DPC Life: Conversations Beyond the Practice

What do you do when medicine starts taking more than it gives back? For Internal Medicine physician Dr. Sandra Koehn, the breaking point became a turning point. In this episode, she shares how she went from exhausted and resentful in employed medicine to building Planted DPC in Rochester, New York around her family, her values, and her patients. If you’re a physician who keeps thinking “there has...

If doing your QuickBooks every weekend feels like pulling teeth, this episode is your novocaine. We sit down with Nate Goodman, a CPA who built his firm specifically for Direct Primary Care doctors. As a DPC patient himself who requires his staff to have DPC memberships, Nate lives in the same world you do. His team helps doctors turn “dark hole” finances into clear, predictable profit so you can...

How to talk about Direct Primary Care, find your people, and let go of the guilt. Feeling burned out in corporate healthcare and obsessing over DPC, but stuck on how to explain it to patients or make the leap? In this coaching-style episode, Dr. Alisa Awtry , a family physician in Newberg, Oregon and founder of Rooted Direct Primary Care, walks through her real fears, questions, and messaging as s...

This episode is a fan favorite and one of the most popular from the DPC Life Podcast. We hope it brings you meaningful insights and inspiration during this holiday season. Enjoy this replay and let it spark new ideas . Thank you for being a part of our community! If you're an employed physician feeling dissatisfied, a DPC dreamer preparing to leap, or a mom balancing family and a new practice,...

Happy Holidays! This episode is one of the most listened-to episodes of the DPC Life Podcast, and we believe it will bring you valuable insights during this holiday season. It might be just what you need to hear as you reflect on the year. We hope you enjoy this replay and find inspiration in it. Thank you for tuning in! In this episode, we’re joined by my awesome partner, Dr. Rachel Kelly , to ta...

Internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Kashiti Long (Long Health and Wellness, Charlotte, NC) shares the unfiltered reality of leaving corporate medicine and launching a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice in just six months. She walks through the exact steps she took, what actually worked for marketing, and the painful surprises that almost derailed her launch. This is a grounded,...

This is a transparent, real‑world coaching session with Dr. Chelsea Johnson, founder of Kidz MD Pediatric DPC in Liberty, Missouri. After years in academic medicine, ER/urgent care, and consulting, she decided the only way she’d practice primary care was inside DPC. She calls it her “off‑ramp” to keep kids out of the ER and stay in medicine on her terms. We walk through the unsexy but critical pie...

Are you a primary care or hospitalist doc charting at 11 p.m., staring at RVUs, and wondering, “Is this it?” In this episode, Dr. Nadia Sirdar, an internal medicine physician and founder of Bethesda Modern Primary Care, shares how she walked away from hospital medicine to build a Direct Primary Care practice that actually feels human again. We get into: The breaking point: The exact moments that m...

If you're an employed physician feeling dissatisfied, a DPC dreamer preparing to leap, or a mom balancing family and a new practice, this episode is your guide to embracing the required entrepreneurial transformation. Dr. Una shares her personal journey from pediatrician to seven-figure business owner and provides the mindset shifts and concrete strategies necessary to thrive in your practice...

If you’re a resident dreaming of DPC or an early DPC doc staring at an empty panel, this episode is your proof that you can start from nothing and still win. Dr. Catherine Lok opened River Rock Clinic in Asheville with zero patients, got hit by a clinic-destroying hurricane, and still built a thriving, values-aligned DPC micropractice Who it’s for: Residents planning to launch a DPC straight out o...

Who it’s for: Docs launching their DPC in the next 12 months who want a pitch that attracts the right patients and protects their time. You’ll learn: The biggest patient pain (access) and how to promise speed they believe, without burning out. A simple, believable elevator pitch (same/next‑day visits + direct text with response windows). How to counter “I already have insurance” without sounding d...

Who this is for: Primary care physicians quietly planning a DPC launch in the next year, or newly opened and figuring it out on a budget without an existing panel. In this coaching session, you’ll learn: What to focus on first when you’re starting from zero (no panel, smaller or non-urban market) How to clarify your niche and message without limiting your reach The truth about “boosting a post” ve...

In this honest, laughter-filled conversation with Dr. Rachel Kelly, we open up about what it’s really like running a DPC practice from the early days of burnout to finally finding our rhythm. We share the growing pains, the unexpected lessons, and the small but powerful shifts that helped us build more sustainable systems. From redefining boundaries to choosing the right EMR, we walk through the m...

In this episode of DPC Life, we sit down with Dr. Maryal Concepcion, MD, FAAFP , a board-certified family physician and California native with Filipino roots. Dr. Maryal is the founder of Big Trees MD and the creator and host of the My DPC Story Podcast , now entering its sixth season. She shares her journey from burnout to balance and how a moment of anger and clarity while pregnant led her to bu...

In this incredibly candid and inspiring episode of the DFC Life Interview, we sat down with Dr. Melissa Boylan, the founder of Noreta Family Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Boylan gave us the full story of her transition from a decade in a hospital system to becoming a thriving Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice owner. Dr. Boylan shared the "disaster day" complete with a house...

What happens when a pediatrician realizes she might have ADHD and then uses that insight to help parents navigate the hardest parts of raising complex kids? In this episode of DPC Life , Dr. Crystal Vernon shares her journey as both a physician and a mom, and how coaching became a powerful tool for creating more calm in the chaos. From recognizing her own ADHD to guiding physician-parents of child...

How do you know when it’s time to leave the system and what does it look like to create something better? In this conversation, Dr. Michelle Cooke shares her journey from burnout in a large healthcare system to opening Sol Direct Primary Care in Atlanta, GA. She talks about the realities of fee-for-service medicine, how the hospital closure in her community pushed her toward direct primary care, a...

In this episode, we’re joined by my awesome partner, Dr. Rachel Kelly , to take you behind the scenes of building our DPC practice, without a business plan, without a roadmap, and with plenty of trial and error. Together, we share the lessons we’ve learned in resilience and the realization that valuing our time might be the most important shift of all. We talk about… Why “90% of what we’ve done ha...

Episode 5: Dr. Angela Andrews In this episode, I talk with Dr. Angela Andrews of Seeds of Health DPC in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She shares her leap from the system into DPC, how mentorship and faith shaped her journey, and the ways she’s building community - from rebranding her practice to leading Walk with a Doc. Dr. Andrew’s story is full of courage, practical wisdom, and the reminder that DPC g...

Dr. Heather Doty’s DPC Journey In this episode of DPC Life , I talk with Dr. Heather Doty of Crossroads Health and Wellness about her unexpected twists and triumphs in Direct Primary Care. Heather shares how she launched her practice in North Carolina—only to be called to move her family (and start all over again) in Florida just a month later. Heather is a family physician, pastor’s wife, and mom...

Episode 4: Dr. Erin Kallock In this episode, I talk with Dr. Erin Kallock , founder of Focus Health DPC in Tacoma, Washington . Dr. Kallock shares her journey from corporate medicine to direct primary care, including what finally pushed her to make the leap, and how she built her practice while raising three kids. We get into: How COVID and family life influenced her decision to step out of the sy...

Welcome to the very first episode of DPC Life ! I’m Dr. Anne Gonzalez—a family medicine physician, wife, mom, and now podcaster. In this episode, I sit down with my DPC partner, Dr. Rachel Kelly, to share the story of how we went from working as employed physicians in the traditional system to opening our own Direct Primary Care practice. We talk about: How we first met and became practice partner...

Welcome to DPC Life ! The podcast that pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to leave the broken fee-for-service system and build a practice that fits your life. You’ll hear stories from regular doctors who took the leap into Direct Primary Care—plus practical tips, tools, and candid conversations about what happens after you walk away from the insurance hamster wheel. Even if you’ve alre...