Influential Woman · Medical Tourism China
Shijie Yu
Founder, Smedora Health
Bellevue, Wa, WA
Her Story
About Shijie
I founded Smedora Health about a year and a half ago to help patients access quick and affordable medical treatments in China. Many people from developing countries face long waits and high costs at home, so I connect them with top hospitals in Asia that can provide surgeries in as little as three days. I handle website maintenance, manage a sales team that creates marketing materials and meets clients, expand our hospital network, and occasionally travel to assist patients during emergencies. I graduated with a bachelor's in psychology from Stony Brook University in 2021 and am currently pursuing a master's in analytics online through Georgia Tech.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shijie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute success to strong Google SEO so our company ranks first for 'medical tourism China' searches, and focusing on underserved markets in third-world countries where patients lack access to quality care and face visa/passport barriers. We built offices in those regions which proved a wise move.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice is to keep knowledge flowing transparently within the team. Since we handle medical emergencies, everyone needs full information to avoid looking unprepared in front of stakeholders, creating a healthy system.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Medical tourism is a service field that does not require extensive medical knowledge but demands strong sales and communication skills. It is a great opportunity to talk to patients from around the world with urgent needs and quickly build communication and education skills in a challenging environment.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is patients from South Asia and Africa struggling with costs despite our negotiations for lowest prices, often seeking charity help for serious conditions. International patients usually lack direct health insurance in China and pay out of pocket.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value embracing cutting-edge technology quickly, training team members on at least five AI agents to avoid mundane work and encourage creative strategy. Transparency and helping young team members grow beyond standard tasks are also key.
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