Many years ago, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (the college where my surgical fellowship was granted to me) set up a new summative assessment exam in implant dentistry.
It was the first of its kind.
I know this was many years ago, because I was in my 30s; I think perhaps I was in my late 30s.
I was invited to be an inaugural examiner of that exam, a man in his 30s from a small town in Scotland, whose dad was a motor mechanic, being asked to be an examiner at the Royal College of Surgeons.
What an honour.
I graciously turned it down.
I wrote about it in my diary at the time; it was a hard decision. But I had a wife who was running mad with 3 young children and still trying to hold down her work as a Macmillan nurse.
I had a career here with patients, work to do, things to build, not really the time or the energy, particularly, to run off to Edinburgh every 10 minutes to examine people,
I turned it down and wondered what would happen later, and how much I might regret it.
The same thing had happened earlier when I decided not to go to medical school to be a head and neck surgeon.
I wondered about that too.
And so it has been, as I've gone through my career, many of the signature points have not been the things that I've got, but the things that I've turned down.
Next week, for my last big travel stuff of the year (thank f**k), I travel to Switzerland, to Basel, and to Zurich as part of my ITI commitment in the job as editor-in-chief of the ITI Academy.
This has been quite an enormous privilege to be the person responsible for online education that looks after 100 countries.
I've met the most extraordinary people (and not who you might expect, not the superstars, but others).
I've been to some extraordinary places as a result of this job; think Cape Town, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Muscat in Oman, Turkey, Paris, etc.etc.etc.
The job that I took was on a two-year term with a two-year extension.
It had never been such a short term before, but I was a risk.
I was glad to be extended after my first 2 years. In fact, most of the good work that we've done has been in the final 2 years.
I was then offered an extension for another 4 years because it's been so successful (apparently), but that's not what I was for.
My job was to get her to hear and then to pass it on to someone better than me, and I have found that individual, and she is extraordinary, and I very much hope that she gets the position.
Some people in the ITI seemed surprised when I said that I didn't want to continue in the post, but I think that is right and proper.
New blood, new ideas, new energy. Step aside.
I will not be writing here in 2 years' time wishing that I'd kept that job on; I'll be writing about something else I did because I was set free.
Turns out that the ITI have decided that they might want me to apply for another job. Something bigger, better, bolder than the one which I already had.
I've honestly not decided whether I will put my name forward for that yet.
It's a bit like examining at the Royal College of Surgeons.
When the Royal College Examiner job came up, I thought I was too young; this new ITI job, I think I'm still too young.
I'll never be short of things to do, never. That is the privilege of my life.
Blog Post Number - 4698
Leave a comment