Physician entrepreneurs spend their careers blazing a path, using creativity, business acumen and clinical expertise as their guides. But the challenges are legion: From regulatory burdens to funding issues, they need to make their way through dense undergrowth to reach success.
Physician entrepreneurs will have the chance to spark their ambition and get invaluable feedback for their journey at the AMA Physician Entrepreneur Forum, which will be held Aug. 7–8 at the AMA headquarters in Chicago. The forum offers an immersive, in-person experience for the most innovative physicians, residents, fellows and medical students looking to build, lead or invest in businesses across healthcare.
“Physician entrepreneurs are leading the way at an exciting time, and the AMA is uniquely positioned to help them,” said John J. Whyte, MD, MPH, CEO and executive vice president of the AMA. “The forum promises to be an incubator for the next wave of healthcare innovations.”
Registration is limited to ensure a high-impact, curated cohort. AMA members and early registrants receive discounted pricing. Early registration ends May 31, 2026, and the full registration deadline is July 6, 2026. Learn more and register now.
Here are four reasons physician entrepreneurs shouldn’t miss the two-day conference.
Advance your career, no matter where you are
Your medical training has prepared you well for the clinical side of medicine, and the AMA offers resources like the forum to fill in the gaps on the business side of healthcare. Speakers at the event will have both the experience and the expertise to help you get to the next level, whether you’re just getting started with conceptualizing or are deep in the thick of launch.
With that in mind, some of the forum’s events will be geared to the venture side of the equation. Others will be focused more on technology and devices that can aid you in reaching your goals. With a wide variety of faculty, if you're interested in a particular niche in ownership, advisory, leadership or venture roles, you’ll get what you need.
As part of the AMA’s new Career Advancement Collective, the forum will give physicians essential business skills and resources to help them throughout the continuum of their journeys in medicine, from medical school to retirement and beyond.
Hone practical skills
Some conferences are heavy on the large-room lectures and light on the small-group execution. But at this event, physicians will take concrete steps toward launching or scaling their business ventures.
In the dedicated pitch labs, attendees will be able to do more than just brainstorm, actively working on their business ideas and getting direct feedback from experienced faculty. You’ll have the chance not only to refine your business plan but to anticipate and resolve issues that might arise in executing it.
Gain access to cutting-edge content
Augmented intelligence (AI), commonly called artificial intelligence, is no longer winding its way into the work lives of physicians. It’s now here to stay, and as technologies like AI and new devices become a crucial part of delivering care, it’s equally important to keep up with how this rapidly evolving landscape will affect you as a physician entrepreneur.
Technological advances are coming fast apace, so your business venture needs to operate nimbly, taking advantage of all the resulting benefits, from operational efficiency and productivity all the way to cost savings and scalability.
Take advantage of exclusive networking chances
Networking goes beyond hobnobbing over appetizers. At the forum, you’ll get a much more intimate experience than you might at similar events, through numerous small breakout sessions and various peer-to-peer interactions. Physicians at the event will have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with physician leaders and peers from across the entrepreneurial spectrum—from venture-capital visionaries to pioneers in medical innovation.
No one can help an entrepreneur avoid pitfalls and take advantage of opportunities like those who’ve been there before. Faculty will include physician founders and healthcare executives, and you will have the kind of direct access that can mean the difference between success and struggle.
Some of the featured speakers will be:
- Rushika Fernandopulle, MD, MPP, CEO of Liza Health.
- Alan Cheng, MD, MBA, chief medical officer of cardiac rhythm management, Medtronic.
- Sharif Vakili, MD, MBA, MS, co-founder and CEO of UpDoc.
CME credit will be available for eligible sessions. Additional accreditation details and credit hours will be provided upon final approval. See the full roster of featured speakers who have made their mark as physician entrepreneurs.
