We were delighted to welcome Mateen back to school last week, as he came to speak with pupils and students in the Med Den Society.

Mateen was delighted to be greeted by some familiar faces on his arrival, former teachers Mr Perry and Mr Thompson, Dr Goodall, as well as fellow former pupil Adam Bridges (2009). 

Mateen did a wonderful job, sharing how he felt Yarm was able to encourage him to study to the best of his ability, as he focused on his future career. Also the number of sports, and opportunities he was able to enjoy during his time at school. 

After studying medicine at York University, Mateen completed his Medical school training  in 2014. Alongside his parents, his two brothers Mobeen (2006) and Mohib (2011) they run the successful Elm Tree Medical Centre in Stockton-on-Tees. He then decided to undertake an MBA in Global Health in 2023. 

He openly shared some of the assumptions he had about medicine, and topics that aren’t always discussed, including managing burnout and the personal responsibility that comes with patient care. Mateen showcased some of the opportunities and career developments he has experienced and how with the advances in AI-assisted healthcare, digital systems and technologies there will be potential for career opportunities in medicine that don’t yet exist! 

Alongside clinical practice, Mateen also works within healthcare innovation and digital transformation. He is Managing Director of an Electronic Health Record company, holds several advisory and board positions, and serves as an External Board Advisor for the UCL Global Business School for Health, where he completed his MBA in 2023.

Having contributed to projects alongside NHS England, he also currently holds positions within the local Integrated Care Board (ICB), works as part of the local neighbourhood healthcare team as a Clinical Lead, and is an active speaker both nationally and internationally on the future of healthcare, innovation, and modern General Practice.

Studying for his MBA opened up a whole new avenue of healthcare innovation and digital health and he is now also an international speaker. Recently appearing on BBC Breakfast, and at the Westminster Health Forum, Mateen has been able to share how they have taken a digital first approach at Elm Bank Surgery, embedding digital triage into everyday practice.

Mateen encouraged the pupils to grasp all the opportunities that come their way, and gave valuable advice never to compare yourself to others and to make sure you have fun along the way! 

Thank you to Mateen for so generously giving us his time, visiting the school and sharing his exciting career journey with the community. 

We are always delighted to hear from former pupils, who are willing to share their experiences and career journey, as students think about their next steps after Yarm. Our talks are designed to support pupils and students, run by our Head of Careers, Tom Newman, and Assistant Head of Careers, Caroline Rhodes, or by specific departments. If you’d like to be involved or find out more, please email Philippa Dunford.