Impact Story: From Gastroenterologist to Executive Director of High Impact Medicine

Simon Ling (2024 Impact Accelerator Program alum) shares his journey from academic pediatric gastroenterologist to Executive Director of High Impact Medicine.

I'm an academic pediatric gastroenterologist with extensive experience working in the large academic, teaching hospital environment.  I've always sought to have a broader impact during my medical career, through clinical research, development of clinical practice guidelines, and by providing expert support to humanitarian telemedicine programs.  I had also progressed into leadership positions, including as Training Program Director and subsequently as a Division Head.  As we emerged from the worst of the COVID pandemic, I was burnt out and recognized that I needed a significant change in my work.  With lengthy reflection, I realized that I wanted to change my career to increase my impact, especially in global health.  I had a long-standing interest in global child health and had undertaken related research studies early in my career.  

With this objective clarified, I started to explore options and discovered the effective altruism (EA) community online through 80,000 Hours and other aligned organizations.  Their identification of cause areas and approaches to maximizing career impact was energizing.  I was put in touch with High Impact Professionals (HIP) and signed up for their Impact Accelerator Program (IAP).  

The IAP was a game-changer for me.  It provided a unique opportunity to think deeply about my future career options, with the help of a small group of highly supportive, like-minded peers.  Over a 6-week period, we brainstormed, problem-solved, and stretched our horizons to find options that might work, and then to plan practical steps to achieve our career goals.  Crucially, I learnt more about the ecosystem of smaller, EA-aligned non-profit organizations, including many working in global health.

After completing the IAP, I reached out to Clear Solutions, a start-up non-profit working in an area with significant overlap with my long-standing medical expertise (the effective provision of oral rehydration solution and zinc supplementation for children with acute diarrhea in low income countries).  They welcomed my offer to provide volunteer support, in the form of literature reviews related to key questions that impacted their operational decisions.  This provided valuable practical experience of work in an EA organization for me, and was helpful for Clear Solutions as well.  I also attended the EAGxToronto meeting last Fall, which provided further networking opportunities and insights.

When the Executive Director position at High Impact Medicine was advertised, it seemed a great fit for me.  Mainly thanks to HIP, I was now able to approach the application and selection process with a good understanding of EA and how the aligned organizations operate, including how their founders, directors and recruiters think.  I also had evidence on my CV of my strong engagement with EA. 

Although I had achieved positive impact through my career in academic medicine, I sensed that if I remained in the same role for the next 5-10 years, my impact would dwindle and frustrations would grow.  After a process of deep reflection, and with the invaluable, practical help from HIP, I am refocused and re-energized.  I am now embarking on an exciting new phase that provides an immense opportunity to amplify my impact, guiding High Impact Medicine to realize its vision of more doctors doing more good to solve the world’s big problems.