Justin Barad (Osso VR) on Passion, Conviction, and the Pursuit of Better Medical Training & Assessment (Part 1)

The Guest

Justin Barad, MD, is the CEO and founder of Osso VR, a fully immersive, and scientifically validated, surgical training platform.

Prior to starting Osso VR, Justin became a board-eligible orthopedic surgeon with a Bioengineering degree from UC Berkeley, and an MD (medical doctorate) from UCLA, where he graduated first in his class. He completed his residency at UCLA and his fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital.

His experiences as a medical student and practicing surgeon opened his eyes to the many challenges faced by surgeons striving to provide the best care in the face of expanding medical understanding, technology, and complexity. For example, after 14 years of education, nearly a third of graduating residents cannot operate without supervision.

These insights, combined with a conviction to solve the problem, led him to co-found Osso VR.

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Justin Barad

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Osso VR

The Conversation

In this first part of my two-part conversation with Justin, we explore his life-long fascination with ways that software and technology can be applied to help people. He shares his journey of discovery, including some advice he got while still in high school. He was told if he really wants to invent something, then all he needs to do is understand the problem he’s trying to solve first. And the best way for him to solve medical problems is to be a doctor—an idea that did not appeal to him at the time.

Justin goes on to describe his experiences as a medical resident and practicing surgeon, and how he came to hit on the problem he wanted to solve. He also shares the internal struggle he faced when forced to decide between two divergent career paths.

Jason McDowallVR, content creation, healthcare