As a young solo doctor who often feels like a black sheep in the larger family physician community, I very much appreciated Dr. Susman’s editorial, “The rebirth of the solo family doc” (J Fam Pract. 2011;60:510). Were it not for the support of the Ideal Medical Practice (IMP) community, I do not think I would be in clinical medicine at all, as I know I could not be happy on the hamster wheel of traditional high-volume primary care practice. IMP has provided the guidance and support that enabled me to open a solo full-spectrum integrative family medicine practice in Rochester, NY, right out of residency.
Because of the skills and knowledge I have developed through such resources as monthly conference calls, e-mail listservs, Web forums, and a national conference, my patients can truly say, “I get exactly the care I want and need when I want and need it.” And I’m happy, earning approximately the median income for an FP in the area while maintaining a work/life balance that allows me and my husband to raise 3 boys, all under the age of 5. Truly, it is my solo low-overhead practice within the IMP virtual community that allows me to thrive—not merely survive.
Emily Queenan, MD
Rochester, NY