It has been one year since I began writing this blog. It has been a slow process to get a solo practice up and running, with fits and starts. A lot like writing this blog. For the one year anniversary of this blog (which has been described by at least one person as a kind of soap opera), I thought I'd write a synopsis, of sorts.
Who am I?
I am a board-certified family physician, born and raised in Southern California, a UCLA alumnus with a double major in biology and English. That may explain why I'm writing a medical blog. I am also a husband (hi, honey!) and father of 3 daughters.
What is the purpose of this site?
To help other physicians who may feel unhappy with their current situation and wonder if there is a better way to practice medicine. A way to have enough time to provide quality medical care, to feel more connected with their patients, their family and their own lives, and not be just another cog in the machine. In other words, to help those who are tired of running find a way off the hamster wheel.
When did I start this?
I began thinking about starting my own practice after reading an article written by Dr. Gordon Moore in Family Practice Management in February 2002. In it, he described how he set up a completely solo practice (no nurse, no staff) and found greater satisfaction doing so. After 13 years working at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, CA, I felt like my practice style no longer fit in with Kaiser's system so I resigned my partnership and officially opened my own solo family practice office in February 2004, following the Gordon Moore model. Two years in the making.
Where am I?
South Pasadena, CA. It is a middle to upper-middle class suburb of Los Angeles, definitely NOT an underserved area, but for some curious reason, had no family physician practicing within city limits. This appeared to be a good business opportunity, I reasoned.
In the coming weeks, I plan to write about these topics:
How to get started with a solo practice
How does my practice run (nuts and bolts)
Sources of patients/income
Expenses/supplies
Status of my practice
5 hours ago
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