Tuesday 15 October 2024
Associate Medical Director Dr Janos Baombe, has shared the story of his background and Emergency Medicine (EM) career achievements so far for Black History Month (BHM). RCEM’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee will be sharing a series of these inspiring Q&A submissions from Black EM professionals throughout October.
Tell us about yourself and your background?
My parents met at university in Hungary, where they were both studying Medicine in the ‘70s. My father was from Cameroon and my mother was Hungarian. Hungary at the time was behind the Iron Curtain and had not been exposed to many Africans and their cultures. I was my parents’ first born, and I made an appearance shortly after they got married in a small provincial city in the mid 70s.
Historical context is important here as my sister and I were the only multiracial children who lived in Szekszard, and my father the only Black African. Despite the strange looks that my family encountered when we went out, I have very fond memories of my childhood. My parents always taught me “not to bother about what uneducated people might think or say about the colour of our skin”.
In 1982, my parents decided to migrate to my father’s home country of Cameroon. This was due to a combination of things, but mostly in search of a better life and education for us. I remember this being a very exciting moment in our lives; we were moving to another country and another continent! Not many Hungarians had experienced foreign travel in those years, as the Communist regime at the time did not allow for free movement of people and certainly not to a ‘western capitalist’ country.
The move was a real culture shock for us. We arrived in July, and I was due to start school in September with my sister. We were in a new country with a new language and had two months to switch from Hungarian to French. I completed my primary school and college years in Douala, where my sister and I often experienced the opposite of what we had experienced in Hungary; we went from being too Black to suddenly being too White!
I eventually returned to Hungary well after the fall of the Berlin Wall and started studying Medicine at the same medical school as my parents. In fact, I have a picture taken in the 70s of my father sat in the library, and a picture of me taken in the same library in the 90s! Hungary was preparing to join the EU at the time, and I remember thinking how much it had changed since I was last there.
After I graduated from university in 2001, I took up a resident job (FY1 and FY2 equivalent) in a small but modern hospital where I worked for almost three years. I really enjoyed my rotations there and made lots of close friends, many of whom I am still in touch with today.
In 2004, I decided to come to the UK to gain experience in Emergency Medicine, as it was not a standalone speciality then in Hungary. The plan was to spend no more than six months in a UK Emergency Department and then return to my base hospital rich with this knowledge and experience. 20 years on and I am still here and have not returned. I had found my new adoptive country, city and home!
Why did you choose Emergency Medicine?
I will borrow the saying “I did not choose Emergency Medicine, it chose me!”
I had initially enrolled on an Anaesthetic rotation programme in Hungary but found myself captivated by the emergency side of things. As part of the rotation, I worked for 6 months in Acute Medicine and discovered that true Emergency Medicine (EM) as we define it in the UK did not exist then. Medical and trauma emergencies were run by two totally separate teams and departments. EM was not a standalone speciality then in Hungary and merging the two fields did present some challenges nationally. The curriculum and training needed to be adjusted and this was partly driven by Hungary joining the EU in 2004 but mostly by a recognition by medical professions that we needed to step into the 21st century.
In 2005, I decided to leave Hungary to get a taste of Emergency Medicine in a country where it was well established. After hesitating between Ireland, Sweden, and the UK, I opted for the UK. I started working in the Northwest of England and my first job was in Liverpool. The first few months were very difficult due to the local accent. I really struggled to understand some of my patients and colleagues, however I didn’t give up and decided to remain in the UK.
I moved to Manchester approximately six months later and very quickly fell in love with the city and its people. I have since worked in or around Manchester (apart from a year and half in Somerset) as an EM non-deanery trainee and now a consultant.
What are the highlights of your career?
After arriving in the UK, I wasn’t able to get onto a deanery training programme, despite loads of attempts up and down the country and across all four nations. I’d heard about a new Master’s in Emergency Medicine programme that was being launched by Prof Kevin Mackway-Jones at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI). Kevin and his team had recognised the value and importance of what he called “the lost tribe of EM” and had developed the MSc in EM to credentialise the training of non-deanery doctors. I joined the programme at MRI in 2008 and I have remained here ever since.
Over the years, I trained with some fantastic nursing and medical colleagues at both MRI and Manchester Children’s (RMCH). I exited the programme with a MSc, PgCert as well as FRCEM.
My mother flew in for my diploma ceremony and I recall the immense pride in her eyes at the event in London. I applied for my consultant job at the MRI and have since been working here as an established consultant.
Three years ago, I was appointed as Clinical Lead for Quality and Safety for my department. This was a daunting role which introduced me to a more senior managerial role in the NHS and required me to develop a new skill set. It felt like the natural progression to my career as I had a decade of consultant experience and was ready for a new challenge. I had the full support of my colleagues and mentors who believed in me and helped guide me to where I am today. One of those people is Dr Rosemary Morton, who I cannot thank enough for being a true inspiration, advocate, and guiding light to me.
Earlier this year, I was successfully appointed to an Associate Medical Director role at my hospital. This appointment happily coincides with my 20th year of working in the NHS – and also 20 years of living in the country that I call ‘home’.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Despite often joking about retirement to my friends and colleagues, when I wake up most days all I truly think is “OMG I want to do all of the above again!!”
Read about another of our BHM EM Champions: ED Nurse Rena’s Story
