Doctor with international cooperation duties

When Major (Med.) Taija Lahtinen was studying medicine, a future career in a military post was not her number one plan. Now, having worked in the Defence Forces for a couple of decades, she is specialised in aviation medicine and holds a post of a senior medical officer in the Lapland Air Wing.

The video is available only in Finnish.

Lahtinen has had different kind of jobs during her career. In her current post, she is responsible for the Rovaniemi garrison health centre. Her primary duty is clinical work, which means providing conscripts and personnel with health services.

She is also involved in tasks related to aviation medicine and flight safety, working with the Air Wing personnel, as well as in operational planning and readiness duties. She also participates in military and field training exercises. Frequent international cooperation is also part of her job.

– It is important to be aware of the fact that the main task is national defence. I am a part of a large system, and my role is to ensure troops’ performance and health.

From the pandemic to rescue duties

The seasoned doctor has seen a lot during her career. One period Lahtinen will never forget was the pandemic, during which she held an administrative post in the Defence Command.

– We had to make big decisions back then, remould the conscript training system and work with a huge amount of information, Lahtinen says.

She also has a vivid memory of an Air Force international operation in Iceland she was involved in. While planning medical activities, participants kept worrying whether and when the volcano nearby will erupt. The skills of a Flight Surgeon were being tested in the context of a flight accident in the Lapland Air Wing. A Hornet crashed, but the pilot ejected safely.

– We got through that, too, and it all ended as well as an incident like that can possibly end. It was tough, but has eventually turned into a positive experience in my mind.

Vantage point for observing the Finnish youth

Lahtinen is a Doctor of Medical Science and a General Practitioner, with a qualification of a Flight Surgeon. A general practitioner cares for the health of individuals as well as the whole population. Lahtinen considers the Defence Forces to be a vantage point with a view to the current status of society and particularly to the youth and how they are doing.

– Almost an entire age group enters service in the Defence Forces. It is quite easy to stay on top of what is going on with our youth, what works with them and what burdens them, Lahtinen says.

According to Lahtinen, daily work in the Defence Forces is flexible, also providing opportunities to maintain and improve one’s professional competence. In a military organisation, however, one cannot escape a somewhat rigid bureaucracy. In any case, it is the attitude that matters most.

– One of the most important qualities is a certain kind of an enthusiastic, hands-on attitude. You don’t always know what peculiarities the day might bring along. You’ll be just fine as long as you are not afraid of doing things but brave enough to face them.