Dr. Tamás Szántó

Dr. Tamás Szántó was driven by family motivation to become a radiologist, and he doesn’t regret his decision one bit: he views his profession with dedication, through the triple lens of his medical, human and technical orientation. He is the chief radiologist and professional leader of the TritonLife Diagnostic Center in Veszprém – in addition to his managerial, consulting and organizational duties – and is also actively involved in medical tasks, whether it be X-rays, ultrasounds, CT, MRI or mammography scans.

– In primary and secondary school, I imagined myself in the humanities, and even today I have a strong interest in human activities. It is interesting that the healthcare field entered my life with the motto “look for the woman!” After graduating, I worked as a postman for a year, and I thought I would apply to the Faculty of Humanities, but my girlfriend at the time was studying at the Medical University of Pécs, and our relationship essentially motivated me to continue in this direction, recalls Dr. Tamás Szántó, who moved from his hometown of Nagykanizsa to the seat of Baranya county.

He chose radiology instead of a research career

“For a long time, I felt that I would become a scientist, a research doctor – in Pécs, the strength of the Department of Physiology, the professors working there, and the various behavioral experiments inspired me to do so – but then this changed for several reasons. Fortunately, university went well, I didn’t get bored with my studies, but my relationship ended. The motto “find the woman!” had an impact on my career later, including why I became a radiologist.

– When I received my diploma, I already had two children, so my wife and I were wondering if we would like to move to a place where one of our parents is close. We finally chose the latter between Nagykanizsa and Balatonfüred, and the Veszprém hospital needed radiologist colleagues. I always say that I have never regretted becoming a radiologist, even though I did not come closer to this goal through direct decisions. We cannot take my family’s motivation out of this equation – points out Dr. Tamás Szántó, who started working at the Veszprém hospital in 1985, and this is still one of his jobs today.

Step by step up the professional ladder

– I started with X-ray examinations, then I worked my way up the professional ladder. In the 2000s, I became a chief physician, and then from 2008, I became a chief physician and head of the center. Then, from 2016, I was the deputy medical director in the hospital management, then the medical director, and then the general director – summarizes the radiologist, who these days does the lion's share of his work at TritonLife Veszprém Diagnosztika, and also works as a professional consultant in its outpatient clinic.

– In addition to operating the diagnostic center, I also perform diagnostics (X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI, mammography), because I love this part of my profession and do not want to leave it. Although teleradiology (remote diagnostics) requires special technology and organization, it works smoothly with us, and I can perform many tasks from home or any suitable location.

Reconciling the duality

– My interest in the humanities is unbroken, because I believe that there are complex processes in healing that require comprehensive thinking, with knowledge of the body and the soul. The title of my thesis also reflects my attitude well: “The philosophical aspects of the body and the soul and their impact on healing”. I can reconcile this duality well, I do not feel that I should choose only one of the humanistic and realistic perspectives. I am not a fan of excessive specialization.

Interestingly, I also have a bit of technical flair, my interest in IT and the assembly of various machines also quickly became apparent. Because of my X-ray profession, I mainly delved into imaging IT – shares with us Dr. Tamás Szántó, who is also very experienced in healthcare organization and education of young people, as well as expanding hospital teams.

His professional beliefs are tied to teaching and supporting junior doctors, as he believes that talents should be passed on and professional activities should serve the community, while there is a close trust and community bond between doctors, nurses and assistants.

He took an active role in the early phase of the development of teleradiology in Hungary, then he also took on an advisory role in the establishment of the EESZT (Electronic Health Service Space), and set up work organization examples with different teams. Therefore, he has numerous lectures, discussions and consultations in the field of health informatics.

A vibrant cultural life in Balatonfüred

– Most of my hobbies also reflect the combination of human and technical orientation: among other things, I organize cultural events (such as film clubs) in Füred and its surroundings – we founded the Hamvas Béla Asztaltársaság over 20 years ago, where we preserve and nurture the writer’s intellectual legacy – and I also create websites and film subtitles. I like going to concerts and hiking, climbing all kinds of heights around Füred, and exploring the hilly landscapes. During our family trips, we set out to explore along three important aspects: cultural values, gastronomy (this includes good wines and other drinks) and the waterfront.