Johann Malawana - Founder & CEO

Need for an

addition of

18 million

healthcare

workers in the

next 10yrs!

an interview with

Founder

​​Johann Malawana

Miron Bykov London - 21/10/2019

Today we spoke to Johann Malawana Founder & CEO of Medics.Academy
 
Medics.Academy, founded by Johann in 2016, is a health education technology company, it’s stated mission is to solve the workforce crisis affecting healthcare systems globally and the need for 18million additional healthcare workers over the next decade.

Tell me about the day the idea was born.
I worked as a clinician in the NHS, delivering babies for 8 years. Throughout the 15 years of my experience in healthcare I held multiple leadership roles, meaning I was deeply aware of the rapid increase in demand for healthcare.
 
Over the next decade there will be a need for an additional 18 million healthcare workers globally.
 
If you look at primary care in the UK, the fastest we can train a GP is 10 years. It takes 10 years from the first day at medical school to the last day qualifying as a General Practitioner. To get someone to train a future General Practitioner takes far longer, as they have to become a General Practitioner and then gain years of experience. General Practice is the shortest training programme in the UK.
Having realised that the traditional way of training clinicians will not solve the problem, I realised through technology and digital solutuions, we could solve the problem, giving birth to Medics.Academy.
    
What was the biggest turning point in the life of Medics.Academy?
I don’t think we have got to that point yet. We have achieved a lot, but I think the best is still ahead of us!
 
Three top tips for aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. Be sure this is what you want to do – like ACTUALLY
2. Love what you are doing – it is what will bring the motivation
3. Know why you are doing it – have a bigger purpose for why you are doing what you are doing

 Often you are told culture is important, one of the things I have come to realise and I am not very politically correct about, is that I don’t believe culture is about beer taps and fuzeball. I would rather people that want beer taps go and work for a beer tap company, but if you want to change the world for the better, come and work at Medics.Academy. I would advise any entrepreneur starting out, have a mission that you feel passionate about.
 
What gets you out of bed every morning?
My 3-year-old, who jumps in my head! On a serious note, getting out of bed is not a problem, the excitement that every day is different and has different challenges usually makes it easy. How do I get this excitement? I don’t see my job as work, it’s almost like an adventure! There are parts that are incredibly scary, like not knowing whether the company will still be here in 6 months, but that doesn’t take away that the work we are doing truly has meaning and that keeps me very excited.
 
What did you want to be when you were little?
A doctor. I managed to be what I always wanted to be. Now I am rediscovering my childhood by having new dreams and aspirations.
 
Favourite Disney character:
What a question! I have no idea. My sons are very into the Lion King so it would have to be Timon (Lion King)
 
What is Medics.Academy planning for the world next?
We are in the middle of fund-raising right now, due to the rapid growth, we need to catch up on where we are, and then make long-term plans for the future. If we achieve even a fraction of what we want, we will have succeeded in our mission of having a positive impact on the world of healthcare. 

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