By Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
Dr. Tung Giep ’83 was back on campus in October for the first time in 20 years.
A practicing neonatologist, director of community hospital nurseries and manager of the neonatal telemedicine program for five hospitals affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina, Giep toured Wofford’s campus and talked with students to see his investment in action. He also shared insights into the business side of medicine with students interested in health careers.
“The first thing I discovered when I decided to start my own practice is that I knew nothing about starting a business,” says Giep. He persisted and through trial, error and months of solo call built a practice that was one of the largest in the Houston, Texas, area when he sold it in 2017. Now he’s written a book geared toward new medical school graduates.
“The Business of Medicine,” available through Amazon, helps new physicians avoid costly mistakes as they start their careers. It covers professional goal setting, contracts, healthcare attorneys, malpractice insurance, staffing, HIPAA, artificial intelligence and more.
“Someone may be great at the clinical side of medicine but not understand billings, collections and contracts. Everything is negotiable,” says Giep. “Physicians must protect themselves. This book helps them do that.”
Giep was born in Vietnam. He and his family moved to Spartanburg after a harrowing escape from the war-torn country that involved running through gunfire for a C-130 military transport plane. He went to Spartanburg Day School and Wofford before following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor. Giep completed medical school at MUSC then practiced throughout the Southeast before landing in Houston.
Eight years ago, he and his family established the Dr. and Mrs. Nguyen Giep Endowed Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding pre-medical student whose nonacademic activities exemplify the well-rounded individual.
Giep met current scholarship recipient Arooj Zainab ’26, a biology major with a minor in religious studies from Spartanburg, while on campus. A Dean’s List student, she certainly meets the criteria through her involvement in the Wofford Asian and Pacific Islander club, the Organization of Latin American Students, Minorities in STEM and several honor societies. She also conducts research with a faculty mentor.
“The scholarship has lifted the financial burden of college and given me the freedom to focus entirely on my classes and experiences at Wofford,” say Zainab, who realized during the talk that she had shadowed one of Giep’s brothers during a clinical internship during Interim. “With less stress about tuition, I have been able to dedicate my time to research, campus organizations and growth opportunities that have shaped both my education and my future goals.”
Zainab called Giep’s talk at the Career Center inspiring and humbling. He answered questions and shared insights with dozens of students, covering topics such as standing out during the medical school admission process and managing stress once accepted. He told stories of medical miracles and one about the time he decided to retire, but it only lasted five months.
“I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have a plan,” says Giep. “Now I know I had more to give. In addition to my passion for patient care, this new book is another way to do that.”