TEDxUMFT

First edition • November 7, 2026 • Timișoara

Falling in love with medicine (again)

A story aboutcuriosity

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6 speakers confirmedLast Call · €40Starting November 2

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01Theme

Falling in love with medicine (again)

Medicineisnotjustaprofession.Itisaformofcuriosity,ofcourage,andofcareforanotherperson.

For the first edition of TEDxUMFT, we go back to where the story began: the moment we chose medicine.

Between night shifts, exams, paperwork, and exhaustion, the initial enthusiasm often fades. Routine covers vocation, and the question "why did I choose this?" is left unanswered. But medicine is not just a profession. It is a form of curiosity, of courage, and of care for another person.

So how do we fall in love with it again? Through ideas worth spreading.

Doctors, researchers, students, and patients step onto the same stage and bring distinct yet complementary perspectives. Each story is a piece of a larger puzzle. Together, they rebuild the picture of a craft that remains, above all, deeply human.

TEDxUMFT is dialogue, honest vulnerability, and non-formal education. It is the space where we remember why we started and allow ourselves to continue differently.

Why?

Because caring for others starts with caring for your own calling.

02Speakers

Voices of this edition

Doctors, researchers and students on the same stage, each bringing a different perspective on medicine.

Dr. Vlad Meche, M.D.
Cardiology Resident
Vlad Meche sees medicine as a space where science, people, and curiosity meet.
A fifth-year resident in cardiology specialising in cardio-oncology, Vlad is driven not only by his clinical work, but also by his passion for teaching and connecting with people. He is based at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Timișoara and has contributed to research and scientific work in cardiology and cardio-oncology.
For five years, he was part of an improv theatre group: an experience that taught him to think on his feet, embrace uncertainty, and connect with an audience.
After the pandemic, he discovered a very different kind of creativity: handmade leathercrafting. What started as a hobby became another way for him to create something tangible, patiently and entirely by hand. He has since developed his own leathercrafting project, creating handmade leather accessories.
From the hospital to the theatre stage and from scientific research to a piece of leather in his hands, Vlad brings together seemingly different worlds, united by curiosity, creativity, and a genuine love for learning and sharing with others.
Dr. George Constantin, M.D.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
For Dr. George D. Constantin, medicine is more than a profession. It is a journey shaped by knowledge, responsibility, and the lives we have the privilege to influence.
A graduate of both Dental Medicine and General Medicine at Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timișoara, he is a dentist, medical doctor, and specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, combining clinical practice with an academic career.
For more than 11 years, as an Assistant Professor, he has contributed to the education of future healthcare professionals. His academic and doctoral work has explored a fundamental question: what transforms medical knowledge into the qualities of a truly good doctor?
On the TEDxUMFT stage, Dr. Constantin explores passion, professional choices, and the complex relationship between vocation and financial success, asking us to reconsider what truly gives meaning and value to a career in medicine.
Sofija Banjanin
6th-year Medical Student
Sofija Banjanin, a 6th-year medical student at UMFT, points out that medicine goes beyond diagnosing conditions: it is about understanding the human mind, its complexity, and the lived experiences behind every symptom.
Alongside medicine, she has developed a strong interest in linguistics, communication, psychology, and the ways in which these fields intersect.
As a speaker of multiple languages, she became particularly interested in the connections between language, human behaviour, communication, and the way we understand one another.
She explains: “The reason I chose medicine is that the science and philosophy of it are incredible, and the application even greater: sharing knowledge and empathy, connecting with people and offering a helping hand to all those in need.”
Instead of seeing language as merely a tool for exchanging information, she invites us to consider a deeper question: how does the way we communicate influence the way we understand, empathize with, and ultimately care for others?
Dr. Shruti Kaushal, M.D.
Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon
Dr. Shruti Kaushal believes that plastic surgery is about far more than changing appearances: it is about understanding people, their motivations, and the stories they carry.
Originally from New Delhi, India, she moved to Romania to study medicine and graduated from the Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timișoara in 2005, finishing at the top of her class.
She is now a Consultant in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, practicing at Brol Medical Center and consulting through MedLife Medicis in Timișoara.
Over the years, she has learned that every procedure begins long before the operating room. It starts with listening. Every patient has a story, and understanding that story is just as important as any surgical technique.
Instead of asking “What should we change?”, she encourages us to ask a deeper question: “Why do we want to change in the first place?”
Through her TEDx talk, she explores the hidden side of aesthetic surgery, encouraging us to look beyond appearances and reconsider what it truly means to help someone feel better, not just look different.
Dr. Radu Dragomir, M.D.
Medical Oncologist
Radu Dragomir is an ESMO-certified medical oncologist and Assistant Professor of Oncology at Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timișoara, working at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and innovation.
As co-founder and Chief Scientific Medical Coordinator of an AI-based biotechnology company, he explores how a deeper understanding of the human body's complexity could help shape the future of personalised medicine.
Outside medicine, Radu finds balance in sport and music, playing the violin in his spare time. Both pursuits nurture discipline, patience, and resilience: qualities that also shape his approach to professional and personal challenges.
Across oncology, biotechnology, sport, and music, he has found that seemingly different worlds often share the same underlying principles: curiosity, discipline, adaptability, and the willingness to look at a problem from a different perspective. His work reflects a central question: how can we move beyond what we already know to discover what we may still be missing?
Mihaela Lemeni
Director of Product Development, 3Pillar
Mihaela Lemeni, Director of Product Development at 3Pillar, invites us to rethink the relationship between technology, work, and the human qualities that give what we do meaning.
Working at the intersection of innovation and technology, she has witnessed how Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries, redefining workflows, and changing the way we approach our professional lives.
Yet, as technology becomes increasingly capable, an essential question emerges: while machines can optimize processes and automate tasks, what makes our work still meaningful?
Rather than focusing solely on the jobs AI might replace, she challenges us to reflect on what makes our contribution uniquely human, and why passion, curiosity, and genuine commitment cannot simply be replicated by an algorithm.
Through her talk, Mihaela explores the importance of finding purpose in what we do and preserving the human element in a world increasingly shaped by automation.