“Set your sights high and walk the broad path.” This is the life philosophy Jingwen Ji often refers to. As a second-year master’s student in Global Health at Duke Kunshan University, she has worked for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Roche, as well as a clinical research assistant at the Department of Biliary Surgery at Zhongshan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University.
Later, she ventured into entrepreneurship, becoming a partner at Inshealth, where she led the design of several commercial health insurance products, reaching over ten million users. In 2023, she returned to campus as a “cross-disciplinary healthcare professional. “This experience is not just a career intermission—it’s a deep, deliberate exploration of the broader structures that shape the healthcare industry.
Hitting Pause on Mid-Career
In 2016, China saw a surge of enthusiasm for precision medicine. New medical technologies were on the rise, but the payer side remained largely undeveloped. It was during this wave of transformation that my partners and I founded Inshealth. Riding the momentum of favorable policy shifts, we completed three rounds of financing within three years and designed multiple commercial health insurance products that helped protect users from falling back into poverty due to illness.
Yet the pace and complexity of change in the healthcare industry far exceeded my expectations. I once believed that technological breakthroughs could solve everything. But as an entrepreneur, I soon realized that challenges like fragmented healthcare policies, underdeveloped payment systems, and differences in public perception often became a choke point to innovation. I came to understand that commercial instinct alone isn’t enough—healthcare innovation needs to be grounded in solid policy frameworks. I needed to reexamine my experiences through the lens of academic rigor.
In 2023, I made the decision to hit pause on my professional career and enrolled in the Master of Science in Global Health program at Duke Kunshan University (DKU).
Freedom and Efficiency Go Hand in Hand at DKU
What drew me most to the Global Health Program at DKU was its “tailored” approach to education. Here, academic exploration doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all path—it begins with your personal interests. Professors guide you step by step in defining your research direction, offering both the freedom to explore and the efficient academic support.
My research focuses on the healthcare coverage challenges of high-cost innovative drugs in China—a topic that stems directly from real-world cases I encountered during my entrepreneurial journey. My thesis advisor, Professor Shenglan Tang, is a leading expert in the field. Despite his packed schedule, he consistently sets aside time to mentor students like me. When I struggled to design solutions for rare disease drugs, Professor Tang encouraged me to “first describe the current landscape, then consider policy, societal, and business-level strategies for breakthrough.” He even connected me with experts in national insurance negotiations, helping me realize that policy advocacy is just as critical as technological innovation. This broader, strategic thinking helped me grow from a “tactical executor” into a “strategic thinker.” At DKU, professors are willing to devote their time to students’ individual needs—a level of support that is rarely seen in the workplace.
Another pivotal course for me was Professor Marius’s Global Health Ethics class, which filled a gap in my training as a science-oriented student. I used to believe that technical solutions answered all healthcare problems. However, through his case-based teaching, I understood that issues like doctor-patient conflicts and drug accessibility are deeply rooted in social structures and ethical dilemmas. I later applied his qualitative interview techniques to team training sessions and found that integrating human-centered care with business logic sparked unexpected creativity.
The academic schedule at DKU is designed for efficiency—courses are streamlined to help students define their goals and minimize trial and error. Meanwhile, the third semester at Duke University in the U.S. exposed me to a different, more exploratory academic environment. The open curriculum breaks down disciplinary boundaries, allowing students to audit courses across fields such as business, sociology, and more. This interdisciplinary exposure broadened my understanding of healthcare innovation.
For instance, I once audited a health insurance course at the Fuqua School of Business. The lecturer presented a single slide listing dozens of health insurance business models worldwide. This “breadth-first” approach was eye-opening. Case studies tracing the historical development of Western healthcare systems helped me realize that the bottlenecks in China’s medical innovation aren’t just technical—they reflect broader issues in social structure and policy evolution. I used to get stuck in the weeds of specific operational problems, but a global perspective helped me uncover the more profound systemic logic. I no longer push blindly for breakthroughs; instead, I’ve learned to wait for the right moment, when policy and market forces align.
My time at DKU transformed me from a mere “information compiler” into a “framework builder.” In the past, I pieced together viewpoints from industry reports; now, I apply policy frameworks and global perspectives to analyze problems systematically. This journey has not only strengthened my academic foundation—it also affirmed my belief that there is no standard script for a career, and no fixed pace to follow in life. You can hit pause on your job, but the intellectual upgrade that comes with academic learning continues to empower the future.
As someone working in healthcare, I’ve stopped worrying about when to accelerate. I’m now more focused on how to find the right rhythm.
Tips for Future Students
Embrace the “Directionless” Phase of Life
When I graduated, I turned down a graduate school offer and chose to work instead, simply because I wasn’t sure what I really wanted. Ironically, it was through trying different roles at work that I discovered my passion. If you don’t have a clear direction right now, that’s okay—start by eliminating what you don’t like, and what’s left may just be your path.
Break the Information Cocoon
At DKU and Duke, the courses and activities can open your eyes to possibilities beyond your current mindset, like how overseas med-tech companies operate. These experiences might just plant the seeds for your future entrepreneurial ideas.
Don’t Get Trapped by GPA
In the real world, employers care more about your ability to learn and hands-on experience than your grades. Instead of stressing over GPA, invest your time in real-world projects. Even if you’re just organizing data, you’re building industry insight.
Accept the “sense of unevenness”
After graduation, you might go from researching high-level policy to using AI tools to polish PowerPoint slides. You may not land your dream job right away. But that’s okay—real experience in any role will sharpen your instincts. A “top student” on my team once started
