From ER to CEO: How One Physician Built a Med Device Company by Solving What Others Ignored with Dr. Liz Clayborne

In this episode of Startup Physicians, Dr. Liz Clayborne shares her journey from being a medical resident to becoming the CEO and founder of Nasaclip, a medical device company focused on addressing the common issue of nosebleeds. She discusses the importance of identifying problems in clinical practice, the process of developing a medical device, and the significance of intellectual property. Dr. Clayborne emphasizes the need for market research, customer discovery, and the iterative process of product design. She also highlights the challenges of transitioning from a clinical role to full-time entrepreneurship and the skills necessary for effective pitching and fundraising. 

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] - Introduction to the Journey of a Physician Founder
[01:23] - Identifying a Problem in Emergency Medicine
[05:54] - The Importance of Intellectual Property
[10:38] - Leveraging Resources for Innovation
[11:52] - Understanding Market Fit and Customer Discovery
[15:47] - The Evolution of Nasaclip
[19:00] - From Idea to Prototype
[20:51] - Transitioning to Full-Time Entrepreneurship
[23:02] - The Art of Pitching and Fundraising
[27:17] - Encouragement for Aspiring Physician Founders

In the free Physician Founder Roadmap webinar, we’ll share how physicians can begin evaluating their ideas and understand what it takes to bring them to market.

Mark your calendar for October 22 at 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET and join us for the webinar!

Create a venture-ready concept pitch in just 45 minutes! Join our free AI session designed for practicing physicians, where we guide you through the concept-assessment process used in the Startup Physicians Incubator.
 
Download the guide, open it with Claude, and you'll end up with a one-page pitch ready to share with an advisor, investor, or selection committee.

A six-month program that takes a practicing physician’s idea to an investor-ready company. Cohort 2 starts January 2027.