Dr. Tea Nguyen (00:54.068)

Today this podcast will no longer be in production. And I hope that's because 

A. I made it really big and so I went into hiding because that's an introvert's true dream really. Or B. That it's no longer relevant because it has become commonplace for private practices to not work with insurance. 

That medicine has finally been restored to what it's supposed to be. A sacred relationship between the patients and their doctors. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (01:23.448)

But until then, we still have a lot of work to do. Today's episode, I'm going to keep it light because it's Thanksgiving week. And I want to start off by giving thanks to you, the listeners, who many have become direct care doctors, owners. Many have shared your stories on this podcast. And then there are many of you who I may never get to meet, but I'm so grateful that you're part of the conversation and for telling people about the podcast, because that's the only way that 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (01:52.46)

This is growing. It's through your word of mouth. I'm so grateful for the patients who just get it. And in fact, a lot of the patients I do have are doctors and I'm so grateful to be able to take care of them and some of you. It's been my joy to be able to reconnect to the reason I went into medicine. I know you're going to find that too. And if you already have a direct care practice, then you know how good it feels. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (02:19.49)

when people show up and they're just ready for you to take care of them and they're ready to pay. You are leading the way for the next generation to see the obvious benefit of private practice despite the pressures that we all have been confronted with. The lies that we were fed that working for insurance is the only way to have a sustainable viable practice. That this is the only way to guarantee a living. And I'll admit that direct care, really 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (02:49.314)

doesn't work for everyone. There are specialists where direct care doesn't make sense. Like those who are heavy users of the medical system. We're talking about trauma or accidents that happen that were unpredicted and even birth defects, for instance, something that needs lifelong support. But I have been pleasantly surprised by those of you who also felt it wouldn't work, but you did it anyway. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (03:15.886)

You are all very brave to consider direct care and I don't want you to lose sight of why you chose medicine in the first place. To care for patients the best that you know how, to get the support that you need to deliver that care and to make a living for all that you've already invested in in this medical journey. You deserve to be compensated not just fairly but competitively and to own your time and your autonomy. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (03:42.702)

So as you gather with your loved ones this season, I hope you get to embrace their love and their support, even if it looks a little bit different or in a way that you just don't prefer it. Are you familiar with the five different love languages? Some people express their love through physical touch, others words of affirmations, there are gift givers, there are people who are acts of service types, and then the last one, which is me, I'm more of a quality time. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (04:11.854)

type of person and I had to go through therapy to really understand this. But because I am a quality time type of person and my husband is a words of affirmation, oftentimes we were just parallel playing, not really appreciating one another in the way that we expressed our love. And I share that with you so that you can see that love comes in a lot of different ways. It's not just the one way and it's not just love for others, but also for yourself. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (04:41.75)

So I hope that you take the time to give yourself love and little bit of grace, especially when things maybe don't go as perfectly as you planned it. I know a lot of us doctors, have this perfectionist tendency thinking that this is a good thing to have, that it's a good quality to have. But in reality, oftentimes, we just end up beating ourselves up so badly that we lose sight of what really matters. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (05:08.384)

of why we're actually here on earth in this physical body, in this physical form, having these very human experiences. And then this brings into the question, why are we here on planet earth now? I can't answer that for you, but I can share with you what I think. I think that you and I are here to have that human experience, to see all that we can in nature. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (05:34.808)

to feel the varied emotions of what we are gifted with, happiness, sadness, to be able to experience that and have a contrast to compare to, and to ultimately evolve as a human, as a species. There are so many reasons to be down and depressed and to feel consumed with what feels terrible in the world, especially online, in the news, in the media. And I wanna encourage you to fight for your peace. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (06:03.79)

Because when you find peace within yourself, you can inspire that in others. And that's not really different from, let's say, yawning. You know when you see somebody yawn and then suddenly you feel like yawning? We're a funny species. We are all very connected. And if you can show up in a way that inspires another human being for them to experience joy in their life, I think our work is pretty much done. I mean, one can always hope. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (06:33.71)

But nonetheless, our work in direct care continues through you and the business that you and I leave behind because someday I won't be on this mic anymore for one reason or another. And someday you are going to want to retire. Building this isn't easy, but choosing to do something that aligns with your values, being fully present with patients and owning your time is a gift for you and your loved ones too. This transition has its challenges. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (07:02.986)

It has moments of doubt. It has some steep learning curves. But it's worth it. Plus, you no longer have to do this by yourself. You've got the podcast. There's a Direct Care Society. There's a Direct Specialty Care Alliance. There are the specialists that came before you. We are all doing this together. Back in the day, and yes, even back in my day, even, there was no podcast. There was no community. There were no books. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (07:31.842)

there was just an idea and a couple of people who said a couple of things worked for them. And that was kind of it. A lot of what I learned was through the hard work of me having to do the work. And I think that's fair to say that a lot of the specialists that come onto this podcast, they all say the same thing, that if we can help the next doctor avoid the hard stuff that we've already learned from, you will be so much further ahead. So in closing, with Thanksgiving around the corner, 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (08:01.986)

I will be off the grid for a few days to a retreat somewhere far, far away. Just a couple of miles away, but still I'll be away recharging. This year has given me quite a few things that I've had to handle. Things like perimenopause, that was new. A physical body that feels as if I'm falling apart. That's terribly not fun. And then a bunch of therapy because that's just a lot happening all at once. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (08:30.12)

And I also decided that I wanted to create a skincare product because why not? Let's just throw it all in there. And also it's another way to build wealth using multiple income channels, not just my clinical practice. So if and when we ever get together, I will spill the tea on all of that. But for now, I hope that you enjoy your holiday break and I will catch you next week. Take care. One last thing, if you took anything from this episode, 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (08:57.996)

whether it's a small dose of inspiration or even an aha moment, could you please share it with a friend or post it on LinkedIn? The direct care community depends on doctors like you because no one is coming to save us. So it's up to each and every one of us to keep the conversation going to a point where direct care becomes a normalized path for private practice and not some secret that we have to mind for. 

Dr. Tea Nguyen (09:23.938)

Thank you if you've already done so or if you've given this podcast a review, really does mean a lot to me. Sending you peace and possibilities. I'll catch you next week. Take care.