NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

From Surgeon to Business Strategist: Dr. Chai Young Jun’s Journey Through the Nanyang Fellows MBA

Fifteen years into his clinical career, Dr. Chai Young Jun found himself at a crossroads: how could he ensure the success of his medical startups, given that his solely medical background far outweighed his practical business experience?

By 2022, Dr. Chai was balancing entrepreneurship with clinical duties. At Seoul National University (SNU) Boramae Medical Center, Dr. Chai was (and still is) a respected professor and endocrine surgeon, with over 160 medical articles to his name.

He was making headway in the medical startup sector as well, taking up roles as Chief Strategic Officer at multigene assay kit developer DCGEN; and as Medical Managing Director at ZeroOne AI, a startup pioneering artificial intelligence’s use to support clinical decision-making.

“At DCGEN, I help develop next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based genomic diagnostic tools for thyroid disorders. At Zeroone AI, I oversee strategies for integrating AI into healthcare,” he shared.

His startup experiences exposed the challenges of managing businesses with a solely medical background. “It was difficult without sufficient finance and business knowledge, something doctors may lack,” he explained. Dr. Chai felt he needed to supplement his knowledge about the biotech ecosystem, particularly in areas like finance and human resources.

“Practical experience was crucial to truly understanding these concepts,” he recalled. “This led me to pursue an MBA to gain both knowledge and hands-on experience. It was an easy decision to choose the Nanyang Fellows MBA, given its global reputation and alignment with my professional goals.” 

The logical choice

Launched in 1998 by Dr Tony Tan, the then-serving Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, the Nanyang Fellows MBA was designed to elevate and rejuvenate Asia’s public sector. Its mission made the Nanyang Fellows MBA a logical choice for Dr. Chai, in more ways than one.

First, he hoped that the programme would allow him to expand his professional horizons.

“Before the MBA, my focus was on education, research, and patient care. I had no experience managing company employees or hospital administrative staff,” Dr. Chai explained. He expected the Nanyang Fellows MBA to help him “take a more strategic view of challenges,” given his divergent clinical and entrepreneurial roles.

Secondly, Dr. Chai hoped to minimise time away from work, given the MBA’s one-year duration. “I wanted a full-time MBA programme to fully immerse myself and build strong networks with peers,” he explained. “As a mid-career physician in my 40s, there are very few globally renowned MBA programmes offering a one-year, full-time format.”

Finally, Dr. Chai appreciated the MBA programme’s location in Singapore, a global leader in the healthcare technology (healthtech) sector. In 2022, the year he joined the Nanyang Fellows MBA, healthtech investments in Singapore totalled a value of US$643 million, with 22 deals on record.

“For medical-related startups looking to expand globally, Singapore offers unparalleled opportunities to learn about global standards for fundraising, regulation, networking with medical professionals, and strategies for entering the Southeast Asian market,” explained Dr. Chai.

Expanding his perspective

The Nanyang Fellows MBA was an eye-opener for Dr. Chai. Its insights on business operations felt “new and fascinating” for someone whose training was firmly grounded in clinical practice.

From a previous focus on education, research, and patient care, Dr. Chai realised that the Nanyang Fellows MBA’s modules prepared him to contribute to the development of hospital organisations.

“The Cultural Intelligence module highlighted the pitfalls of rigid organisational cultures,” he explained. “I now avoid micromanaging and strive to grant autonomy while motivating my team.

“For example, I am working to reduce the amount of input from senior staff during meetings and encourage more open communication through one-on-one meetings between senior and junior staff.”

Dr. Chai found the Talent Management module to be particularly impactful. “It taught me how to improve employee performance and create organisational culture,” he recalled. For instance, the class discussed how to motivate public sector employees, where financial incentives are not always available.

“These lessons gave me valuable insights into managing employees, solving organisational challenges, and fulfilling my role as a leader within the hospital,” he told us.

Coming full-circle

Having completed the MBA in 2023, Dr. Chai has since brought the insights from the Nanyang Fellows MBA into his clinical and entrepreneurial work.

Within a year of his return to SNU Boramae Medical Center, Dr. Chai was appointed as the hospital’s Director of External Affairs and Development, adding administrative responsibilities to his clinical and research duties. “In this leadership role, I now manage administrative staff for the first time, rather than just medical professionals,” he explained.

He also gained an additional role as medical advisor at VentureBlick, a Singapore-based platform that matches healthcare startups with medical investors. “I am also an investor, and serve as a consultant for medical startups,” he explained.

His Nanyang Fellows MBA experience has convinced Dr. Chai that clear vision and strategy lays the groundwork for optimal organisational management.

“Having a clear sense of purpose significantly impacts not only an organisation’s performance, but also its morale,” he explained. “As a result, I place great emphasis on communicating a vision to employees at both SNU and my startups. Beyond simply highlighting the vision, I also share specific strategies to achieve it.”

Finally, Dr. Chai looks forward to enhancing his standing in the international healthcare community, thanks to the exposure to Singapore’s startup ecosystem facilitated by the Nanyang Fellows MBA.

“South Korea is a relatively small market on a global scale,” he explained. “My MBA experience in Singapore provided opportunities to meet a diverse group of exceptional individuals – these networks have become a bridge, helping me extend beyond Korea to the global stage.”

About the Nanyang Fellows MBA

Public service professionals like Dr. Chai Young-Jun have found their careers transformed by the Nanyang Fellows MBA: a leading full-time (one-year) or part-time (two-year) MBA programme designed to elevate and transform the public sector.

Each year, a select group of about 35-40 international participants join the Nanyang Fellows MBA. The specially curated programme brings together cutting-edge business knowledge, digitalisation strategies, and contemporary public policy issues, in a single interconnected curriculum.

Get ready to lift your career to new heights: visit our website, the Nanyang Fellows MBA, and discover how the Nanyang Fellows MBA can transform you into the public sector leader you aspire to be.