Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Nguyen.
Hi Austin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story really starts with my family. I’m a first-generation American—both my parents immigrated from Vietnam after the war in 1975. When my grandparents arrived in Ohio, they didn’t know any English, but that didn’t stop them from finding ways to serve others. My grandfather, who had been a pastor in Vietnam, quickly set about building a church and pouring into his community. My grandmother started her own sewing company to help support the family. As a kid, I spent time helping them sew bags and make zippers. I loved working with my hands, and in many ways, that early experience made the choice to pursue orthopedic surgery feel like a natural fit.
I went on to study at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for college and then stayed in Chicago for medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Along the way, I was fortunate to have numerous mentors—physicians, residents, and peers—who were further along in the journey and helped guide me from pre-med, through medical school, and now into residency. Their impact reinforced for me that none of us succeed alone.
Today, I’m an orthopedic surgery resident physician at Houston Methodist Hospital, located in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. That belief in partnership has also shaped my entrepreneurial path. In 2022, I co-founded Medical School Partners (MSP) LLC with a close friend I’ve known since high school. We had always supported each other academically—through ACT/SAT, MCAT, USMLE—and we wanted to extend that model of mentorship to others. At MSP, we see tutoring as a partnership, two colleagues working toward a common goal. We provide MCAT, USMLE, COMLEX, and shelf exam tutoring, along with pre-med advising, medical school mentoring, and residency application guidance.
In addition, I recently joined the SnapOrtho team, a start-up focused on orthopedic education. We’re developing innovative resources to give medical students early exposure to orthopedics, from an AI case prep bot, to interactive match guides, spaced-repetition X-ray reading practice platforms and educational videos.
Looking back, I see my journey as a blend of faith, mentorship, and opportunity. I’ve been blessed by the examples of hard work and service in my family, and by mentors who opened doors for me. Being in Houston, surrounded by the Texas Medical Center’s world-class innovation and collaboration, further inspires me to keep growing, teaching, and helping open doors for others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Medicine itself is a long and demanding journey, and orthopedic surgery in particular is known for its rigor. Residency means long hours in the operating room, late nights on call, and early mornings preparing for cases. There are weeks where the schedule pushes you to your limits both physically and mentally, and you have to learn how to stay disciplined, efficient, and still bring your best self for your patients every day.
On the entrepreneurial side, launching Medical School Partners while still in medical school brought a different set of challenges. We had to build everything from scratch—our tutoring framework, curriculum, and outreach—while also managing exams and clinical rotations. Some of our most meaningful, but also most challenging, moments have come from working with students who were struggling significantly—whether they had failed an exam before, doubted if medicine was really for them, or just needed to rebuild their confidence. Helping those students wasn’t always straightforward; it took creativity, patience, and a lot of encouragement. But seeing them succeed and move forward reminded me why we started MSP in the first place.
Looking back, the challenges—both in residency and in entrepreneurship—have taught me resilience, time management, and the importance of leaning on a team. Whether in the operating room or in tutoring, success comes from persistence and from working together toward a shared goal.
We’ve been impressed with Medical School Partners LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Medical School Partners (MSP) LLC is a tutoring and mentorship company I co-founded in 2022 with my close friend Kailash Panchapakesan. Our mission is to support students at every stage of their medical journey—from pre-med planning and MCAT prep, to medical school exams like USMLE and COMLEX, and all the way through residency advising. We offer personalized tutoring, academic mentoring, and guidance for navigating applications, interviews, and specialty selection.
What makes MSP unique is our philosophy of partnership. We treat every student as a colleague in medicine rather than just a client. Our approach is collaborative, tailored, and practical, helping students build confidence, resilience, and long-term skills. We’re grateful to have a 5-star rating on Google and a 95%+ success rate in students achieving their exam goals, which reflects the impact of our team’s mentorship and expertise.
One of the aspects I’m most proud of is our team of talented tutors. Working with a large, collaborative group allows us to bring creativity and flexibility into every session. We design dynamic ways to teach challenging topics—whether it’s using visuals, analogies, interactive exercises, or new technologies—so that we can meet each student where they are and adapt to their learning style.
Brand-wise, MSP is known for being relationship-driven, adaptable, and student-centered. Our students often tell us they appreciate not just the tutoring itself, but the mentorship, encouragement, and accountability that comes along with it. What I want readers to know is that MSP exists because we believe medicine can be demanding, but the journey doesn’t have to be solitary. We are here to provide guidance, mentorship, and practical support every step of the way.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Looking ahead over the next 5–10 years, I see both Medical School Partners (MSP) and SnapOrtho evolving alongside the changing landscape of medical education.
For MSP, the biggest shifts will be in how students learn and prepare for exams. As medical school education continues to change, and as AI and enabling technologies become more integrated, we plan to stay ahead of those changes and adapt our tutoring and mentoring approaches. Our goal is to ensure students receive the most up-to-date, personalized guidance to succeed academically and professionally, no matter how the field evolves.
With SnapOrtho, I hope to see the platform grow into a staple resource for anyone interested in learning orthopedics—whether medical students, PAs, or other healthcare professionals. As training becomes more demanding and schedules busier, it can be challenging to study efficiently. SnapOrtho aims to help learners master concepts more effectively, providing tools that save time while improving understanding and confidence.
Ultimately, both ventures are focused on leveraging technology and innovation to continue helping others find success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.medschoolpartners.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AustinNguyenMD
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/AustinNguyenMD/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AustinNguyenMD/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustinNguyenMD
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AustinNguyenMD
- Other: https://snap-ortho.com/
