At the Intersection of Administration and Medicine

Eevert Partinen works as a stand-in Deputy Chief Physician at Kalajärvi health station. His interest in medicine began in upper-secondary school, but the choice of career was not a no-brainer.

"I spent a lot of time thinking over what career to choose," Eevert recalls. "I found myself drawn to medicine, architecture, and business."

Eevert sought advice from a guidance counselor and a career psychologist. In the end, his interest in physiology and biology tipped the scales towards medical school.

Reflecting on his meeting with the career psychologist, Eevert sees how all of his early interests—in one way or another—converge in his current career: alongside clinical practice, there's the business aspect and strategic thinking; and then there's developmental work where larger systems are, as Eevert puts it, "constructed from individual blocks."

After graduation, Eevert began his residency at the Lohja health centre. As a specialist in general medicine, he saw patients while also working in home care, hospital wards, and emergency medicine. Not long after, he found himself also working with various developmental tasks. Eevert was inspired by colleague Valtteri Kiuru, who had combined patient work with administrative tasks during his own specialization training.

"I appreciate my time in Lohja. Doctors in training were well-supported, yet encouraged to grow forward in their careers," Eevert notes.

Administrative roles have given Eevert deeper insights into organizational processes, which has also enriched his clinical skills as a specialist. He encourages all doctors-in-training with an interest in management to discuss it openly with supervisors.

"Administrative tasks bring variety to the daily grind and connect you with various stakeholders," he sums up.

As part of specialization training, Eevert has worked in many different facilities across Uusimaa and recommends embracing variety with an open mind.

"Specialization can feel fragmented, but exposure to multiple organizations and municipalities teaches you what genuinely works. You will also get familiar with various patient information systems," Eevert adds.

He emphasizes facing situations and patient groups that initially seem intimidating. To improve his confidence in psychiatry and chronic pain treatment, he deliberately sought positions focusing on those areas.

"Lean into your discomfort," Eevert advises. "Find the common thread and move forward by facing it."

Eevert has experience from the private sector as well. After Lohja, he worked at Mehiläinen where, among other things, he substituted the lead physician in the personal-doctor pilot. Later on, he led the sleep medicine services at Terveystalo under the Fokus Uni unit.

"I appreciate my time at the private sector too. Commercial-sector leadership taught me invaluable lessons that I may have never found in traditional medical organizations.

Yet, Eevert has no desire to pit the public and private sectors against each other. In autumn 2024, Eevert started a study leave from Terveystalo, as he wanted to continue his specialization.

"In my opinion, Western Uusimaa stands strong together! When I had to choose where to continue my specialization, the choice was easy. I have noticed how, in Western Uusimaa, there is a genuine dedication to plan and develop services for the best of patients and professionals.

Eevert began working at Kalajärvi in February 2025. He has enjoyed his work immensely. While Eevert considers public sector decision-making to be less smooth in comparison, he also believes in overcoming challenges through collaborative planning and development. In addition, he appreciates how open wellbeing services counties are with sharing information and successes between each other.

In addition to his residency and work duties, Eevert is pursuing a subspecialty in sleep medicine and offers appointments at Terveystalo. The days are sometimes long, but variety and meaningfulness of his work keeps him going.

"I may feel pretty done by the end of the day. However, there is also a feeling of gratefulness. What keeps me motivated? Interesting and rewarding work, and colleagues who you can have a laugh with during coffee breaks! It's absolutely essential that your job gives you more than it takes," Eevert concludes.