LTR 58: Tips for clinicians transitioning into a medical safety role in MedTech

“The reality is that, today, a lot of people are studying medicine to go into industry. But if your curriculum do not include areas like risk management, cross-functional collaboration, dFMEA and all of that, then transition for that position is going to be slower.”In this Let’s Talk Risk! conversation, Dr. Juan Daccach shares his personal journey of transitioning into a medical safety role in MedTech as a practicing orthopedic joint reconstruction surgeon. He advises clinicians aspiring to transition into a Medical Safety role to proactively bridge gaps in their medical training and experience for success.As an example, clinicians are trained to focus on the worst case and minimizing its impact on an individual patient. Managing risks of a medical device, on the other hand, is not just about the worst case scenario. It is about striking a positive balance between benefit and risk. There is no quality without safety, and there is no safety without quality. That is why broadening your view of a medical device, how it is developed and what it takes to bring it to market, is important for success. There is a need to include these topics into medical curriculum and continuing education. Listen to this Let’s Talk Risk! conversation with Dr. Juan Daccach, which also includes an open discussion with a live audience. Jump to a section of interest using these timestamps.00:02:11 Introduction00:08:32 Overcoming challenges when transitioning as a clinician into MedTech00:12:18 Learning to speak the language of Quality and Regulatory00:15:00 Challenges in integrating Medical Safety with QA/RA function00:18:11 Audience Q&A and general discussion00:31:25 Closing comments and key takeawaysIf you enjoyed this podcast, consider subscribing to the Let’s Talk Risk! newsletter.Suggested links:Fundamentals of Risk Management: An introductory on-demand course for medical device risk management on ACHIEVE. About Dr. Juan Daccach, MDJuan Dacach, MD is currently the Vice President of Product Safety at Metz Aesthetics. Previously he was in various leadership positions in Medical Safety and Medical Affairs at various leading MedTech companies. He specialized in Orthopedics and trauma during his medical training, residency and fellowship as an MD. As part of his continuing education in the industry, he also acquired certifications in quality, auditing, coaching and leadership communication. Let’s Talk Risk! with Dr. Naveen Agarwal is a weekly live audio event on LinkedIn, where we talk about risk management related topics in a casual, informal way. Join us at 11:00 am EST every Friday on LinkedIn.DisclaimerInformation and insights presented in this podcast are for educational purposes only. Views expressed by all speakers are their own and do not reflect those of their respective organizations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naveenagarwalphd.substack.com/subscribe