paper about doing thrombolysis in the ER vs. in the CT scan room, and there was a significant difference in outcomes!
I will definitely share this experience with other hospitals that I collaborate with, especially those hesitant to administer treatment in the CT scan room, emphasising that every second is crucial. I will also share an insight about quality monitoring that I came across in the course of my new consultant training – that you cannot improve something you don’t measure.
I have already learnt some things about myself in my new role. I know that I am an extroverted person, but I have discovered that I enjoy work from home more than from an office, because I can work at my own pace and rest when I need to.
I am also finding my ability to make small talk with strangers unexpectedly useful – like the time I struck up a converation with a fellow passenger on a flight and discovered he was a senior neurologist in Balikpapan who later helped me reach out to other neurologists in the area.
I know that engaging with hospitals and their personnel can be challenging, and that I may encounter resistance or skepticism. But there is a saying, “Water can wear away stone, drop by drop.” That is how it works and I’m going to apply it whenever I face challenges.
In the end, I am grateful and honoured to be part of the Angels team and to strive together to give life a chance.
