▁them ▁to ▁stay ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁their ▁fields . ▁ ▁Alan ▁Me ck ler , ▁founder ▁of ▁high ▁te ch ▁news ▁publish er ▁Me ck l erm edia ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁of ▁vent ure ▁capital ▁firm ▁Internet . com ▁provided ▁the ▁up front ▁invest ment ▁and ▁Me h met ▁O z , ▁card i oth or ac ic ▁sur geon ▁and ▁author , ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Direct ors . ▁MD Lin x ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁phys ician ▁portal ▁to ▁offer ▁an ▁index ▁of ▁over ▁a ▁thousand ▁journ als ▁segment ed ▁into ▁over ▁seven ▁hundred ▁sub special ties . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁MD Lin x ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁linking ▁a ▁doctor ▁to ▁a ▁Mong ol ian ▁boy ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁a ▁heart ▁operation . ▁ ▁Mer ger ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁MD Lin x ▁was ▁fully ▁acquired ▁by ▁So - net ▁M 3 ▁USA ▁( current ly ▁M 3 ▁USA ), ▁a ▁wh olly ▁owned ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁So - net ▁M 3 ▁( current ly ▁M 3 ▁Inc . ▁() ), ▁a ▁leading ▁provider ▁of ▁online ▁market ing ▁solutions ▁to ▁the ▁health care ▁industry ▁in ▁Japan ▁and ▁an ▁affili ate ▁of ▁Sony ▁Communic ation ▁Network ▁Corporation ▁( current ly ▁Sony ▁Network ▁Communic ations ▁Inc .). ▁Currently , ▁Sony ▁Corporation ▁indirect ly ▁own s ▁ 3 9 . 4 <0xEF> <0xBC> <0x85> ▁of ▁M 3 ▁USA . ▁The ▁company ▁and ▁its ▁services ▁including ▁MD Lin x ▁are ▁independently ▁operated ▁from