Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonia Singh.
Hi Sonia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In the spring of 2020, my life took a somewhat dramatic turn. I became a first time mom and my husband and I were both frontline workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Being a patient myself, having a new set of priorities and working under incredibly stressful and uncertain conditions prompted me to re-examine my life and career. I felt like I had on a new pair of glasses and was suddenly seeing everything in a different light. I practiced medicine in a traditional insurance-based clinic which was part of a bigger health system. I had no control over my schedule, how long I spent with each patient and the vast majority of my pay relied on seeing patients face-to-face, despite the fact that much of the care they needed could be provided much more safely and efficiently by phone, text or virtual visit. I spent much of my time apologizing to patients for wait times, unanswered calls, delays and miscommunications that were largely out of my control. On the days I had clinic, I would leave before my baby was awake and return an hour before he went to bed. I did not feel proud of the doctor or mother I was becoming and knew I had to quit. In late 2021, I decided to take a leap of faith and open a solo, membership-based direct care practice called Juniper Modern Primary Care. My focus was to care for busy women who wanted a true relationship with their PCP and were willing to invest in their health. The mission was to provide unrushed visits, accessible care and full price transparency – to cut out all the middlemen that had made medicine so complicated and to reprioritize the doctor-patient relationship. I had no idea of patients would see value in my model. I offer no aesthetics or “med spa” services. Just high-quality, relationship-focused, patient-centered, evidence-based primary care. The practice has been very successful and I feel blessed and honored to get to practice in this unique way that aligns with my values and priorities in this season of life. Even during my first year. I’ve received countless messages from fellow physicians asking me how a micropractice works. Where do you start? How do you market? How do you do everything without hiring a big staff? (Many are surprised that my practice is a one-women show.) So in 2024, I decided to launch Micropractice Mama – an educational and consulting platform built to help women physicians practice medicine with autonomy, authenticity and joy through the direct care micropractice model.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I started Micropractice Mama when I was less than 6 months postpartum from my second baby. I had a busy practice and 2 very young children, so time to work on this side project was scarce. I knew nothing about e-courses, consulting or developing an educational platform, but starting a clinical practice from scratch made me brave and convinced me I could figure it out.
With the help of ChatGPT and a business coach, I built an E-course and a successful podcast over the course of the summer and launched it in October 2024. Since then I’ve had over 20 doctors enroll and have helped open 10 practices all over the country with many more in the pipeline.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Micropractice Mama?
Micropractice Mama is a virtual educational & consulting platform that provided educational resources, 1:1 support & community to PCPs wanting to practice medicine creatively and sustainably with autonomy, authenticity & joy. My primary offerings are an E-course (Micropractice 101) and a free podcast (The Micropractice Mama Podcast) both aimed and supporting physicians in building solo, direct care micropractices. I specialize in helping to build solo, relationship-focused, low overhead, mission-driven practices. In my heart, I’m a creative & a storyteller. I’ve found away to practice medicine creatively and in a way that honors my story, As a consultant and mentor, I see my goal as not only helping my clients/students open successful practices, but also to build practices that are truly sustainable and align with their core values and story. I’m most proud of the fact I have given several other physicians their lives back and convinced them there is an alternative to the dysfunctional system of healthcare that many of us assume we must participate in.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I could not have started this platform without the support, mentorship and encouragement of numerous people along the way. I credit my parents with instilling in me a strong work ethic and also for putting me in a position to have all the opportunities I’ve had. I credit my husband with supporting me in taking a financial risk in starting a new business. I had numerous colleagues and mentors within the direct primary care community including Dr. Rebecca Berens of Vida Family Medicine who convinced me this practice model was viable and answered a million questions for me along the way. And finally, I credit my patients – the ones who have entrusted me with their health and taught me so much about life and the human condition. I would have nothing if they did not choose me as their PCP and see value in the care I provide.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://micropracticemama.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soniasinghmd/
Image Credits
Aly Matei
Cory Wilson
