BY JAMIU BUSARI (@JOBUSAR)
Dr. Pongtong Puranitee (MD, MHPE, PhD, SFHEA) Deputy dean for undergraduate medical education, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Email: pongtongung@gmail.com, Pongtong.pur@mahidol.ac.th;
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pongtong-puranitee-386356a9
Dr Pongtong Puranitee is a pediatrician and a graduate fellow in allergy and immunology at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, in Bangkok, Thailand. She works in the ambulatory pediatric and adolescent unit of the Department of Pediatrics, overseeing children with general pediatric conditions and allergies, as well as those visiting the child welfare clinic.
Dr Puranitee graduated from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University, in 2006, and completed her pediatric training at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University. After completing her pediatric training in 2010, she did a 2-year fellowship in allergy and immunology at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. She completed a master’s in health professions education at Maastricht University in 2016, and two years later began her PhD in medical education at the Graduate School of Health Professions Education. Pongtong completed her PhD in 2023 and received the Jeroen van Merriënboer Dissertation Award 2023 for the best dissertation in her cohort. In her words, she said, “receiving the award was the highest honor in my life; I felt prestigious.”
Dividing her Time
In December 2023, Dr Puranite was promoted to deputy dean for undergraduate medical education at the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, while also taking on the role of director of the medical curriculum. As a result, her clinical work responsibilities decreased to 20%, while her administrative tasks increased to about 75%, leaving 5% left for teaching and research. “I have shifted my focus from being a clinical educator primarily teaching medical students to a role that emphasizes knowledge management and engaging other educators in communities of practice to enhance our teaching competencies,” she said. This shift in focus is also reflected in her administrative responsibilities. Pongtong has also transitioned from being a principal investigator to assuming collaborative and consulting roles in research related to clinical work and medical education. For example, in the evenings and on weekends, Pongtong occasionally converses with medical students who are unavailable during office hours due to their learning schedules. Also part of her administrative tasks is faculty development, including participating in the organization of the Thai medical education conference, co-hosted by Ramathibodi Hospital, which attracted over 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries. Pongtong also oversees the curriculum renewal of the UG medical program and received WFME accreditation in 2025. Her research and scholarly work include her role as an associate editor for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, which she says requires her to learn new skills. “I have learned a lot from reading and reviewing articles on different topics,” she said.
When asked how she enjoys the diversity in her career, Pongtong responded that, while her career appears diverse, it is actually strongly interrelated. In medicine, the Latin verb “docēre” means ‘to teach’ or ‘to be a teacher’. “As a clinician, patients motivate me to practice my job to help heal, make them feel better, and prevent other illnesses and health conditions”. As an educator, I derive motivation from observing my students’ growth. When you see someone grow stronger and become more competent as you strive to help them, it is rewarding. I also enjoy seeing clinical educators dedicated to supporting individual students in developing a professional identity by serving as role model teachers. Pongtong feels proud and motivated not only by students’ achievements but also by the struggles of students who have improved themselves and graduated to become strong pillars of the public health system.
Managing difficulties
When asked about the challenges associated with diversity in her role as a CE, Dr Puranitee responded that the diverse nature of her work is not a difficulty for her. However, the challenge lies in persuading other clinical educators to recognize how the roles of clinician and educator can blend and support one another. The clinician is responsible for teaching and healing patients, while the educator focuses on fostering positive change in students to achieve good patient outcomes. Although these roles may seem different, they naturally coexist in clinical clerkship teaching. According to the Authentic Learning concept, learning in a real setting effectively facilitates the integration of these two diverse careers, leading to efficient learning and positive patient outcomes. According to her, the solution is typically managed through faculty development programs and the human resources allocation, reward, and recognition systems.
Three tips for junior CEs:
- My first tip is to practice gratitude by acknowledging the kindness of benefactors and striving to repay them through charitable deeds. Cherish the support you received and give back consistently. These behaviors will foster pride in yourself and motivate you to reciprocate the benefits you have received. I realise this when I think about my supervisors, whom I am constantly grateful for every day: Prof. Dr. Walther N.K.A. van Mook, who serves as a role model as a CEO and inspires me to succeed and help others succeed; Prof. Dr. Sylvia Heeneman, who mentored and supported me in implementing key features of programmatic assessment and faculty development, motivating me to support other institutions such as affiliated hospitals as she has supported me; and Dr. Jamiu O. Busari, a pediatrician who provided practical guidance for managing PhD progression and understood my dual role as a PhD student and clinician. This awareness helps me pay it forward when I supervise or collaborate with my colleagues on their roles, allowing me to offer more practical suggestions.
- My second tip is to integrate a diverse range of activities into your work and personal life in a healthy way and to allow time to clear your mind peacefully, such as through meditation.
- Lastly, a positive organizational culture fosters a sense of belonging and support and is committed to creating this environment by including the participation of peers, colleagues, students, health professionals, staff, and even patients. Everyone should feel valued and safe and stay motivated, as I did during my PhD study, and these principles can help face difficulties and challenges now and in the future of your career.
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