#287 How a Dermatologist Created a Startup to Revolutionize Needle Pain and Stress ft. Dr. Manju Dawkins
In this episode, Dr. Peter Kim sits down with Dr. Manju Dawkins, a dermatologist and co-founder of Thimble Health, to share the inspiring story behind her mission to make needle procedures less painful and more compassionate. What began as a personal moment with her daughter during a routine vaccination grew into a full-scale innovation serving thousands of patients and healthcare professionals.
Dr. Dawkins opens up about her journey from physician to entrepreneur, the challenges of balancing a startup with clinical work, and what it truly takes to turn an idea into impact. Her story reminds every doctor listening that they have the power to innovate, create, and lead meaningful change in healthcare. Tune in!
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Episode Highlights
Now, let’s look at what we discussed in this episode:
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The Birth of an Idea
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Turning Pain into Purpose
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Building Thimble from Idea to Product
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Lessons from the Journey
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Redefining Physician Potential
Here’s a breakdown of how this episode unfolds.
Episode Breakdown
The Birth of an Idea
Peter Kim introduces Dr. Manju Dawkins, a dermatologist and co-founder of Thimble Health, a company focused on reducing pain and stress during needle procedures. He shares that her story is a great example of what physicians can achieve when they turn ideas into solutions that help thousands of people.
Dr. Dawkins explains that Thimble’s goal is to make needle care safer and easier for everyone through accessible, over-the-counter products. The inspiration came when her infant daughter received her first vaccines. Seeing her baby’s face in pain and confusion made her realize how unprepared most parents and doctors are to manage that moment. As both a mother and a physician, she felt there had to be a better way.
She admits that entrepreneurship was never part of her plan. Coming from a family of physicians, she expected to follow a traditional medical career. But that emotional moment with her child shifted her path, showing her how personal experiences can reveal opportunities to improve patient care.
Turning Pain into Purpose
Dr. Dawkins shares how she turned that emotional moment into action. During a move from New York to Los Angeles, she had rare downtime between jobs and began brainstorming with a friend. That conversation led to the early idea for Thimble. Her friend passed on the project, but her husband joined in, and together they began researching the problem.
She started by looking up information online and in dermatology textbooks, trying to understand why no one had solved the issue of needle pain. What she found was surprising: there were few options, and even the existing numbing creams required prescriptions and were not practical for everyday use. The more she researched, the more convinced she became that she could help.
Dr. Dawkins says the process began with curiosity and small steps. Each step brought new challenges and new people who offered help along the way. She learned that when you share a good idea, others naturally want to be part of it. That mindset kept her moving forward despite not knowing exactly how things would unfold.
Building Thimble From Idea to Product
Dr. Dawkins explains that research and development began in 2017 and took two years to finalize the first product, the Prepare Patch. The patch uses lidocaine to numb the skin before needle procedures and includes a center section that can be peeled off, so doctors can see exactly where to inject. It was designed to solve common problems with existing creams like Emla.
She describes the process as long and challenging, involving product design, testing, and manufacturing. If she had known how difficult it would be, she admits she might not have started. But she is glad she did because every small success built momentum. Thimble’s first product is now preparing for launch after years of steady work.
Balancing clinical practice and a growing business was tough. For years she worked full-time in dermatology while spending nights and weekends developing Thimble. After raising her first round of funding, she stepped away from full-time medicine to focus on the company. That break gave her space to grow as a founder and helped her rediscover her love for patient care when she returned to practice one day a week.
Lessons from the Journey
Dr. Dawkins says juggling medicine, business, and family is hard but rewarding. The experience taught her a lot about herself and her limits. She realized that she enjoys challenge and change more than she once believed. Entrepreneurship pushed her to grow and rethink what stability really means.
Her biggest lesson is about self-care. She reminds listeners that physicians are trained to put others first, but that approach can lead to burnout. Taking care of your physical, emotional, and financial well-being is essential. She admits that she sometimes sacrificed her family’s financial stability for Thimble, and that’s something she would approach differently today.
Thimble’s platform now includes three parts: the Prepare Patch (used before procedures), the Recover Patch (used after procedures with turmeric and arnica to reduce bruising), and an app that helps people manage fear and anxiety around needles. The app includes simple techniques like breathwork, distraction, and muscle tension exercises, creating a complete approach to needle care.
Redefining Physician Potential
Looking ahead, Dr. Dawkins hopes that needle care becomes as common and expected as anesthesia in surgery. She explains that better pain management benefits everyone: patients feel more comfortable, caregivers experience less stress, clinicians get better outcomes, and insurers save money through improved adherence and satisfaction.
She believes physicians are uniquely positioned to innovate because they see real problems every day. The challenge is that many doctors are told to “stay small” and only focus on patient care. Dr. Dawkins encourages physicians to trust their experience, creativity, and instincts to build solutions that matter. If they can become doctors, she says, they can do anything.
Her final advice is simple but powerful: “Don’t follow in my footsteps.” She explains that success comes from following your own instincts, not someone else’s path. Every journey is unique, and the best ideas come from trusting yourself and doing things your own way. Peter closes by celebrating her work and encouraging physicians everywhere to find purpose beyond the clinic.
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