Eszter Szele, MD.

"Thorough occupational health examinations serve to spot the warning signs and prevent trouble," says Dr Eszter Szele, who started out in preventive medicine and public health, and then built her occupational health career on this. She is determined to carry out her prevention-focused work, and her advice and guidance make us feel that we are taking control of our own health and lifestyle.

- In high school, I decided that I wanted to choose a career in medicine, because I was interested in the functioning of the human body, and realistic subjects in general were closer to me," recalls Dr. Eszter Szele, who moved from her hometown Győr to Pécs to study at the University of Medicine.

She started as a resident in paediatrics, mainly in paediatric oncology, but as she progressed she became more and more aware of his interest in disease prevention. In 2006, she became involved in this field at the Institute of Public Health, including prevention of public health diseases, screening and vaccination.

At the Institute, he was involved in the molecular epidemiology of cancer, the genetic background of its development and biomarker research. His PhD thesis was based on this, and although she worked actively at the Institute for one year, the professional relationship was long-lasting. She obtained his PhD in 2014.

Preventive medicine

- At the same time, I worked for the National Health Service and its successor institutions, where I was involved in vaccination, prevention, counselling and health administration, among other things. This was more theoretical work, relatively distant from classical patient care. However, during the reorganisation of the institution, I was fortunate to have the former OMFI integrated into the organisation as the Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Safety, and I had the opportunity to get involved in clinical care again," says Dr Eszter Szele, who thus started her second degree. So she built on preventive medicine and public health to qualify as an occupational physician.

Excitingly interconnected areas

- I think the two professions are closely linked because within the framework of preventive medicine we are talking about public health programmes and screenings (i.e. activities covering a larger population), and what we can transfer from this to the individual level is one of the most suitable occupational health professions, since it is compulsory for everyone who works in an organised workplace to have an annual check-up, even those who, to put it mildly, do not know their own GP or do not pay any attention to their health. For me, it is important to have visible results of screening and prevention", emphasises the specialist, who after his years in Pécs moved first to Győr, then to Szentendre, and has been strengthening the team of health care providers in Budapest for years. At TritonLife, she will be helping patients from January 2024.

The combination of the two professions has also led to the creation of a personalised screening programme, which allows employees and anyone who contacts Dr Eszter Szele, i.e. who applies individually for a screening combined with the health programme, including genetic testing, to receive an individual risk assessment, thus taking the power of prevention into their own hands.

Disease prevention is the most important part of his professional credo

- I am committed to catching any warning symptoms or disease-preventing conditions at the earliest possible stage, before a manifest disease has developed. It is much easier to prevent these 'abnormalities' by lifestyle changes or minimal therapeutic intervention than to treat an established, even complicating, disease. Unfortunately, my experience so far is that prevention and the promotion and development of a healthy lifestyle are mostly neglected areas, and in many cases people only consult a doctor once serious problems have already developed. But thorough occupational health checks are precisely the way to spot the warning signs and prevent trouble," stresses the specialist, who prefers to spend his time outside the surgery with his family and travelling. She says it's a real re-energising experience to discover new places, different cultures or to enjoy special culinary experiences together.