The Vision

Ali Tabatabaey -- When you feel mortally tired just before the end of your education, which had defined your life for the past seven years, nothing can cheer you up and replenish your enthusiasm more than a well deserved vacation. On the other hand, this is also the time when so many questions run though your mind and so many choices dance in front of your eyes. With each choice leading to a different road heading in a different direction, deciding which to choose can be very stressful. And when all these feelings clash to create a true predicament, nothing can untangle your mind like attending a “workshop of strategic planning” in Esfahan!

There is a reason for this philosophical raveling just before leaping off this stage of my life. Recently, I had the privilege of watching Kieslowski’s “Blind Change,” and it really got me thinking about the consequences of the choices I make today. It made me think about what I really want, and the workshop, alongside all the fun of visiting one of the best preserved historical cities of the region, helped me work some of my issues out.

For those who have to serve conscription, the path is clear and there is no escape. For most of you studying in the West, where you go straight into residency, again you only have to make the choice of where and what to study. But the decisions I make within the next couple of months are going to shape the rest of my life. I have to start my 2-year mandatory practice soon, but where to do so is the question to be answered. Should I try to stay in Mashhad, my hometown, and wait till next winter to take the residency exam? Or should I try to move to Tehran and pursue a research career while jeopardizing my chances of becoming a resident or making a reasonable living? Or should I move to a relatively remote area, earn good money and take advantage of the opportunities there? Or should I simply prepare myself for studying abroad?

Although I still can’t answer any of the above questions (and more) with confidence, learning about strategic planning helped me bring my choices into perspective. Even though the workshop was designed for managing organizations, it inspired me to write down a vision, mission, goals and objectives for my personal life, too. It was fun and at the end I thought that it might be a good idea to publish my vision on the blog before leaving. This way I know everyone knows about it and I’ll have to make it come true. I know it’s too ambitious and I assure you I’m not experiencing a manic episode, but that’s what a vision’s for, to visualize you dreams. So here’s my vision for the year 2040:

“I am a distinguished professor of hematology at one of the world’s top medical institutes, and alongside clinical practice I’ve managed a productive research career. My recent Nobel Prize nomination was an exciting and welcome bonus. As the co-author of a textbook of medicine, I’ve been able to pass down my experiences and views to students of medicine, and contributing to a regular column in an international publication helps me express my views in other fields of interest. Using my newly earned fame, I’ve been able to fulfill one of my lifetime dreams by founding a Non-governmental Organization which brings together prominent and influential figures from all around the world who are willing to use their fame and power to make peace, knowledge and true democracy a reality all around the globe.”

As a Persian proverb says, “You can’t blame the young for dreaming!” LOL!