Conversations with the Academy webinar:
July 21, 2022
It’s a moment of introspection that all of us have encountered at some point along our professional journeys. Asking the existential question – what is our “why”?
Social scientists have long-proposed that professional identity development is essential in the education of health professionals. Social purpose and belonging empowers individuals to behave confidently and is associated with both career commitment and workplace satisfaction. More instructive is the evidence supporting boundary-crossing learning with peers promotes the integration of the professional self with the personal self, bolstered by a sense of integrity and feelings of self-worth, oriented towards improving community-based care.
Even at an institutional level, disruptive transformation is emphasizing that purpose matters – and corporations that are able to harness the power of purpose to drive performance and profitability enjoy a distinct competitive edge.
Reflecting on the myriad factors that could contribute to a sense of purpose and the formation of self-identity – and pride — as professionals in the medical landscape, Paul Beninger, Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, at Tufts University School of Medicine, and Antonio Tataranni, Chief Medical Officer at PepsiCo, explored the consequential influences on their professional choices and career path progression.
Scoping the global medicines development landscape, and their own gleanings, the discussants honed three critical elements. First, career paths are likely both circuitous and frequently serendipitous. Second, is the imperative to seize perceived opportunities and assume full responsibility for careers, possibly influenced by education, training, and personal moral boundaries. And, third, broaden the pool of opportunity, regularly reinventing oneself with experiences and relationships, that help understand our strengths and interests, and connect with peers and with social environments.
In an engrossing representation, the panelists expounded on the virtuous cycle — our life experiences inform our interests and passions, that shape our purpose — our purpose, then drives our education and training – a life-long experience of continuous learning. Our education and training shapes our identity, and as we mature, this begins to inform our purpose. In all this, failure is very important teacher, one about real resilience, but also about how we can relate to others, and how we can grow from that.
Sharing their personal odysseys, the panelists prompted the realization that career paths are almost never linear journeys! Their transitions through industries and organizations, were fueled by curiosity – and, an acknowledgment of the environment, contending with multiple stakeholders.
The engaged audience actively brought their voices into the conversation, challenging with perspectives around the alignment of purpose and with measuring impact. In an increasingly global world, with differing socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, is a sense of purpose internal, or innate – and, is it the main driver through professional life? Or, does this need credentialing with professional qualifications and education? The experts emphasized the highly interactive interdependence between inherent nature and experiential nurture.
Responding to another audience observation on reconciling with the constant transformation in the industry today, the panelists shared that there is a collision of ethics, values, and moral standards, with commercial pressures – often driving career choices and transition decisions. The discourse also cautioned on the potent social construct with the positive, motivating influences and the potentially negative, dissuading factors. Cognitive dissonance is very real, if there is mismatch between one’s moral compass and the expected ostensible behavior, resulting in stress, that is destructive for the individual, the team, and the organization.
With their expansive expertise and experience, Paul and Antonio brought a unique confluence of purposeful professionalism, intersecting with entrepreneurship, to today’s intriguing conversation. The mantra they epitomized: follow one’s passion with authenticity, minding the inevitable transitions; be clear on what we are after, comfortable in our professional identities; seek out mentors, crucial to recenter, rechallenge, or obtain a different perspective.
Purpose is born out of a combination of life experiences, education, and aspirations, but also where we come from, what we know, what has been important in our early lives. And, hopefully, education aligns with one’s innate sense of purpose. An appreciation of the scale and scope of its contribution to knowledge and to public health and human welfare, is mind-opening.
A recording of this engaging conversation is included below.
Our sincere appreciation for our expert faculty, and we remain motivated by the active audience participation.
