Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

How direct primary care saved my career and my life

Andrea Wadley, MD
Physician
July 2, 2023
Share
Tweet
Share

In late 2017, I was standing in the hallway between two different departments in a hospital where I was rounding on a particularly busy day. As a hospitalist, I was very familiar with this facility and where to go in order to find a moment of peace away from the hustle and bustle of my workday.

As I held the stack of rounding sheets in my hand, I had a fleeting thought: “I now understand why so many doctors kill themselves.” And it scared me.

Preceding this moment were the typical stresses of being a physician: a stacked work schedule, colleagues in bitter disagreements with each other, and pleas for staffing help to administration that fell on deaf ears.

Thankfully, instead of following through on my thoughts, I started researching ways to redirect my career before burnout pushed me completely out of medicine.

What is direct primary care?

As a primary care physician, I revisited my desires of why I became a pediatrician. My hope was to one day be known as a child’s pediatrician and experience the joy of caring for that child throughout their younger years.

While researching my next steps, I came across a forum of physicians on Facebook practicing under the direct primary care model.

Direct primary care, or DPC for short, is a retainer-based membership model that allows the doctor to have a predictable income while affording the patient direct access to their doctor. Or in my case, their child’s doctor.

A direct primary care (DPC) membership is akin to a gym membership, where you are charged a monthly fee and use it when needed. I am not only a DPC doctor but a patient as well.

The best part for me is that it forgoes the long-standing insurance-based fee-for-service model. We all know that the current health care system has become a source of stress for both patients and doctors alike.

Benefits of DPC for this pediatrician

As I continued down the path of research, I found that this model worked well for family medicine physicians as they are able to see a wider age group of patients. This type of care appeals to not only families but also self-insured employers.

But would it work for a pediatrician?

Countless colleagues, friends, and family tried to convince me it would not. Nevertheless, I held firm to my decision to follow this path. After much blood, sweat, and tears, I have a thriving pediatric direct primary care practice. In fact, next month my patients and I will be celebrating the 5-year anniversary of the practice.

ADVERTISEMENT

Reduced stress

Starting a direct primary care practice is not the easier path, but my overall stress has greatly reduced. Taking great care of patients in a more personalized manner fits my personality better than answering to insurance companies. Providing high-quality care to a smaller patient load reduces my stress as well. When I lay my head on my pillow at night, I can rest easy knowing that I gave my patients the medical care they deserve.

Improved balance between work and life

While true life/work balance is a fallacy, life as a direct primary care pediatrician has felt more in balance for my priorities. While sometimes work gets more of my attention than family and vice versa, I am better able to be present for the person in front of me at the moment. Since I am in control of my schedule, I am able to block time for important family events or see a patient in a way that is convenient for them.

Increased job satisfaction

Nothing beats the job satisfaction of being a direct primary care pediatrician. Whether it is saving a kid from a trip to the ER by stitching up her chin on her living room couch or receiving videos of kids pretending to be Dr. Wadley, I love my job. Since my patient panel size is not thousands of patients, I really get to know kids and families well. Providing personalized service and spending time with patients also contributes greatly to my job satisfaction.

Benefits of direct primary care for patients

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness that has greatly changed my outlook on the medical system. While I try to navigate through referrals and med refill drama, I can always count on my DPC family doctor to fill in the gaps that my busy specialist’s office just cannot.

More personalized care

My family and I have been a direct primary care practice member for the last five years. Frequently, when discussing plans and budgets with my husband, he reminds me that having a DPC doctor for our family is non-negotiable. “Please don’t make me go back to the regular way of medicine,” he says with some frequency. Our doctor knows us well, and there aren’t many layers between her and us. We are grateful for this type of continuity of care and personal relationship.

Shorter wait times

With smaller panel sizes, DPC doctors are able to get patients seen and taken care of quickly. I will often get a same-day or next-day appointment with my primary care physician. As a direct primary care pediatrician, I can also give parents an almost immediate answer if they text me a picture of a rash or something else that is worrying them about their child. This type of comprehensive care with short wait times is very difficult in our health insurance-based primary care practice model.

Greater access to the doctor

While greater access may be off-putting to some physicians, it really is the cornerstone of the DPC relationship, and medicine in general. Patient experience is improved in this service model due to the ability to text your primary care doctor a simple question or discuss a concern easily over the phone. As a part of the primary care membership, patients can obtain routine care, find answers to their questions, and overall have an improved doctor-patient relationship.

How DPC can save your career and your life

While there are many critics of the direct primary care model, more and more doctors are choosing this way of practicing medicine. Without the administrative demands of the third-party billing model, doctors are able to jump off the hamster wheel and find the joy of practicing medicine again. Direct primary care may not save all of the health care system, but it sure saved me. If you are ready to jump in the water and give it a try, there is a community of happy DPC doctors ready to take you by the hand and help you find your new path.

Andrea Wadley is a pediatrician.

Prev

Debunking myths about automated red blood cell exchange [PODCAST]

July 1, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

Key factors for complete, easy, and fair payments

July 2, 2023 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Debunking myths about automated red blood cell exchange [PODCAST]
Next Post >
Key factors for complete, easy, and fair payments

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • The solution to a crumbling primary care foundation is direct primary care

    Sara Pastoor, MD
  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • Direct primary care is an answer to volume-based insurance reimbursement models

    Troy A. Burns, MD
  • Direct primary care: Great for some doctors, but challenging for patients

    Ken Terry
  • Can direct primary care save us from the tapeworms of insurance?

    Niran S. Al-Agba, MD
  • Primary Care First: CMS develops a value-based primary care program for independent practices

    Robert Colton, MD

More in Physician

  • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • Ethical dilemmas in using unclaimed bodies for medical research

    M. Bennet Broner, PhD
  • The Nova Oath: a physician’s pledge to courageous and ethical care

    Kenneth Ro, MD
  • True stories of doctors reclaiming their humanity in a system that challenges it

    Alae Kawam, DO & Kim Downey, PT & Nicole Solomos, DO
  • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

    Maureen Gibbons, MD
  • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How the shingles vaccine could help prevent dementia

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • The food-drug interaction risks your doctor may be missing

      Frank Jumbe | Meds
    • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Ethical dilemmas in using unclaimed bodies for medical research

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How the shingles vaccine could help prevent dementia

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • The food-drug interaction risks your doctor may be missing

      Frank Jumbe | Meds
    • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Ethical dilemmas in using unclaimed bodies for medical research

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

How direct primary care saved my career and my life
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...