Rómulo Tapia: Medical Manager Baxter RCS Ecuador

• How long have you been at RCS?

I have been here since 2019. I did not know about Baxter RCS before my specialty, but I learned about it when I was doing my specialty in Brazil. Here in the south of the country, where I am now based, there were very few nephrologists, so when they found out that I was doing a postgraduate course in Nephrology, Baxter RCS contacted me, so when I arrived here I was invited by the company.

I took a month of vacation and then I visited the company, and well, I immediately went to work, so we have been with Baxter RCS since 2019.

• What is your role in RCS?

Currently my role is National Medical Manager. It has been a process, I started as a Nephrologist in the company. Later, they gave me the opportunity to be the medical director at Baxter RCS RCS Cuenca, which is where I am based and, for 2 years and a little more, I have been in charge of the National Medical Management.

• What is the most important part of your job?

Beyond the role that the company has now entrusted to me, I believe that the most important part is the interaction with human beings, an interaction not only with the collaborators (the work we do every day), but also the interaction with our patients and the The fact of working with human beings from the point of view of responsibility, of leadership in the company, as well as with patients from the medical point of view, is the best that one can expect from a profession.

• What motivates you to stay at RCS?

When I arrived at Baxter RCS, like any person when they first arrive attending their function, they seek to join the company, obviously they have to meet certain requirements of the company (being an honest person, etc.), but little by little, one He is convincing why he should stay. I believe that Baxter RCS motivates me to stay because it is in line with my principles and my convictions. The fact of being a highly responsible company, an honest company where Ethics and Compliance go hand in hand in everything we do, is how I am on a day-to-day basis. So, that makes it very satisfying for me and motivates me to stay with the company.

• What would you say to you 15 years ago?

I would tell him: ”Look ahead, don't stop, continue with the intentions and projects you have, don't be afraid if you make a mistake. Since you started you did a good job, you were probably wrong many times, but I do not regret from my mirror everything that from how you are now you will be later.

"On the way, you learn more from mistakes than from successes. In the evolution of the human being, mistakes are made and you have to make mistakes soon, then, make mistakes now, so that you learn."

• What professional advice would you give someone starting their career?

Exactly the same thing I said to myself fifteen (15) years ago. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, the important thing is to act. There is nothing worse than being left without trying. So, I believe that the most important thing in life, especially when you are young, when the energy is there, is to enter eagerly into all the projects and purposes you have, to do it without fear, no matter if you make a mistake. In fact, along the way you learn more from your mistakes than from your successes. So, in the evolution of the human being it is necessary to make mistakes and you have to make mistakes soon, then, make mistakes now, so that you learn.

• What advice would you give your teams to approach 2021 in the best way?

The most important thing is what we learned in 2020, this was a very complex year for all of humanity and for us too, but that complexity has allowed us to get the best out of ourselves and be able to face a very difficult situation, both from the point of personal point of view, as well as from a professional point of view. What we learned in 2020 allows us to be stronger in 2021 and that same initiative, energy and strength that we put into 2020, I think is what should drive us for 2021 to be better every day.

• From the learnings of 2020, have you applied any action or do you have any objective related to it for this year?

Yes, in 2020 we learned a lot from this situation, what human beings are capable of in difficult times and what we learned the most is to value family and to value life, I think modernity has made human beings depersonalize a little, due to this rush and the rush we have on a day-to-day basis, thus forgetting the most important thing: valuing life, being happy with little things and valuing family. The fact of being at home due to confinement and teleworking has allowed us to value our loved ones and ourselves as human beings more. That is the biggest learning of 2020.

"The fact of being at home due to confinement and teleworking has allowed us to value our loved ones and ourselves as human beings more."