I didn’t start out trying to become a physician leader or work in digital health startups. Like many of us, I went into medicine to help people. As a family physician at Kaiser Permanente and as the only doctor in my family, I had the privilege of caring for patients across every stage of life. But over time, I learned that health care is not provided equitably across the nation. It was unfortunately about who you knew, where you lived, and where you got care. That would be the difference between having a long healthy productive life and one cut short by missed interventions and treatments.
Why was access to care so inconsistent? Why weren’t we using technology to make healthcare more affordable and efficient? And why did it feel like even great doctors were burning out trying to fix a broken system?
Leadership Isn’t a Title—It’s a Responsibility
The first time I took on a leadership role, it wasn’t because I asked for it. I was happy being a front line practicing primary care doctor. However, over time, I realized that if I wasn’t a doctor my family would have suffered the fate of many patients who had care gaps and misses. I was fortunate to start my professional career at an organization that believed a group practice enabled by technology focused on patient satisfaction and health quality outcomes at scale could impact the communities and populations they served in meaningful ways. This meant, patients only needed to focus on getting better.
This gave me a broader view of how much impact a physician leader could have outside the exam room which inspired me to go beyond the office.
Eventually, that resulted in an opportunity in 2015, to Lemonaid Health, and then to my current role as Chief Medical Officer at Curai Health, where we’re building an AI-powered, virtual-first care model. Our mission at Curai is to democratize access to high quality, affordable health care by leveraging AI. We constantly ask ourselves where can thoughtful use of technology enable primary care that is delivered virtually. As a result, I collaborate regularly with engineers, AI / ML experts, data scientists, design and product teams, and frontline clinicians to make care more proactive, more personalized, more convenient, and more accessible to everyone. Like my clinical colleagues, I also see patients on our platform which helps improve our features and service for both patients and clinicians. It is through these feedback loops we ensure idea inception to care delivery continues to get better.
Mentorship, Not Just Management
Along the way, I’ve learned that physician leadership is a skill any clinician can learn. Much like the science of medicine, there is a science of business that we need to understand and master. It’s about asking questions, listening, and creating space for others. It’s about psychological safety. It’s about having high standards and integrity, especially in a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. I’ve been fortunate to mentor physicians exploring non-clinical paths as it is my way to give back to the community.
If there’s one message I share often, it’s this: You don’t need an MBA to lead. You don’t have to leave medicine to have an impact. What you do need is a growth mindset, a willingness to learn from outside your silo, an understanding that discipline of leadership is as important as the discipline of medicine. and that finding a network of like minded people who will support your evolution.
Especially now, in a time of rapid transformation, we need more than ever, physician leaders on how we might reinvent health care.
Let’s Lead Better—Together
Whether you're a new attending, a mid-career physician wondering “what’s next,” or a med student questioning how to balance purpose with sustainability—know this: you are not alone. Leadership isn’t reserved for the few. It starts with a question, a nudge, a conversation.
I hope my journey can offer a spark of direction or reassurance. And I hope you’ll pay it forward—by leading where you are, mentoring those around you, and helping to build a healthcare system that works better for everyone.
Let’s keep building.
