Dr. Raymond Hwang: Mastering the Business of Medicine

The Slice

Dr. Raymond Hwang is the Medical Director of Hinge Health and Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Hwang and Justin talk about his work inside Hinge Health, a rapidly growing med-tech startup, and how his business school experience helped shape his clinical philosophy.

JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:

(02:07) - The genesis of Dr. Hwang’s interest in engineering and medical science - “The people I hung out with were always people that tend to be big thinkers, who were trying to solve problems. We always had grandiose ideas of art or problems we'd focus on our technologies.”

(06:31) - Comparing the medical school experience versus engineering education - “A lot of our classes were taught by MIT professors who were in the biomedical engineering department. We had a lot of exposure to various labs at MIT and part of our program was to work in a lab and actually perform some biomedical research as part of our MD curriculum.”

(10:34) - Embracing the business aspects of medicine: The social taboo around choosing an MBA path as a physician - “He told me that his program has basically banned their residents from going to pursue MBAs during their two-year research block because so many of them are leaving clinical medicine and not coming back to the program.”

(15:10) - The helpful ways in which an MBA can impact a physician’s career - “One of the long-standing benefits of business school for me was having this pretty large group of people that I had learned next to for a couple of years.”

(18:31) - How business school got Dr. Hwang involved in technology and innovation - “I started to work with small companies in an advisory role, both from a clinical perspective, but also from a business perspective to help work through some product development and commercialization questions.”

(21:01) - What it means to be a good startup advisor - “I think thoughtfulness and cultural fit are probably the two biggest things. I'd want my advisors to be people who will have conversations with me and listen to my problem.”

(26:29) - Becoming the Medical Director for Hinge Health: Dr. Hwang’s work inside the company - “Part of the goal is to make sure that patients understand the condition or stand with what's most appropriate, get them on the best treatment possible as early as possible so that they get on that recovery path sooner.”

(30:20) - Dr. Hwang’s advice for new entrepreneurs interested in the med and tech field - “I would really encourage anyone who's interested in starting a company or working in an advisory capacity to pursue opportunities that are truly good fit for both your interests and what you know.”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Connect with Raymond Hwang on LinkedIn

Learn more about Hinge Health

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