This is TobiOlatunji.org
I am a Physician with a passion for improving the quality of healthcare through technology. My greatest achievement so far has been developing technology solutions (EHR implementation and patient navigation assistance) for several academic medical centers and Universities across Nigeria. I am blessed with an interesting blend of competences- Healthcare, Creative Entrepreneurship, Data Science, Project Management and Business Development.
A doctor, data scientist, developer and designer
Just 2 years into my clinical role out medical school, I quit my job as a doctor because I realized that the health system was plagued and bogged-down with so many problems because many health systems were neither data-driven nor was available technology and algorithms (commonplace in other industries) being effectively utilized to relieve the frustration that came with a dreaded hospital visit. An illness was bad enough. Long queues, payment reconciliation issues, duplicated orders were unnecessary inefficiency burdens created by a numbness of the system to progress. Most technology solutions in healthcare were also designed by engineers who had very little understanding of the idiosyncrasies of patient care. I think I can contribute to this much-needed transformation in several ways.
There is incredible potential to improve quality of clinical care through data-driven decision making. The massive amounts of data being generated or collected today is a treasure-trove of knowledge from which we can derive wisdom if we apply ourselves. A machine learning engineer or computer science major can only go so far in making sense of clinical data. Most technology solutions in healthcare demonstrate very little understanding of the idiosyncrasies of patient care, leading to more frustration from end-users. I think I can bridge this gap, using my unique understanding of both disciplines to provide invaluable insights that could save lives and improve care for millions of people.
One of the most significant influences on my decision to pursue a career in technology was a guest lecture by Professor Scott D. Stern, from the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, given at our College of Medicine while I was a medical student in 2011. He showed how they were redefining medical education through algorithms, simulations, information systems and software. Taking an elective at the University Hospitals of North Staffordshire, NHS Trust, in Stoke-on-Trent, UK exposed me to several ways technology can shape healthcare practice, workflow and hospital administration.
Early Life
I was born in the ancient metropolitan city of Ibadan. I grew up in a small suburban town called Ilorin in Kwara state in the middle-belt region of Nigeria. I did most of my early schooling there. I moved back to Ibadan to study Medicine at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier University and College of Medicine.
International Experience
I have had the opportunity to visit or work a number of countries including
United Arab Emirates to see the great Dubai, and an observership at the Dubai Healthcare City, August 2014
United Kindgom for an elective at the University Hospitals of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, February 2011
Ghana where I spoke and sponsored the Association of West African Universities Conference, January 2015
Rwanda, where I spoke and sponsored the Association of African Universities Conference respectively, June 2015
United States for my Masters in Medical Informatics at the University of San Francisco in California, August 2016
Togo for an Alliance Francaise excursion during my early schooling, 2003.
Republic of Benin for an Alliance Francaise excursion during my early schooling, 2003.