This podcast episode from DPC Pediatricians, featuring Dr. Phil Boucher and Dr. Marina Capella, focuses on the various fears physicians face when starting or growing a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice, especially in pediatrics.

Key Highlights

Financial Fears

* The most cited fear is financial risk—concerns about income loss, managing startup costs, and whether the practice will be financially viable.

* Specific worries include affording personal expenses, losing benefits like health insurance, managing student loan payments, and depleting savings.

* Strategies to manage financial fears include starting with a small budget, working part-time at another job (PRN), building a financial buffer, or obtaining a startup loan—something most other small businesses do regularly.

Business Management Fears

* Many physicians fear managing a business because they typically lack formal business education in medical training and often feel unprepared for tasks like hiring staff, handling payroll, or managing finances.

* Phil and Marina emphasize that “all business skills are learnable,” pointing to the abundance of online resources, courses, and AI tools to support new practice owners.

* Hiring professionals like accountants or clinic managers over time can offload responsibilities, but initial control and learning are essential.

Fear of Being Alone or Losing Community

* Starting a practice solo can feel isolating, especially transitioning from collaborative environments.

* The episode highlights the importance of building community: connecting with local DPC physicians (even outside of pediatrics), joining business networking groups, and attending in-person or virtual DPC events like Masterminds and summits.

Discomfort with Asking for Money

* Discussing payment directly with patients feels unnatural for many physicians due to lack of previous experience and cultural norms within the profession.

* Overcoming this discomfort comes with practice and understanding the value offered to patients; not every family will find the model a fit, and that is normal.

Fear of Not Being an Expert

* Many feel unqualified to market themselves as more than generalists, especially when pursuing fields like integrative or behavioral medicine without extensive extra certifications.

* Both hosts encourage embracing continuous learning and recognizing that being an expert is relative—the physician will usually know more than the patient, and expertise grows incrementally through practice and further education.

DPC Pediatrician Resources Mentioned

* The hosts mention resources like online courses on DPC finances, free startup guides, and opportunities for community engagement through summits and masterminds for further support.

Episode Summary

This episode provides practical insights and reassurance for pediatricians and other physicians considering or building a direct primary care model, reinforcing that fears are manageable and success is achievable with patience, support, and persistent learning.