Junchu Du

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management

“A fun, compassionate and reliable perfectionist passionate about changing for the better.”

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have visited 20+ countries and climbed to Everest Base Camp in 2012. My favorite places so far are Tioman Island in Malaysia and Bioluminescent Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico. 

Undergraduate School and Major: Denison University/Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Devon International Group/VP of Operations

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In 2016, I co-founded Premier Global Care, a medical tourism division under Devon International Group, which has helped 200+ international families gain access to personalized treatment and care in the US.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Smart, collaborative, goal-oriented, grateful, humble, and down-to-earth.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Owen has an amazing healthcare program. Coming from a healthcare services background, I want to further explore the broader healthcare industry with future Owen peers to help to develop strategic partnerships between international healthcare institutions to facilitate the flow of patients and promote the exchange of medical resources. To further propel this idea and explore other potential healthcare businesses, I’m an enthusiast about participating in the Vanderbilt Health Care Improvement Club and bounce ideas around with other professionals interested in the healthcare industry and find potential partners for future opportunities. Owen’s curriculum, combining case studies and experiential approach, will allow me to immediately apply the theoretical knowledge into practice. 

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Other than Vanderbilt Health Care Improvement Club and Vanderbilt Healthcare Business Association, I am also looking forward to joining Owen Venture & Entrepreneurship Club to spark healthcare-related ideas, support Owen Women’s Business Association as a Forte Fellow, and participate in Turner Family Center Club and Owen Outdoor Adventure Club.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Thus far, I have learned about the healthcare services industry by practice, but I am lacking systematic training in health care from a provider’s standpoint to round out my vision. Owen’s healthcare program is a perfect fit for me to learn more about various factors in the healthcare realm such as hospital and pharmaceutical company operations, medical technology, cost containment strategies, and how to improve patient outcomes.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to other programs with a small to a mid-sized class that offers a tight-knit community such as Fuqua, Olin, and McDonough.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The two most important factors for me were whether or not the program offers a supportive community and a strong healthcare program. During the application process, I read online articles from Poets & Quants, reached out to current students and alumni at each program, attended campus visits, and worked with an MBA consultant to gain a deeper perspective.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? In October 2016, a business partner in China reached out to me with a personal request: his 82-year-old mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. While he was anxious to send her abroad for treatment, he had no knowledge of how to proceed. I reached out to my existing relationships and admitted her to Penn Medicine, where she received proper treatment and recovered. I still remember the day when she hugged me and thanked me for giving her a new life. At that moment, I knew I had found my dream career, healthcare services. It brings new challenges every day and allows me to continuously influence others. It’s truly an honor beyond words to help more than 200 families.

One of my IVF patients told me that she could not have gone through this process without me. She even insisted on having me be her child’s Godmother when he was born. It was one of the most amazing experiences, one that I will remember for the rest of my life. And it is because of moments like this that make me look forward to going to work every day. Working in the health sector has provided me with medical knowledge to take better care of those around me and hopefully help more families stay together longer. Given the various healthcare resources that Vanderbilt and Nashville have to offer, I am really excited to join the Owen community to explore further healthcare opportunities that will benefit people globally.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I hope to be in a managerial position at a global healthcare company, impacting more people internationally.