Nikolaos Arkadopoulos, Chair of the School of Medicine at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, spoke with emotion and pride about meeting Greek doctors who are making a name for themselves in the United States, emphasizing the importance of creating favourable conditions for their return to Greece.
Drawing on his own experience, he said that the country can give them the space to create and contribute—and itself become a place of excellence and hope for the next generation of scientists.
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‘What moves me most during my trips to the United States is meeting Greek doctors who have distinguished themselves there. I come across old classmates and friends who have been away for decades, as well as younger colleagues, including my former student Leon Naar, an honours graduate of our School, who is now completing his surgical residency at Stanford. It is our duty to create the conditions that will bring Greek minds back to the country!
I am very proud that, over the past two years, the School of Medicine at the University of Athens has successfully recruited over 20 brilliant scientists from abroad—a number unprecedented for a Greek public entity. Thanks to its reputation—and despite the modest salaries offered in the public sector—our School managed to attract doctors holding faculty and leadership positions across Europe and the United States. I am deeply grateful to them for joining our shared effort to improve medical education and advance healthcare in our country.’
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