This week I spoke with Erin Nance, 2005 UVA grad, an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Hospital of Special Surgery and now the Founder & CEO of TakeAway MD.

The Rundown:

• COLD OPEN: Orthopedic surgeon at 32 to social media star and startup founder

• TURNING POINT: A failed TV pilot to TikTok success

• STEAL THIS: I love when interns ask, what can I take off your plate?

• INDUSTRY INSIDER: Being a surgeon is not all about surgery

• IF I WERE YOU: Think about your current skillset and what skills you want to develop that can cross-pollinate into many different areas.

COLD OPEN

How Did You Get Your Start?

It all started with a rejection from Stanford. It was my lifelong dream school, and there was no plan B. I had never envisioned myself anywhere else.

Unbeknownst to me, my guidance counselor had nominated me for the Jefferson Scholarship, and I was lucky enough to make it through the finals for a place at UVA.

I absolutely loved the diversity of experiences I had at UVA. I always knew I would go to medical school, but I joined the honor system council as the only non pre-law student, which ended up being one of my most cherished experiences. 

After UVA, I went straight to Brown University medical school, then did my residency for orthopedic surgery at Lenox Hill and my fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery. I became a full-fledged orthopedic surgeon at 32, and started my own practice right after graduation. 

Eventually, I moved into startups and social media surrounding the medical field. I think that my experiences in college really laid the groundwork for me as someone balancing my own ventures in the medical, startup, and media worlds.

TURNING POINT

What’s A Challenge You Faced Early On?

About three years ago, I started a company called Hands On Media. At the time I had worked as a television doctor on a few shows, and I had an idea for my own.

I filmed and pitched the pilot for a medical game show to networks. And one week later, the writers’ strike hit, and the project was completely dead on arrival. 

I ended up meeting a director who introduced me to social media as a tool to prove a concept. From there, I started my first TikTok channel called The Hand Doctor, where I showed people the day in the life of a female hand surgeon.

Then someone messaged me out of the blue with their own medical issue, which inspired me to create a new TikTok channel, Little Miss Diagnosed. I ended up solving their 10-year medical mystery in three seconds, and it went viral. It even led to my first book deal.

The failed TV show pilot led me to the world of social media, which has been a key tool to reach the masses. In my clinic, I may only see 15 patients per day. On social media, I can impact millions of people per day.

And in a full-circle moment, I'm now filming a TV show with TLC based on the medical stories I share on TikTok. Sometimes the winding road brings you to the place you were meant to be all along.

STEAL THIS

What’s A Question You Love To Be Asked (Or Asking)?

I love when interns ask, what can I take off your plate? 

I’ve had students come forward and say, hey, I’m really good at video editing, how can I help you? Or, I have a real interest in women’s health inequity, could I use your content to design a study on commonly missed symptoms?

I never want to be in a situation where I’m just thinking of things for interns to do. So if you can proactively bring skills or interests to me and ask to work in that area, I’m going to be totally on board to support you with that. 

INDUSTRY INSIDER

What Do People Misunderstand About Being A Surgeon?

I think the biggest misconception is that surgeons are only focused on executing surgeries. Nine times out of ten, I am not recommending surgery to my patients.

Really, as a surgeon my focus is on the patient as a whole being. A majority of orthopedic cases are elective, and something they can be treated with a cast, we aren’t recommending surgery. 

You go to a surgeon to see when to have surgery, but also just as importantly, when to not have surgery. The best surgeons are the ones who know the proper indications and apply them to each individual case.

IF I WERE YOU

Do You Have Any Advice For Students?

As the CEO of multiple companies, I’m looking to bring in new talent with skills that complement mine. And many students don't realize what an asset they are.

My latest company is a media platform called TakeAwayMD — it's like a medical TikTok, except all the content comes from vetted medical professionals, so you get information you can trust. We cracked the top 10 of health and fitness apps when we launched in February. For any pre-med students interested in becoming a TakeAway Ambassador to work with an attending physician, you can message me on LinkedIn.

I have an entire team of medical experts with great expertise. But what I learned was, they don’t know how to translate it for social media.
But there are hundreds, if not thousands, of students who are trying to make inroads with these same people. And they have the ability to make this information into a conversation that their generation understands online.

I would advise students to lead with these qualities. Ask, what are some areas you could use a new perspective on? Think about your current skillset and what skills you want to develop that can cross-pollinate into many different areas.