Hi! I’m an endocrinologist who started my own direct care endocrinology practice in 2019, a mere two years after graduating from fellowship. Bold move? Sure. People ask me all the time where I got the confidence to take such a leap.
Here’s my story. I was working in a VERY busy private endocrinology practice. Our clinic saw 500 or more patients/day. I loved it as a new attending. Patients were literally falling into my lap. I got to build my clinical confidence and competence quickly.
I love my patients, y’all. Just like all of you. They hold a special place in my heart and I truly believe all of my patients are VIP’s.
I learned quickly, though, that no matter how hard I worked or how much time I spent, neither I nor my patients can thrive in a system that is broken.
I would write prescriptions only to have the patient come back months later never having gotten the rx filled because the prior authorization got stuck in fax limbo. Patients were upset for long waits in my office due to major deficiencies in staffing. Pumps were never downloaded for my visits. The issues were getting worse, not better.
It was like being a baker expected to make cakes without flour, sugar and with a mixer that only works 23% of the time.
Then system then penalizes the baker for not making enough bad cakes and, even more ridiculous, the system tells the cakes are told they are stupid, bad, “non-compliant” cakes for being imperfect.
I knew I was given a gift to help people live their best lives led by health. I knew my patients wanted to get better.
I was passionate and compassionate and I liked that about myself. I looked around at my colleagues, the burnt out bakers, and I knew that would be me in a few short years if I did not do something.
So there you have it, the fear of what I would become if I didn’t change was greater than the fear of change itself.
I’ve learned a lot on this journey, and continue to learn more every day. I believe direct care endocrinology is a viable, enjoyable and empowering practice model. I’ve revamped this newsletter to take you on a step by step journey on how to start a direct care endocrinology practice.