Co-op programs in medicine, the importance of selecting the right mentor, and career decisions over cryptosporidium - our conversation with Dr. Paul Komenda, CMO of Quanta Dialysis Technologies provided great insights into the tribulations and rewards of collaborating with industry as a clinician. From what he shared of his mentorship by Dr. Adeera Levin to how his medtech career started with and continues to be shaped in part by NxStage Medical, Inc., it was made clear to us that journeys into the med tech space by physicians - even into CMO roles supposedly built for physicians - have twists and turns of their own.
You can now access our podcasts on your podcatcher with our integration with Plink - check it out here:
We've also introduced timestamps which you can now use to skim our podcasts for the moments highest yield to you. Until next week!
Chapters:
0:49 - 3:20 - Dr. Komenda talks about how a passion for science and problem solving, combined with a far-from-glamorous research position, led to his decision to pursue medicine and innovation as a way to make a difference in society.
3:30 - 5:10 - How Dr. Adeera Levin shaped Dr. Komenda’s passion for sustainable, scalable change in complex healthcare systems.
5:16 - 9:15 - Dr. Komenda discusses his role as CMO of Quanta, a dialysis company, and how his role has evolved with the demands of the company.
9:33 - 11:24 - Dr. Komenda discuss the strength that his continued clinical involvement lends him in his role at Qanta.
11:42 - 15:03 - A discussion on Dr. Komenda’s experience with mentors, and the importance of careful selection of mentors who have your best interest at heart. Dr. Komenda emphasizes the nuances that the pervasive nature of the virtual world can bring to traditional mentee-mentor dynamics.
15:11 - 23:03 - Dr. Komenda lays out his opinion on the strengths of academic centers and the challenges that these centers face when it comes to medical innovation.
22:40 - 24:12 - Dr. Komenda discusses systemic changes that could be made to foster innovation among early clinical trainees and to minimize mid-career burnout among clinicians.
24:20 - 28:01 - The story of Dr. Komenda’s start with medical innovation at NxStage, and how that role impacts his work to this day.
