For Dr. Patricia Marsh, medicine has always been about more than just treating symptoms—it’s about communication, access, and breaking down barriers. But after years of practicing as a family medicine physician, she began to notice a disconnect in how patients accessed care. Long wait times, limited availability, and the cumbersome nature of traditional telemedicine all pointed to a system in need of a shift. So, she built one.
Dr. Marsh is the co-founder of Ask Me Your MD (AMY MD), a text-based platform designed to provide instant, accessible medical advice from board-certified physicians. Unlike conventional telehealth services, which rely on video calls and rigid appointment slots, AMY MD strips healthcare down to its most essential element: the conversation.
It started with a friendship. Marsh met her co-founder, Dr. Seerat Mission, during residency, where they bonded over their shared passion for patient education. Both frequently found themselves taking extra time to counsel families—something that didn’t always align with the fast-paced ICU environment. That commitment to accessibility and education eventually led them to rethink how patients interact with the healthcare system.
The inspiration for AMY MD took a personal turn when Marsh’s father faced a medical emergency in the hospital. Thanks to her training, she immediately recognized the severity of his condition, called the right physicians, and ensured he received the necessary intervention in time. But the experience left her with a haunting question: What happens to patients who don’t have a doctor in the family?
From that realization, AMY MD was born. What started as a simple text-based medical Q&A service soon evolved into an end-to-end urgent care platform, where physicians can not only answer questions but also prescribe medications, review test results, and even guide patients to appropriate specialists.
Marsh’s journey from Temple to entrepreneur wasn’t linear. She took risks, left behind traditional job security, and jumped into the world of healthcare innovation. But for her, the mission was clear: Make healthcare as easy and familiar as sending a text message.
Below, Dr. Marsh discusses how AMY MD is transforming patient-physician interactions, why a text-based model works, and what advice she has for aspiring innovators in medicine.
Q&A with Dr. Patricia Marsh
Q: Traditional telemedicine is already well established. What makes AMY MD different?
Dr. Marsh: Most telemedicine services are still structured like a regular doctor’s visit—you log in, wait, see a physician on video, and go through a lengthy process. Our platform strips that down to the essentials. Studies show that text-based conversations get to the heart of a medical issue three times faster than a video call. There’s no small talk, no logistical hurdles—just a direct line to a doctor who can give you an answer and a plan of action.
We also take accessibility seriously. At $35 per consultation, we’re making medical advice available to people who might otherwise avoid seeking care due to cost or lack of insurance.
Q: You talk a lot about the role of conversation in healthcare. How does text-based care change the patient experience?
Dr. Marsh: The heart of medicine has always been the relationship between a doctor and their patient. That’s something I learned at Temple—that trust, familiarity, and communication aren’t just side effects of good care; they are good care. At first glance, you might think that a text-based model would weaken that bond. How do you build a relationship with a patient you’ve never met in person?
But what we’ve seen is actually the opposite. The traditional structure of a doctor’s visit—sitting in a waiting room, filling out forms, feeling rushed once you finally get face time—can create a sense of distance. With AMY MD, we remove those barriers. Patients engage with us on their terms, in a format that feels familiar and unintimidating. That means they’re more comfortable, more direct, and ultimately, more open.
What our data shows is that text-based interactions actually build doctor-patient relationships faster. Without the need for small talk or logistical formalities, the conversation immediately focuses on what matters: the patient’s concern and how we can help. That efficiency doesn’t come at the cost of connection—in fact, it enhances it. Patients follow up more, ask better questions, and take a more active role in their own care because the process is simple and accessible.
And let’s be real—no one wants to make a phone call when they can send a text. This is how we communicate in nearly every other aspect of life. Integrating that ease into healthcare doesn’t just modernize the experience; it makes medicine work better for the people who need it most.
Q: How does a text-based platform like this move medicine forward, both in terms of patient care and physician workload?
Dr. Marsh: One of the biggest challenges in medicine right now is access—both for patients trying to get care and for physicians managing increasing demands on their time. What we’ve built isn’t just a more convenient way to ask medical questions; it’s a model that expands how and when care is delivered.
Traditionally, telemedicine has tried to replicate the in-person experience through video, but we took a step back and asked: What actually needs to happen for effective care to take place? What we found is that a text-based system allows physicians to provide accurate, timely medical guidance while reducing unnecessary barriers for patients. They don’t have to wait weeks for an appointment or navigate complicated portals. Instead, they get direct access to a physician who can assess their needs, prescribe medications, review imaging results, and—if necessary—guide them toward specialized care.
This model doesn’t replace traditional care; it supports and enhances it. Studies have shown that non-urgent messages to physicians skyrocketed during the pandemic, contributing to burnout. Many of these questions don’t require a full office visit, but patients still need answers. By shifting some of that burden to a platform like this, we help physicians focus on high-acuity cases while ensuring that patients still get the guidance they need.
And because our network includes specialists across 29 different fields, we’re also addressing a major pain point in healthcare—long wait times for specialty care. Instead of waiting months to see a neurologist or cardiologist, patients can get expert input within minutes. That kind of flexibility is how we start to close the gaps in the system and move medicine forward.
Q: Looking back at your time at Temple, how did your experience shape your journey?
Dr. Marsh: Temple instilled resilience in me. The kind of resilience that teaches you not to be deterred by setbacks, to be resourceful, and to keep pushing forward when the path isn’t clear. That mindset wasn’t just something I learned at Temple—it was something I had to live through.
I didn’t match the first time I applied for residency. That was a defining moment. For a lot of people, not matching feels like the end of the road. It’s a moment of doubt, of questioning whether you belong in medicine at all. But Temple didn’t let me give up on myself. My mentors, my professors—they wouldn’t let me see it as a failure. Instead, they helped me figure out the next step. I worked harder, sharpened my skills, and found my own way forward. And I did match.
That experience changed everything for me. It taught me that medicine isn’t about following a perfect, linear path. It’s about perseverance, about finding another way when the first one doesn’t work out. That lesson carried me through my entire journey, from residency to practicing medicine to launching a startup.
AMY MD didn’t happen overnight. There were moments of doubt, moments where I had to take big leaps without knowing if I’d land on my feet. But Temple prepared me for that. It taught me that if you see a problem, you don’t just acknowledge it—you figure out how to fix it. And if the first solution doesn’t work? You keep going until you find the one that does.