More Than Medicine: The Dynamic Duo: Seger MD

Today we’re spending time with the dynamic duo behind SegerMD, Dr. Michael ‘Mickey’ and Dr. Jenny Seger! With a shared passion for weight management and optimal health, the Segers are providing surgical and non-surgical resources for patients in San Antonio and beyond. Both having practiced independently for many years, they recently joined forces and are taking the market by storm!

Drs. Seger will take us through what it’s like to start a business with your spouse, what fuels their passion for medicine and big things happening for each of them in 2025. And, did you know Dr. Mickey once got fired?

Before we get to that, let’s start at the beginning. What is it like to go into business with your spouse?

Dr. Jenny: Anyone who tells you it’s a walk in the park is likely not being completely transparent. While it has been mostly exciting, it does require a couple to dig deep in terms of communication. As parents of 5 children, we’ve learned that we will not always agree and that is true when it comes to business as well. Thankfully, we have a strong mutual respect and admiration for one another which allows us to maximize our strengths and lean in when one of us is feeling challenged. Better Together!

Dr. Mickey: Absolutely amazing and terrifying! Starting a new practice in our 50s was not on my bingo card. I tend to have all these creative yet sometimes diverging and whacky ideas about what direction I want to go in but at the end of the day the deep trust and love I have for Jenny and her path keeps me grounded.

There is no doubt that having 5 children (including a set of twins) gave you some good practice on communication and compromise!

It sounds like you compliment each other and bring opposing strengths to marriage, parenting and business. If you think back to the beginning, what inspired you to pursue a career in medicine and what drives your passion?

Dr. Jenny: For me, it was my love of science, problem solving, interpersonal relations and the desire to help others. Medicine seemed to be the perfect blend of each of these areas of interest and strengths.

Dr. Mickey: I just love people. Helping people solve problems, especially the frustrating challenging ones, is a big driver for me. Surgery specifically gave me the opportunity to combine the mental aspects with actually creating a physical change in someone’s life to help them solve a problem.

How has your perspective evolved over the years? Would you choose the same speciality if you had to do it over?

Dr. Jenny: So interesting you ask…I truly believe I would. I know many of my colleagues who discourage their kids to pursue medicine but that is NEVER about the actual practice of medicine but rather, about the BUSINESS of medicine which has truly become quite the mess. I tend to be optimistic and think that the greater good will prevail. If you take out the BUSINESS side of things, practicing medicine is extraordinarily rewarding. I LOVE what I do!

Dr. Mickey: It would be easy for someone to say no. Medicine has become very system oriented and the old days of the doctor patient relationship being at the center of healthcare are largely gone. Still this is the very heartbeat of what needs to happen to deliver the best care to people.

Physicians, typically not good business people, have seen this corporatization erode our importance in the system steadily over time.It is on us to figure out a way to change this. After all, people don’t want to seek a doctor based on what their corporate or hospital affiliation is. People are seeking a relationship with someone who truly cares for them and will invest time, thought and energy into helping them be healthier. This is where the power is and docs just need to reinvent the system where people can choose this.

I love that you have both stayed so patient oriented and remain optimistic about the future of healthcare. If you could make one significant change to the healthcare system, what would it be?

Dr. Jenny: If I could change one thing in our current healthcare system, it would be that EVERY SINGLE PERSON would have access to quality healthcare. It’s heartbreaking that in a country as great as the United States, we cannot guarantee affordable, quality healthcare for all.
(and…I’d clean up the ‘mess’ in the business of medicine)

Dr. Mickey: We are seeing the best and brightest choose non-medical paths at alarming rates. It makes no sense to do 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, then 3-7 years of residency or fellowship training to then be employed and have a massive amount of debt. In time our system will not have the same level of providers. We need to find a way to reinvent the system where these young talented people who have a servant heart are once again able to see a path that rewards them for a career in medicine. AI is already a big player and can reduce some of the time and cost needed to train people.  It seems daunting, but I’m hopeful we can get there. And you’re right, we are only seeing the beginning of what AI may bring to the table.

Outside of medicine, what are some hobbies or passions that bring you joy or help you unwind?

Dr. Jenny: I love spending time with my amazing family, but I bet everyone says that. I enjoy being outdoors…hiking, gardening, walking on the beach and hunting for seashells…anything really. I dabble in arts and crafts but have not found any particular media that I excel at so I keep trying new things. I love live music, especially when it involves acoustical renditions.

Dr. Mickey: I am a bit of a meathead on the hobby front right now. I love fishing and watching my Texas Longhorns. I am trying to get back into playing golf. I wanted to play tennis and pickleball but my knees do not like it when I try things like that. I also have a guitar. I got fired by my instructor for not practicing enough. I hope to learn to play at some point.

I can’t believe your instructor fired you! But I can relate, I had big plans to learn to play the guitar as well and only made it through two lessons. Maybe we can learn together!

What’s one thing many people may not know about you?

Dr. Jenny: I’m pretty introverted! From an early age I learned that it pays off to be friendly and outgoing so I have always done my best to do just that, but the secret is…I am (almost always) looking forward to some quiet time alone to collect my thoughts.

Dr. Mickey: My current motto is “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.” This is from a book called the Go.

And, let’s turn the tables a bit. What’s one thing that many people may not know about your spouse?

Dr. Jenny: He’s pretty much a ‘you get what you see’ kind of guy.  He has an amazing dry sense of humor (which not everyone gets or has the patience to get to know) but if you do, you soon realize that he is incredibly loyal, and reliable… would do absolutely anything for family or friends. Truly genuine in all that he does.

Dr. Mickey: She is a beautiful dreamer. Her mind is amazingly complex and is always working on how to make this world a better place.

You both have a good heart and I admire all the good you’re doing for your patients. Do you have anything coming up in 2025 that you’d like to highlight?

Dr. Jenny: Well… I am currently pursuing my certification through the Menopause Society and in Lipidology. As a Family Medicine doc at heart, you have to make choices in terms of your areas of expertise…in addition to furthering my reach with Obesity Medicine these are two other areas where I see a major disconnect between the science/research and what is being practiced in clinical medicine. I hope to make a greater impact through my enhanced knowledge and expertise in these areas.

Dr. Mickey: Yep! I am currently focusing on clinical research. I have done about 7 trials so far and have found amazing personal growth and satisfaction learning new concepts but most importantly helping to advance the field and bring products and therapies to help people in the future. As hard I can work in my practice I can only help the folks in my sphere. By participating in research I am able to help so many more people that I will never meet! I love this!

Sounds like big things are coming soon! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your story with me. I can’t wait to see what’s next for you both and for SegerMD!