The Practice Manager: Jessica Mendelsohn, MD

Transcript

[0:00] Before we get into Today’s show I want to tell you about a new offering from MD coaches.
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[0:46] What I realize is that it’s not so much that I don’t want to have an employer it’s that I recognize that we should be our own employee ruse and that as Physicians.
We’ve lost touch on why we actually went into this and then ways and paging dr. cook.

[1:11] Paging dr. cook dr. Turk you wanted in the o.r. dr. Koh.

[1:17] Music.

[1:41] Hello everyone and welcome to prescription for Success I’m dr. Randy cook your host for the podcast.

[1:48] Which is a production of MD coaches providing leadership and Executive coaching for Physicians by physicians.

[1:56] To overcome burnout transition your career develop as a leader or whatever your goal might be.
Visit Indy coaches on the web at my MD coaches.com because you’re not in this alone.

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[2:20] My guest today is a board certified family physician with several years experience in both traditional Family Medicine as well as palliative care.

[2:30] Most recently she has focused her interest on Direct primary care so let’s hear dr. Jessica mendelsohn,
talk about this new and increasingly popular practice model it is my great pleasure today to be speaking with.
Dr. Jessica Mendelson.
Up in the great state of South Carolina just across the line from North Carolina Jessica is so nice to have you on the show today and thank you for joining us on prescription for success.
Thank you so much for having me I’m looking forward to the conversation we’re going to talk about some of the.
New and exciting things that are happening in in medical practice today and I’m looking forward to that but as we always do I want to begin with your beginnings and I’d like to know.

[3:20] If you if you can nail it down at about what age did you begin to take an interest in having a career in medicine
I’ve really ever since I can remember I was five years old and it was Crispus I was at my grandparents house in Connecticut
and I remember announcing to the family that I wanted to be a doctor
and it was early start it was a pretty early start I had a bit of a Hiatus in high school when I sat down with my parents and we talked about couriers and they said you know Jess
there’s really a shortage of female Engineers out there and you should consider that I said okay no medical schools really difficult to get into I don’t you think about doing something different and it’s so.
In my in my haste to please my parents I went and looked at what exactly an engineer is I don’t know that I ever really got my answer but I
did find out my senior year that I did not enjoy physics nor did I enjoy calculus so that pretty much nailed that
and I went back to wanting to be a physician and so really and truly that never changed well I’m.
Curious do you have any idea other than the fact that.

[4:49] They thought you might be more employable but were you in some way mathematically inclined so that your parents would have thought about.
That might be a good path for you or did or were there engineers in the family where did that come from.
There are no engineers in my family and there are no physicians in my family I think it came from.

[5:11] Just me doing well in school I kind of always did fine in math I did
great in math I did find in physics I just didn’t enjoy it and I don’t think they ever ever saw that part
I ended up at an engineering
College actually as it turns out I think that was the best thing that could have happened my medicine Quest but
you know through all of that I think they just wanted me to think about something else mmm that’s a reasonable thing to do.
The were there other influencers either elsewhere in your family or other places are their Heroes that you looked to as the.
Sort of model of what a physician’s life might be or did it just always live in your head.
I think it always lived in my head there was no particular person place idea that that comes to mind right now it was just
sort of always there and it never really left yeah it’s interesting well let’s talk some more about your undergraduate experience at Virginia Tech you.
I presume there must have been some sort of a pre-med focused curriculum you felt comfortable there you feel like you.

[6:34] Fit in and you were doing what you were intended to do.
Yes I always loved it there you know when I got there I had gotten into the engineering school and
quite quickly I realized that’s not what I wanted to do so I moved over into the life sciences and started my degree in biology I will never forget the first week of college there was a large Auditorium and there were about 700 students in there
and the professor asked how many of you want to go to medical school
and of those 700 I’m going to say probably three or four hundred raise their hand and so of course my first thought was all right well here’s my here’s where I am and this is what I need to do to make sure I get to.
Where I need to be by the end of it all 30 of us went to medical school night graduating yeah
so at the time there was not really really fast I know there’s there just at the time it was before Virginia Tech had there.

[7:42] Dio school and most people in state really went elsewhere if they were thinking about going into medicine so they were pre-med advisory program was small.
And there was one Professor dr. Ed bunts who really guided the few students that wanted to go into medicine really individually which turned out to be in my benefit and in my favor
he got to know me well and I got to know him and he really helped guide me through those four years while I was there I also ran on the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad
so that was an incredible experience to be able to do that was our initiation uh-huh learned some medicine the squad has been.
In existence for quite some time now and they’ve actually.
Really expanded since I’ve been there but we are campus Rescue Squad and I learned all sorts of trauma and different acute
medical needs and it was just it was a great introduction to Medicine yeah I guess so and and and I guess it erased any fears that you may or may not have had about
what you would happen in rather.

[8:59] Desperate circumstances I don’t know if you saw any active bleeding but certainly I’ll bet there was some chest pain and I can’t breathe the issues and maybe
seizures and that sort of thing is that a lot of what you saw and those you
mostly what I saw were drunken college students who had fallen out of their dorm that we started Ivy’s on that could be traumatic it was interesting to see your Pierce that way but.

[9:29] Honestly we did I mean we saw all sorts of different things and while we were the campus quad we worked closely with the Blacksburg Rescue Squad and and
assisted them on different different things in the community so it was an interesting time so it sounds like.
Extracurricular activities if you will at Virginia Tech were entertaining if not educational but I want to move it along a little bit too
actually getting you into medical school I know you finally ended up at.

[10:07] Eastern Virginia medical school of relatively new school was that where you wanted to be or did you put lots of applications out there and finally picked one what was that experience like for you.
It really was where I wanted to be I was grateful for that it was about a half an hour for my hometown so it was nice to be close to home so EVMS was founded in.

[10:29] The 70s so when I was there it was roughly 30 40 years old and I loved that it was a community-based school
so I at the time thought based on my,
experience with the rescue squad that I wanted to go into emergency medicine and they have a very strong program there and that’s in many ways how I ended up there
being close to family going into emergency medicine and all of those good things what do you think happened that
caused you to Pivot from emergency medicine into Family Medicine.
I realized in my third year of medical school that I did not want to be going into the hospital on a holiday or Christmas cookie
uh-huh with my children at home and such wisdom for youngsters oppressed
my I value sleep and know that that lifestyle was not going to be the best for me
there really is a wise decision but the the next thing in line was.
Family medicine that was just it or did you sort of do some suffering before you were able to decide on what it was actually going to be.

[11:47] Well and medical school didn’t we all do a little suffering know it’s interesting I never in a million years thought I would want to do primary care that was just not on my radar when I win
to school but when I got there and I realized how versatile Family Medicine could be
I recognized that it was probably the right thing for me
and when I got to my family medicine rotation and was able to do a lot of acute procedures and.
Meet my patients and recognize how much I really did enjoy relationships with people it just came very naturally.
And from then on that’s what I knew I wanted to do and the whole residency experience you know we hear lots of stories and depending upon the specialty.
Sometimes you’re almost a guarantee that of a bit of a trial by fire but from your standpoint in residency as a family.

[12:51] Practice trainee we’re most of the days days that you really enjoy and or were there times when you really felt that you wondered how you were to gun going to get through it what what was the process like for you
I think a bit of both I can say that that time in my life both personally and professionally was really
tough there was a lot going on there was a lot of loss and so in many ways working such long hours was actually good for me
I think it gave me a sense of my hopes and thoughts on what I wanted to do afterwards I think residencies just
it is very difficult trying time and unless somebody’s been through it it’s really hard to explain yes I will say I did the time
no I was not married at the time but I met my husband in residency
and I think a lot of people do because you tend to understand each other and the hours that you’re putting in yeah who else are you going to meet right right and so it was just.

[14:03] It was we joke all the time it was 3 years that I loved and I never want to do again and I think I just learned so much about myself and and again my goals it was,
it was it was tough but it was great hi I’m Rhonda Crow founder and CEO Forum D coaches here on our X for Success we interview a lot of great medical professionals on how they grew their careers
how they overcame challenges and how they handle day-to-day work.

[14:35] I really hope you’re getting a lot of great information but if you’re looking for an answer to a specific problem management or Administration challenge.
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[15:22] We’ll get back to our interview in just a moment but right now I want to tell you a little bit about physician Outlook.

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[16:25] And now let’s get back to today’s interview.

[16:30] When you came to the end of that experience and it was time to be the real thing did you have a lot of decisions to make or did you.

[16:39] Settle on Carmel family medicine right out of the box you know I think we work so hard
to get into medical school and then once you’re in med school you work so hard to get the residency you want and then once you’re in residency and you’re out the world is your oyster and you have no idea what to do with it and I knew early on that I have
pynchon for
maybe I’m a glutton for punishment I don’t know but I really do Embrace different things and have a lot of different interests
both within medicine and external to that and I didn’t know how long I would be in,
Family Medicine sort of traditional Hospital owned at that time practice but.
I joined caramel family it was a wonderful experience there were 14 of us there were 11 Physicians and three Pas that worked there and at the time I really didn’t think there was an option to be independent it was a time when
most folks coming out of residency at least in our region were owned by Hospital systems and I stayed within the system where I trained and so it felt comfortable
and I knew I’d have a lot of support in a larger practice with Physicians that had been there longer and so I was there for almost nine years.
Before I left.

[18:07] Sounds like a good choice what was it both inpatient and outpatient it wasn’t we were outpatient
when I first started we did see newborns in the hospital and that stopped probably three or four years into practice when I was there other than that though we had hospitalists within our system that’s our patients when they were actually
in the hospital but it sounds like that eight years was a fairly agreeable.

[18:39] The experience for you and if I’m if I’m wrong please let me know but it it apparently gave you some time to
decide what was going to happen now it’s just that sort of the way a roll down.
It did and it also gave me a lot of experience in physician leadership and practice management I was our medical director for the last three years while I was there and then it was I think without that experience I’m not sure I would have had the confidence or
felt comfortable opening my own practice and so I’m very grateful and we’ll always be grateful
to have had that experience so I was involved in a lots of things outside of the practice to that were Hospital wide initiatives and so
that gave me a broader picture then then just the practice within the whole system but yeah you were not.

[19:31] Done exploring it appears to me that a couple of other things in the interim before New South Family Medicine came up you wanna tell us about that
sure so when I mentioned earlier that I had experienced loss one of my closest friends from growing up passed away when we were young or early 30s of colorectal cancer and
the experience with her during the last six months of her life was
it was very difficult for her family and for all of us and
I never felt that it was handled necessarily the best way it could have been if there had been discussions earlier
when we knew her diagnosis was terminal and I was that person that had those discussions with her family so.
Based on that experience I had thought that hospice would be something.
I would enjoy and would love to be a part of so after we had our first son when I was at Carmel family I thought you know
I would like to be part time I would like to spend more time with my son and I would like to explore something new.

[20:51] And I reached out to a colleague who was working for a local hospice and lo and behold they needed somebody part time so my husband was in practice and
the stable one and doing well and it didn’t feel like much of a risk for us and I was ready so that’s when I went into hospice work.
And you are there for a while so it must have felt like.
You’re in the right place at the right time am I reading that correctly was and I miss it and I still take call occasionally when I can
for the group it will always be a part of who I am and how I practice
and I recently lost my grandfather who was.
One of my major father figures and I’ve said many times in the last four months that hospice led me to
that moment it led me to help him pass peacefully and for that I will always be grateful
I love that work and it will always be a part of how I practice and who I am.
Yeah I have to think that that that sort of work has a very informative effect on.
Physicians most physicians in any case and even if it turns out.

[22:14] It’s not something that you do for the remainder of your professional life it’s still really gives you something very substantial.

[22:24] That I don’t think we see in all Physicians and I think probably makes you a much better.
Family practitioner would you agree with that I think so I think that.
It allowed me to see a part of life and it gave me the privilege of experiencing that part of life with family and with patients in a way that.
Most of us as Physicians don’t.
Experience I went into people’s homes I met their families I watched them take their last breath on multiple occasions and it’s just it’s a very.
Humbling experience that I feel like every medical student and resident.
Should have yeah I think you’re exactly right we’ve gotten so specialized and so compartmentalised that.

[23:15] So many I was really don’t have that experience of end-of-life care and it is so important.
I think in the maturation of whatever Medical Specialists that you happen to be so good for you for having that experience and I can tell from the conversation that it just had a powerful impact on you but
let’s hear about the latest chapter New South Family Medicine where did that idea come from.
You know as I was practicing with hospice I loved being with families and experiencing patients and their loved ones and getting to know them and it just really made me think I.
Gosh I miss that I miss those relationships with people I miss
having conversations with adolescents and people just starting out and middle-aged folks and the whole gamut of what family medicine is and I knew though that if I went back into it
I would not want to do it the same way that I did before and that I would want to experience it differently and.

[24:23] At the same time dear friend of mine was getting ready to open her own business and I thought well I can do that
and so she opened a children’s art studio and I opened New South Family Medicine within a couple of months of each other and we’re both still are doing really well
it’s kind of funny how that happened,
so I’ve got a question that just popped into my head and I really want to know some more about this or I’m going to ask you to enlarge the words that you used were I did it didn’t want it to be the same as it was before what did you want to change.
Oh physician autonomy the ability to spend time with patients the ability to really get to know who I’m talking to and not a revolving door thinking about what was next on.

[25:18] My agenda for the day thinking I don’t have time to really get to know this person it’s just it’s a very impersonal
feeling that I think it sounds like you it sounds like you found.
Being an employee a little disagreeable am I overeating that I don’t think that you are and I never really thought of it that way
prior to doing this I just assumed I’d always be working for a larger system
what I realize is that it’s not so much that I don’t want to have an employer it’s that I recognize that we should be our own employee risks and that as Physicians.

[26:01] We’ve lost touch on why we actually went into this and many ways and I don’t know if that’s the right way to say it but.
We have the capability of creating the type of practice we want and.
It just sort of happened naturally when I was when I was coming back into Family Medicine.
You know I practiced for 44 years and when I began employed Physicians were.
Almost unheard of at least people that were employed by hospitals and Healthcare systems and so forth and
when that movement began to Blossom and Take Shape I was the grumpy old man that was going around saying it’s not a good idea
because I think that the instant that a physician works for anybody other than their patient then this is not good for the patient would you agree with that.
Behind her percent and I don’t think employed Physicians do work.

[27:01] They want to work for their patients it’s not it’s not that the desire isn’t there but.
Really and truly it becomes both the hospital system and not just one other entity but Hospital systems and insurance companies and so there’s two other.
Toes in the water if you will and other interests as opposed to that.
Physician-patient relationship and what I love so much about this type of practice is when I close that door it literally is
my patient and me and there’s not another soul that we’re thinking about unless it’s necessary and it’s just changed the way I feel like medicine could be nationally
well I can’t tell you how it restores my soul to know that there are people like you who have figured that out and.

[27:59] I really hope this concept takes hold and we can bring the the at least.
Family medicine and internal medicine and the primary care Specialties back into the hands.
Of the Physicians so that the relationship can stay closer to the patient that can only be a good thing for them
so tell us more about New South Family Medicine it’s not just new South Family Medicine it’s also a med spa tell us about that.

[28:34] So when I decided to do this I as I said earlier love all sorts of things and.
My husband jokes I’m the only person that can go from a hospice patient to a Botox patient and it feels normal and natural and and if it does it’s so funny
it just it just sort of fell and I wanted to do something.

[29:00] More Technical and artistic and very different than anything I had done before I love procedures and so I thought that would be a natural way to.
To do that and with direct primary care when you reach your capacity to take on patients
that is your Revenue
and I wanted another source of that in in a more creative way so that’s when I just started dabbling a little bit in I’ve injectables I’m having fun with it and that’s all it was for a couple of years.
And last year I was approached by three women who worked together and they were looking to
connect and looking for a place to land to grow their Med Spa business and and it has its exploded since then
and it’s been a really fun Journey with a group of wonderful people.

[30:02] Well it sounds like that it has all the makings of an incredible success and my congratulations to you for that.
It’s obviously quite a rewarding Journey for you and that always makes me happy to see a happy doctor because as we know that’s not always the case nowadays.
Jessica I’ve really enjoyed this conversation you truly have built a remarkable career for yourself and congratulations to you for that I’ve really really enjoyed hearing about it.

[30:38] But what I want to do at this point is what we came here for and that is I’m going to get out of your way for just a moment and we’re going to hear dr. Jessica mendelsohn tell us about her prescriptions for success.
Thank you so when I think about my prescriptions for success.
My mind goes and all sorts of different directions I think there are a lot of things that we can say help us succeed and one of those.
To me is actually failure and Challenge and getting up from that and learning from that.
In the best way that we can is a tremendous skill it is a tremendous life lesson so with that I’ve always.
Practice from my heart and I tried to be.

[31:31] In many ways the same person for my patients that I am for my family and friends and that is someone.
That’s relatable and I think when we are relatable then we come with with failure and and that’s actually a very good thing.
I say all the time that being a physician is a part of my identity and who I am but it does not define who I am it is
piece of me but I’m also a daughter I’m a wife I’m a mom I’m a friend I’m a business owner and I’m a neighbor and I don’t ever want to lose sight of those things so it all
it’s all a part of my person.
And I think the last the last thing to say here is that I will always be a lifelong learner and that.
Doesn’t always mean medicine I think that with.
With failure comes success with challenge comes success and that is because there’s a constant place for learning whether it’s.
Business whether it’s medicine whether it’s parenting.

[32:47] It’s always there so surrounding myself with the right people and.

[32:54] Remaining humble are my prescriptions for success.
Jessica thank you very much for that there’s a lot of wisdom there and I’m always impressed when it comes from someone as young as you
sounds like you’ve got a lot of success ahead of you as well so kind of you guys all right.
Well again I thank you for being here before we go I want to give you an opportunity to tell our audience where they might find you if they’re interested.
Sure
I am located in Fort Mill South Carolina we are just outside of Charlotte North Carolina in York County which is just across the border and my practice is New South family medicine and Med Spa
our website is New South family medicine.com and we are also on Instagram and Facebook at New South Family Med so we are constantly having fun and
putting things out there so if you have ever have questions or are interested in direct primary care for sure please don’t ever hesitate to give us a call or email us from our website.
We are growing and I think I may have mentioned earlier that my husband is actually leaving his hospital and practice and joining me and will be here as well
I guess that sounds.

[34:20] Like a good idea what it brings up the question of husbands and wives working together you guys thought that through
absolutely we have you a f for a very long time we thought we’d never be able to work together and we actually worked for
competing Hospital systems for a long time so we would joke know that would never happen but.

[34:44] Honestly Dave has seen how happy and fulfilled I’ve been in this space and he’s ready to join and I’m ready to have him.
I bet it’s going to be a big success and I want to wish the both of you the best of luck and thank you very much again for taking the time to be with us on the on the podcast.
Thank you I appreciate it.

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Be sure to fill your prescription for success with my next episode.

[35:53] Music.