Scholars Conversations – Jonathon Carapetis

Professor JONATHON CARAPETIS describes himself as a dad, husband, doctor, paediatrician, manager and bloke.  His achievements and capacity to influence are extraordinary and the UWA Fogarty Scholars were fortunate to have an exclusive opportunity to have a Conversation with Professor Carapitis – the Director of the Telethon Kids Institue – and discover so much more…

The UWA Fogarty Scholars were inspired as they heard insights from Prof Jonathon Carapetis, the Head of the Telethon Kids Institute, during a recent Scholars Conversation, held at the Harry Perkins Institute.

Professor Carapetis shared his passion for making a difference in his field of child health and told of how his experiences, as a student and practitioner, shaped him as a successful medical practitioner, researcher and leader.  While being named as one of Australia’s top 100 brains, he was able to clearly articulate how taking opportunities and seeking to emulate successful and respected leaders shaped his career.

Although his background has been in the health field, the lessons he passed on were relevant to all.  Here is what some of the scholars had to say:

“I was inspired to do medical research, to be guided by my values and to dedicate myself to a limited number of things rather than try to do everything and be mediocre at them all.”

“Don’t be afraid of asking for mentorship and to not expect to be the best at everything. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.”

“To be the difference and to not be afraid to sway from the norm.”

“To actively seek out mentors and to work out my raison-d’etre, or my driving reason for doing what I do.”

“Approach people to be mentors”

“So many things were said that were relevant to me, as I am studying medical sciences at the moment. The importance of research as a gateway to leadership in medicine was an interesting takeaway from the night. Having mentors, staying true to one’s values, and maintaining work-life balance were also key themes from the night.”

“It was an exceptional talk.”