Typically, the road ahead for aspiring doctors is long, but relatively straightforward.
“You’re looking down a straight path, because that’s the path everyone takes when they’re in medicine,” said Dr. Erika Dillard.
For years, it was a path that Dillard seemed poised to follow. She earned bachelor’s degree in neurobiology and neurosciences from Vanderbilt University, received her M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), and spent five years as a neurosurgery resident at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia.
But then, spurred by a kindling desire to create something new, Dillard changed course. She left her neurosurgery residency before its completion; and in 2019, she enrolled in the Patents2Products (P2P) program — a partnership between the University of Memphis and Epicenter that hires post-doc fellows to start businesses using patented intellectual property.
“It was just such a huge decision, for someone who has done nothing but medicine and science,” she said.
The P2P program gave Dillard an array of resources and support, from a salary with benefits to a lab and workspace to mentorship. And through the program, she launched the local startup PopCheck Technologies, which is developing a product that could predict if hospital patients are going to develop venous blood clots.
P2P, however, is a two-year program, and in January, Dillard’s time with it ended. Now, for the first time in years, she’s on her own — a doctor-turned-entrepreneur who is no longer supported by a university or hospital.
“At least at the beginning, it was very scary, because my whole career has been in academia,” she said. “I’ve not ever been outside of that space.”
But while striking out on her own might have initially been intimidating, it hasn’t stopped Dillard from barreling forward with PopCheck — a startup that’s continued to gain momentum.
The MedTech Innovator
When MBJ spoke to Dillard, she had just returned from California, where she had participated in the kickoff of MedTech Innovator, an elite, four-month accelerator for medical technology startups.
PopCheck was chosen for the 2022 program, and it’s part of a select group — the MedTech Innovator had a 5% acceptance rate this year; and of the more than 1,000 applicants from 49 countries and 43 states, only 50 startups were selected.
The accelerator touts big name partners — like Johnson & Johnson, Jabil Healthcare, and AdvaMed — and gives participants mentorship and networking opportunities, as well as visibility and access to major medtech manufacturers, providers, and investors.
There’s also prize money involved, throughout the accelerator. And at the program’s final event this fall, the MedTech Conference in Boston, participants will compete for $500,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.
Though the bulk of the accelerator is held virtually, events like this will be held in-person, and bring the participants together. The California kickoff took them to both San Jose and San Francisco. Another event, a value analysis competition, will be held in London.
Dillard has been assigned mentors from Jabil Healthcare and the ERI Group; and for her, the kickoff weekend was more than just a fun trip and major opportunity — it was a confidence booster.
“It was an eye-opening experience for me,” she said. “And as a founder, and just because of some of my experiences in medicine, I almost don’t necessarily give myself the credit that I probably should. So, this was a good boost for me.”
Scoring more funding
The boost is welcome for Dillard, as she gears up to take PopCheck to the next level.
So far, she’s raised $313,000 in total funding — including the $88,000 she’s won from pitch competitions — and she’s preparing to apply for a $250,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
She also recently held a pitch event for friends, family, and angel investors, to provide an update on her company, and she’s launched a $1 million pre-seed funding round, with the goal of raising the money by December.
Part of this funding will be used to grow her staff — right now she’s the only employee — and she hopes to bring on two employees.
Altogether, it’s a lot to juggle, and Dillard noted that she needs “a day to just sit and rest.” But she’s confident in PopCheck’s prospects. And at the accelerator's kickoff, she received a key piece of advice that could help her moving forward.
As one of the mentors told her, you must learn that not every step you take will be perfect. When you complete 70% of a milestone, move on — because you can actively work on that last 30%, while completing the next step.
“That was very powerful for me,” Dillard said. “Because I am a perfectionist, and I like for things to be perfect, no questions asked. And so, that was just a good message: Every step of the way you’re not going to be completely done, it’s not going to be perfect. When you get to 70%, move."
