Debraj Das, recipient of a CMA Young Leaders Award.
Many health care professionals make a difference in their communities and stand out because of their dedication. Debraj Das, one of these outstanding young professionals, was nominated by his own colleagues for a 2016 Canadian Medical Association Young Leaders Award, and recognized with an official presentation of the award on August 23 during the annual CMA conference held in Vancouver. Only six people are presented the award each year, selected from a deep pool of thousands of outstanding nominees.
"I found out I won the first day of my vacation," Das says with a laugh. "I had one week off in March and went to Hawaii. As soon as I landed I connected to the Wi-Fi in the airport and the first email in my inbox told me I won the award. It was a wonderful way to start my vacation."
It has certainly been a busy few years for Das. Since graduating in 2013 from the U of A, he has travelled abroad on medical humanitarian missions, and has spent time at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Since November he has been back in Edmonton as a resident at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. He was also nominated to be Chief Resident of his core medicine program and is also the communications lead for the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
Leadership guided by legendary mentors
The best way to learn about leadership is by following the steps of the best. Das' ambition to one day step up into leadership roles was first fueled by distinguished achievers and pioneers in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, before he even began his medical studies at the U of A.
"I knew early on in my life that I wanted to do something related to health care, but I wasn't sure what," Das explains. "The person who inspired me to pursue medicine was actually the U of A Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry's former dean, Dr. Lorne Tyrrell. I worked with him at his clinic as a high school student for a few summers."
Tyrell is widely known beyond Canadian borders for saving the lives of countless patients with the development of the first oral antiviral to treat hepatitis B, lamivudine.
His time with Tyrrell shaped Das as a research-oriented professional with a desire to lead projects and improve patient care. "The longer I was there, the more I saw what we were working on in the lab being applied to real-life people. I became very interested in research--that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't working with him," he adds.
Following his commencement of medical school in 2009, his interest in cardiology research opportunities led him to work with Paul Armstrong (professor with the Department of Medicine) at the Canadian VIGOUR Centre.
"I spent the entire summer working with Dr. Armstrong and I was able to have my first publication in the Canadian Medical Association Journal," Das says. "As I continued through my education he connected me to Dr. Justin Ezekowitz. I was very fortunate that they accepted me as a trainee, and that was absolutely critical to my career."
Leading with versatility and innovation
What does it take to be a leader in health care? For Das, it has been about being open to new opportunities and adjusting to different roles.
"I think for most people leadership means being a good clinician--which, at the end of it all, beyond the research, you're really not doing anyone any favours if you are not clinically strong," he says. "But for me, leadership means being more multi-faceted. You have to be a good clinician and a leader in your field, which translates to coming up with new ideas and paving new ground."
Das also thinks educating future generations is crucial--serving as a mentor for others just like he was guided to become a leader.
In the near future, the focus of Das' career will be on strengthening his international connections and experience: "Being able to travel and utilize my knowledge for the good of others. That's really one of my objectives of the next year."
Meet our partners in education
The Canadian Medical Association was formed in 1867 and advocates for its members and the public for access to high-quality health care. Currently the CMA has more than 83,000 members across Canada and continues to be a leader on public health issues. The CMA Award for Young Leaders was first awarded in 2004 and has been presented to more than 40 distinguished medical professionals.
If you know a student, resident or young professional that you would like to nominate for a CMA Award for Young Leaders, you can find more details here. Nomination deadline is November 30.