Science is making our careers redundant

This piece on drug-coated stents reminded me of a recent bit of news that a North York-based surgeon passed along. Of the 18 recent heart surgeon grads in Ontario, 16 of them can’t find a gig. She told me that the “stents have put them out of business”. Another surgeon confirmed the tale and the figure.

Biotech and medical device research and development has such a long incubation period. It must now be nigh impossible for doctors to accurately plan their career tracks 7 or 10 years in advance when they have no idea if their desired specialty will actually be relevant and needed by the time they’ve completed every difficult step along the way.

For VCs with an interest in biotech and devices, this stent story serves as a reminder that some of these investments can actually become home runs in the truest sense of the word.

MRM