Young doctors often have vast medical knowledge but lack the crucial professional skills needed to navigate their careers effectively. Eric Mann, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and the founder of Lucens, recognized this and decided to launch a career development platform to address the experience gap.
In the interview below, Dr. Mann shares the initial "a-ha" moment that sparked the idea for Lucens and his vision for its future.
When did you decide Lucens was needed?
My ‘a-ha’ moment came during a casual conversation with a pharmaceutical company. I do a lot of public speaking, and during a meeting with this company representative, they asked me, “If you could give any talk, what would it be?”
While I usually speak on treating diseases, I realized that a far more pressing need wasn't being addressed — how to help residents land their first job after training. I noticed this throughout my career: medical training teaches you the skills to be a doctor but doesn't prepare you for the real-world challenges of finding and securing your first job.
I had seen this gap firsthand during my residency. Many of my peers would go on interviews, receive offers, and hire lawyers to review their contracts. Yet, despite spending money on legal advice, they often signed standard contracts without much negotiation because they were running out of time and options. It didn't make sense to me that such a critical aspect of a doctor's career was left to chance.
You see, I was lucky enough — by chance, really — to receive some great mentorship. I was a third-year resident at a dinner hosted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. I happened to be seated next to a Manhattan doctor named Herve Byron. He asked me, “So, kid, what are you doing next year?” I told him I was looking for a job and a practice.
He then said, “My advice to you is to hire an attorney, a shark of an attorney, and I'm going to give you the name of someone who does the contracts for the older doctors hiring the younger doctors. Let them do the negotiating for you. And my biggest advice is: get this done as early as possible, and try to get as many offers as possible.”
This encounter was a boon to my career. After all, I’d seen some of my fellow residents not do so well in this process. And that — plus my conversations with the pharma rep — led me to the idea behind Lucens. I realized I wanted to offer this kind of mentorship to physicians just starting out.
How did you go about getting Lucens off the ground?
Once I identified the need, I started thinking about how to scale my idea. The goal was to reach as many young doctors as efficiently and effectively as possible. Initially, I thought about giving talks at various residency programs, but that wasn't feasible given my busy practice. The idea of creating an online platform began to take shape — one where doctors could access the information they needed on their own time.
My wife, Jen, played a big role in encouraging me to pursue this idea. She has always been my sounding board, and when I mentioned this to her, she said, “You have a lot of ideas, but this one is actually pretty good.” That gave me the push I needed.
I soon reached out to a friend, Michael Dub, who ran a media marketing company. Michael had experience working on similar projects and helped me conduct market research and understand the landscape. We discovered that while a few platforms offered bits and pieces of what I envisioned, none offered a comprehensive resource specifically tailored to the professional development of doctors. That’s when I knew we were onto something.
However, one of the biggest challenges was transitioning from the idea phase to actual implementation. As a doctor, I had no experience building an online education platform. I had to learn a lot on the fly, from understanding market research to figuring out how to structure the content in the most beneficial way for our users. It was a steep learning curve, but I was fortunate to have a great team supporting me.
Another challenge was making sure that the content we offered was truly valuable and resonated with our audience. To address this, we conducted extensive research, including hundreds of interviews with doctors, to understand their needs and concerns. We also developed a listening program which helped us build a curriculum that directly aligned with what doctors sought.
How do you hope Lucens will help doctors today and in the near term?
Lucens is designed to fill the gaps that medical school and residency leave behind. Our Rotations curriculum covers essential topics not typically part of medical training, such as negotiating your first job contract, financial planning, and even balancing work and personal life as a new doctor. We also offer mentoring sessions, workshops, and ask-me-anything sessions to provide personalized guidance.
In my first official mentoring session through Lucens, I worked with a family medicine resident from Brooklyn. We discussed his career goals, the type of practice he wanted, and what was most important to him in a job. Rather than dictating what he should do, I asked open-ended questions that helped him clarify his own priorities. It was incredibly rewarding to see how much he valued the conversation — he felt heard, appreciated, and, most importantly, empowered to make informed decisions about his career. This is the kind of impact I hope Lucens will have on every doctor who uses our platform.
In the near term, I want Lucens to become the go-to resource for young doctors as they transition from training to practice. Our goal is to help them avoid common pitfalls, make informed decisions, and ultimately find fulfillment in their careers. We want to rekindle their passion for medicine by showing them that they can have control over their professional journey.
Who do you see Lucens serving as the company expands?
Lucens has the potential to serve medical professionals throughout their entire careers. Medicine is an ever-evolving field, and so are the needs of doctors. Whether learning how to move up the ranks to a leadership position, navigating the complexities of professional business financing, or simply maintaining a work-life balance, Lucens aims to be a lifelong partner in every doctor's professional journey.
We also have plans to expand our offerings to other healthcare professionals. Nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, and chiropractors face similar challenges in their careers, and they could benefit from the same kind of support and guidance that Lucens provides to doctors. Our vision is to create a comprehensive resource for all healthcare providers, helping them navigate their careers with confidence and purpose.
What does the future of Lucens look like?
In the next six months, we plan to roll out a range of new topics, from leadership and career advancement to communication skills and avoiding burnout. We're also working on getting our content accredited for continuing medical education (CME) credits, which will be a huge value-add for doctors who need to fulfill their CME requirements.
I see Lucens evolving into a comprehensive healthcare education platform in the long term. We want to support doctors throughout their careers, from residency to retirement. As I mentioned earlier, we plan to expand our offerings to other healthcare professionals, creating a community where everyone in the healthcare field can find the resources they need to succeed.
Ultimately, the goal is to make Lucens a trusted partner for healthcare professionals, providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in their careers. We're here to illuminate the path for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others, ensuring they have the support they need to enjoy fulfilling, impactful careers.
