Published: 09 April 2024
Current St George’s medical student Ian Soh has been accepted into Cohort 8 of the prestigious NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (NHSCEP).
We caught up with Ian to find out more about the NHSCEP, the application process, and any words of wisdom he had for future applicants.
About the NHSCEP
What is the NHSCEP and how did you find out about it?
The NHS Clinical Entrepreneurship (NHSCEP) is a programme that supports clinicians or individuals who want to make an impact on healthcare in the UK. It is a free programme that lasts 12 months, where you receive mentorship on how to build a start-up, attract investors, apply for funding and ensure appropriate corporate governance.
I found out about it in back in 2020, when I was a first-year medical student and founded #MoreViralThanTheVirus, a global Covid-19 Youth movement, when I was trying to tackle Covid-19 misinformation through online social media campaigns.
- Ian Soh, St George's medical student -
As I was only a first year, I didn’t feel ready then to apply for the programme. It's been on my mind ever since to apply ever since and now being accepted in my final year is a great honour.
What were you required to do as part of the application process?
It was a very thorough process. I was required to fill in a 40-to-50-page online form, which really scrutinised my idea from aspects of sustainability, scalability, value proposition, business model and more. While there was no interview, we had to each do a time-pressured one minute pitch as part of the application to introduce ourselves and our idea. On top of this, I needed to get two letters of recommendation.
How did you find the application process?
I personally found the application process arduous and challenging. They really screened you and your idea from all angles.
A lot of the concepts of business were obviously not taught at medical school, so I am grateful for mentors who have graciously helped me learn.
- Ian Soh, St George's medical student -
The most difficult part of this whole process is having to be concise in my answers whilst delivering clarity.
What do you hope to achieve with the NHSCEP and what opportunities might it open up for you in the future?
I hope that being a part of the NHSCEP will help me accelerate my team’s work on tackling health misinformation. We are working on a patient copilot that provides patients with reliable and personalised information. My aspirations is that patients in future regardless of their background, wealth and geography will be empowered with knowledge to make informed health decisions.
- Ian Soh, St George's medical student -
The next step for me, is to pray that I will pass my final year exams so I can go all in to start raising funding for a pre-seed round from angel investors and launch our new version of our Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
What would you say to anyone interested in applying to the NHSCEP?
Looking back, I have realised it doesn't matter if you are a medical student, doctor or PHD - everyone is in the same boat in entrepreneurship. It's incredible that there's a programme out there like the NHSCEP where regardless of one's seniority, it's a level playing field.
- Ian Soh, St George's medical student -
Before I was a medical student it was the 2016 Junior Doctor strikes, now in my final year we had the 2023 Junior Doctor strikes. What’s one of the biggest change in our clinical practice over the years? The introduction and increasing reliance of remote consultations. Together with the “hype” of artificial intelligence early last year, almost every founder I know is trying to find an application of technology in healthcare. I believe we are presently at an inflexion point, a lot of the way we practice healthcare is going to change in the next 10 years.
If you are serious about the problems of the NHS, and you want to make an impact – don't wait to get started.
- Ian Soh, St George's medical student -