Editor Spotlight: Retno Asti Werdhani

For this month, Dr. Retno Asti Werdhani shares with us her role as PLOS ONE Academic Editor, her career path to the family medicine and primary care, and her passion in medical education.

Dr. Retno Asti Werdhani, also known as Asti, is a lecturer at the Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia (FMUI). She earned her medical degree in 2000 and her Master’s degree in clinical epidemiology in 2006. She received her Doctorate in Medical Sciences in 2016 with a cum laude predicate.

She has been very interested in developing primary care health services, particularly family medicine, since joining the FMUI as a lecturer. This interest motivates her to get involved in educational management, as well as practice experience and clinical management. She has various national and international publications in the fields of family medicine and primary care, as well as other medical fields, as the main author and co-author, and certificates of intellectual property rights. Currently, she is also active as an academic editor and reviewer for international journals such as PLOS ONE and Dove Press.

Through my role as an Academic Editor, I gain writing skills, how to give good feedback to others, and learn about the type of manuscript that may be submitted to journals.

Retno Asti Werdhani

You joined the PLOS ONE Editorial Board as an Academic Editor over a year ago. What are the elements of this role that are similar or different to your role as a researcher?

Working as an Academic Editor allows me to have a global perspective on research paradigms and advances. It also provides me with the chance to assess, validate, and grow as a researcher, teacher, and practitioner in my role as an Academic Editor.

My academic degree and research experience provided me with foundational knowledge of research techniques and developments in the field of medical science, including medical education. My job as an Associate Professor and supervisor of numerous postgraduate and doctorate students exposed me to a wide range of innovations in methodology and writing styles.

On the other hand, through my role as an Academic Editor, I gain writing skills, how to give good feedback to others, and learn about the type of manuscript that may be submitted to journals.

Can you tell us about your career path? What leads you to the current field of family medicine and primary care?

After earning my medical degree in 2000, I began to understand that environmental factors such as family and community have a role in determining the success of patients. I learned that patients cannot manage their medical condition on their own and that the doctor should reduce risk factors so that what the patient goes through does not happen to others. Prevention is a component of treatment.

I believe there is still much room for growth in the field of family medicine and primary care in Indonesia. To advance family medicine and primary care services, I aspire to be one of the pioneers in this area and learn from others.

In addition to being a general practitioner and a researcher, you’re also heavily involved in the curriculum and professional development of medical students and physicians. What makes you passionate about medical education?

Medical education provides a link between service and research. As doctors, we need practical application for the theories we studied from various publications. Education teaches us how to criticize and appraise them. Through education, we can meet the needs of patients and society.

Being a general practitioner is not a popular career choice in Indonesia. However, with hands-on experience and interactions with patients, families, and the community, I can empower them and present my findings to my students. Communicating my success story and interacting with students in turn provide insight into my findings.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by contributors are solely those of individual contributors, and not necessarily those of PLOS.