Posted by: AtlasMD

February 16, 2015

Atlas MD Podcast 21 – Inside the Mind of Medical Students

Atlas MD Podcast 21 – Inside the Mind of Medical Students

In the latest podcast, Drs. Josh and Doug talk about their upcoming travel schedule, which recent updates to the Atlas.md EMR have made the most impact on clinic efficiency, the launch of IAmDirectCare.com, and how a $600 prescription turned into $6 (that’s not a typo!).

Next, the docs open up the floor to two medical students from Kansas City who have been shadowing Atlas MD for the past month. The students verbally explore their chosen paths, and express how Direct Primary Care fits into their future plans. Then they grill Josh and Doug on a handful of questions everyone’s thinking, but may not be asking out loud. They discuss marketing practices, how DPC sells itself, why it’s best not to offer insurance out of the gate when starting your DPC practice, and how in the world some docs still don’t see the benefit of the DPC model. The students don’t hold back and succeed in getting their answers.

Through it all, it’s becoming more clear that the DPC message is reaching more physician hopefuls throughout more aspects of their training. Although it can sound too good to be true, docs are learning that the DPC model can solve a lot of problems for a lot of people if implemented in the right way.

Listen to Podcast 21 here for all the details! > 

DPC is More Than a Trend. Dr. Wulfers is Proving It.

According to an article published on ILuvLocalPlaces.net, Direct Primary Care physicians who are “making the radical departure from traditional healthcare” have the answers to the negative connotation healthcare carries these days. The positive paradigm shift is reflected in the words used to describe DPC.

  • “… old school care with advanced technology and modern medicine.”
  • “… small number of patients, top notch referrals…”
  • “… access to wholesale medicine…”
  • “… preventative checkups, same day appointments…”
  • “… 24/7 access to your physician.”

Dr. Mike Wulfers of IndependentMD in Missouri is one of the “trendsetters” of DPC, and like so many other physicians, he was unhappy with the way healthcare had been evolving. So he did something about it. As a result, he’s operating a practice that puts his patients first – just the way he always imagined. Rather than facing retirement with a bitter taste in his mouth, he’s able to continue his career in a truly meaningful way. He partially credits Atlas MD’s Dr. Josh for showing him back to what he feels is the root of medicine.

“In March of 2013 we were driving to Florida. On a Sunday morning  I had my iPad and was Googling Direct Primary Care and started looking at the practice in Wichita… I sent the email and about 10 min later my iphone rings and it’s Dr. Josh himself.”  He laughs as he talks about his surprise in how quickly they responded.”

Dr. Wulfers is candid about how his retirement alternative is going for him: “I’m having loads of fun!”

Insurance-Based Primary Care Won’t Prevent Obesity

Recently, someone asked me on Twitter, “Has the change in classification of obesity as a disease affected how you treat patients presenting w/ the disease?”

The classification change in question is regarding the American Medical Association’s declaration that obesity is a disease rather than a comorbidity factor.

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