Sam Qamar, CEO, MedLion Clinic
Dr Sam Qamar is the founding CEO of MedLion Clinic, a virtual primary care service based in the U.S. With an emphasis on affordability, convenience, and high-quality medical care, MedLion Clinic caters to employers and individuals in dozens of states, all online.
Until recently, Dr Qamar was also the founding CEO of MedWand, a telehealth technology company, where he now serves as Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer. Dr Qamar invented the award-winning MedWand, a medical device that allows clinicians to examine patients over the internet on smartphones and computers.
The handheld MedWand advances the telemedicine industry by allowing clinicians to remotely obtain real-time vitals, auscultate heart and lungs, look into ears and throats, obtain EKGs, and monitor chronic conditions during video visits.
Prior to MedWand and MedLion Clinic, Dr Qamar was one of the pioneering minds behind the U.S.'s rapidly-rising Direct Primary Care (DPC) industry.
He created one of the nation's first DPC companies, MedLion Direct Primary Care, in 2009 and helped catapult DPC nationwide by focusing on low-cost subscription-based, high-quality primary care. In 2018, MedLion Direct Primary Care changed its name to MedLion Clinic and converted it to a complete Internet-based Virtual Primary Care model.
Earlier, Dr Qamar began one of the first concierge medical practises in the U.S. in California, where for many years, he also served as the official house doctor for the famed Pebble Beach Resorts.
Dr Qamar completed his medical training at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Medicine - Lancaster General Hospital, the nation's #1 family medicine residency (Doximity, 2021), with subsequent coursework at Harvard Business School. His visions on the future of primary care have been referenced in many publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, Forbes, and Time.
Dr Qamar is a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and several other organizations. He speaks multiple languages, has studied and practised in health care systems worldwide, and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he actively practices medicine.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
LinkedIn because it allows me to professionally connect with others whilst sharing my own interests and expertise. I also have the opportunity to learn from other professionals.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
My upbringing was international, due largely to my father's occupation as a United Nations diplomat. Living in many countries shrinks one's world, and opportunities are viewed with a global perspective, particularly in healthcare, where all human beings feel the impact. I am fascinated by the obstacles encountered by people in healthcare, and I am obsessed with the creation of solutions to allow improved access to healthcare for as many people as possible.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
As an actively-practising physician, I am able to experience first-hand some of the bottlenecks experienced in healthcare today. However, lessons learned can be applied towards the creation of solutions that could help people better access medical services. Health is something that affects us all, and if I can possibly make a difference, it makes my career extremely rewarding.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never, ever give up.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I have a burning passion for leaving this world a better place. As a physician-entrepreneur, I have chosen healthcare as the area to focus on. If my work benefits human beings in any capacity, it fuels my desire to do even more. I don't think I'll ever stop.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
That's a difficult question, as I don't believe I've done enough to merit pride. However, if I had to choose, I am proud of having envisioned medical technology that allows patients to be physically examined over the internet across great distances.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
People excite me: their lives, their work, their thoughts. I enjoy meeting people anywhere I can, whether online or in-person, although in person is more fun.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I believe my having travelled extensively has been very useful, as has my ability to speak many languages. My interest in other people is another quality that keeps me interested in the world at large. My skills as a doctor are a tremendous asset as well.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
The emotional roller coaster of founding, then running a technology startup isn't for the faint of heart. However, doing so has given me crash courses in business, entrepreneurship, money management, people management, engineering, and countless other subjects not taught in medical school. It would have been nice to have had a formal business education before starting out, but I'm glad things turned out the way they did.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I've always admired tech visionaries who have the courage to defy critics, found companies, and see their vision fulfilled in ways that change the world for the better. Names that come to mind are Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Outside of work, I've been known for my interest in fine automobiles and motorsport, personal passions I've held since childhood. Well-made race cars personify power, performance, endurance, and sometimes legacy, traits that are appealing to me. Of course, I also read voraciously, another childhood interest that follows me today.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
Being in the business of telemedicine, the pandemic cast a solid spotlight on my work that helped immensely. Virtual care became very important during the pandemic, and each of my companies had benefits for clinicians and patients alike. I am glad that my businesses could be helpful during these unprecedented times.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've been blessed to have many mentors, yes. In medicine, it was the late heart surgeon, Dr John Judson. In business, it was the late Texas billionaire Richard Rainwater. But, in life overall, my mentor has been my own father, Dr Kalim Qamar, a former United Nations diplomat. All have taught me countless lessons that I continue to use to this day.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
My advice, in no particular order, would be.
Polish and upgrade any "people skills". All areas of work require an ability to work with others.
Develop grit, endurance, and be okay if others "don't get it". Entrepreneurs travel many roads alone.
Build a great team that believes in you and your mission for big projects.
Find solutions to problems most people are having. Not only will it be easier to get others to join your mission, but you also get to change the world.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
A lack of patience.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right."
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I've always admired Apple for its devotion to high-quality, consumer-oriented technology, and I've been a fan of the Virgin brand. Both of these companies focus intensely on the consumer experience, which I attribute to their respective success.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
I think there are many definitions of success that vary from person to person. For me personally, the ultimate success is living and working on my own terms while having done something of great value for this world.