Two Filipino doctors chosen among the next generation of IAP Young Physician Leaders

The next generation of physician leaders has already been selected for this year’s InterAcademy Partnership’s Young Physician Leaders (YPL) Programme. Two Filipino physicians made the cut and will join 20 other outstanding early career physicians in Berlin, Germany on 22-24 October 2019, in conjunction with the leading international forum for global health, the World Health Summit.

Over the past nine years, the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) has been conducting the IAP Young Physician Leaders Programme, which is internationally known for its tailored workshop on leadership that has provided 191 outstanding young health professionals with skills and knowledge they will be needing to promote health and strengthen health systems around the world. The programme is focused on analyzing models of leadership in the hope of developing an individual action plan for personal leadership growth.

The participants of the programme are chosen by a committee of medical and scientific professionals, who reviewed the nominations received by the global network of the IAP that includes 140 national and regional member academies collaborating to provide independent expert advice on scientific, technological and health issues, and the ‘M8 Alliance’, a unique network of 25 leading international academic health centers, universities and research institutions.

For this year, National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), the country’s premiere recognition and advisory body on matters related to science and technology, nominated two outstanding physicians who both made it as official participants of the programme. They are Dr. Jaifred Christian Lopez and Dr. Raymond Francis Sarmiento.

Dr. Lopez is currently a health policy research and faculty member of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila. Some of his notable works are his service in the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) rural physician deployment program of the Department of Health for over two years (2011-2013) and the successful implementation of the pioneer project modeled on the WHO Package of Essential Non-Communicable Disease Interventions (PEN) Protocol, which enabled the engagement of civil society and local government, particularly the senior citizens and the rural women’s sector.  He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences – Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (Intarmed) Program in 2008 and his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2011 at the University of the Philippines Manila. In 2013, he finished his Master in Public Management, Major in Health Systems and Development at the Development Academy of the Philippines.

Dr. Sarmiento serves as Director of the National Telehealth Center, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila. His current research projects include health data science, health information exchange for genetic diseases, standards and interoperability, clinical decision support, telemedicine, and public health surveillance.  He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Psychology (cum laude) at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2003 and his Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of the Philippines Manila in 2008.  This year, he was recognized by NAST PHL as one of the Outstanding Young Scientists for his notable contributions in the field of biomedical and health informatics that has help improved the welfare of Filipinos.

They are both set to engage with a diverse group of outstanding early career physicians (ages 40 and below) coming from multiple specialties and career interests such as education, clinical practice, public health, health policy, and research, who are committed to be the agents of change for health in their countries. Also, they are set to participate in peer-to-peer learning, matchmaking mentorship scheme and in the events of the World Health Summit, and be exposed in interactive websites that can post real-time professional information and gain visibility both nationally and internationally.

According to Dr. Peggy Hamburg, the IAP Health Co-chair, effective health care and health policy need effective leaders and that more countries should provide necessary training for young professionals to hone their leadership skills. Moreover, the IAP President and IAP Health Co-chair, Depei Liu, added that by being one of the IAP Young Physician Leaders, they will be able to join a network with whom they can continue to share their experiences and best practices in their respective fields.

Inspired by the IAP’s YPL, the NAST PHL conducts locally the Future Science Leaders Forum, which aims to empower young Filipino science leaders and to create a pool of potential outstanding young scientists.  This seminar-workshop also aims to assist Filipino young leaders to maximize their leadership potential in their respective fields and to provide a venue for a leadership network of peers and potential mentors and advisers.  NAST PHL is confident that honing science leaders is essential to nation building.  This program is chaired by Academician Carmencita D. Padilla, member, Health Sciences Division of NAST PHL and IAP for Health Executive Committee.

For the full list of IAP’s PYL participants, you may visit the following link: http://www.interacademies.org/57705/Meet-the-next-generation-of-IAP-Young-Physician-Leaders (Dhan Michael L. dela Peña/NAST)