You’re More Ready Than You Think: Why PAs Are Fully Equipped to Run Their Own DPC Practice
If you’re a PA, you’ve probably felt it. You’ve felt that quiet, unspoken belief that you’re “not supposed” to run your own clinic.
Maybe it came from a professor who said, “You’ll always need a supervising physician.”
Maybe it came from online forums full of fear and politics.
Or maybe it’s just the culture of medicine whispering, “Stay in your lane.”
But here’s the truth: you’re already doing it.
You’re Already Running a Clinic. You Just Don’t Own It
If you’ve ever worked in a busy family medicine practice, you know exactly what I mean.
You’re managing 20–25 patients a day.
You’re diagnosing, treating, ordering, documenting, and following up.
You’re coordinating care, handling refills, fielding messages, and managing crises.
In other words, you’re running a clinic. The only difference is, someone else gets paid for it.
You’re carrying the responsibility and doing the work, but the system has convinced you that you’re not capable of owning what you already operate every day.
How We Got Here
When the PA profession was born, it was to fill a gap. It was to extend access to primary care during a national shortage. PAs were trained to be adaptable, broad, and community-centered.
But over the years, politics and professional turf wars have blurred that identity.
We’ve been told to stay dependent, even as we carry independent responsibility.
That messaging has done real damage. It’s kept brilliant, mission-driven clinicians stuck in a system that undervalues them and patients who need care waiting for access that never comes.
Direct Primary Care Changes the Game
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is the model that lets you take the skill set you already have and finally own it.
You already know how to manage a panel.
You already know how to build relationships and handle complex cases.
You already know how to educate, lead, and coordinate care.
The only new skill you need is learning how to do it without an insurance middleman. And that’s teachable.
DPC doesn’t require you to be a business mogul. It requires you to be a clinician who cares deeply and wants to build something that actually works.
Autonomy Doesn’t Mean Alone
One of the biggest misconceptions about “autonomy” is that it means working in isolation. It means no backup, no collaboration, no support. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Autonomy in DPC means you decide how you practice, not that you practice in a vacuum.
Every great clinician has a network. They have mentors, peers, specialists, and yes, collaborating physicians. In fact, part of building a strong DPC practice is surrounding yourself with the right support system, including a collaborative physician who shares your vision and respects your clinical judgment.
And collaboration doesn’t limit you, it strengthens you. It gives you guidance when you need it, a sounding board for complex cases, and credibility with your community.
You’re not alone in DPC. You’re just finally in charge of who’s in the room with you.
“But I’m a New Grad…”
Let’s be honest — no one feels “ready” for anything in medicine.
You didn’t feel ready your first day seeing patients. You didn’t feel ready your first code. You learned by doing, just like every PA before you.
When I was only ten months out of PA school, I went to my now mentor and asked her if I needed more training before starting my own practice. She’s a family medicine physician who was the chief resident of her program. She looked at me like I had three heads and said,
“You’re a PA, right? You diagnose and treat patients, right? Okay then. What do you mean you need more training?”
That moment changed everything for me. She helped me see how silly the question was. She explained that as a DPC clinician, I can interview patients before they ever enroll. Together, we decide whether we’re a good fit. I get to set expectations up front and not scramble to explain them after the fact.
That’s when it clicked: DPC doesn’t require more training. It requires more ownership.
And the truth is, most new grads are already getting thrown into the fire anyway.
You show up to your first job and get a crash course in survival. You get overloaded panels, minimal support, and no time to breathe. You’re already diagnosing, treating, managing, and learning on the fly.
So functionally, it doesn’t matter that you’re a “new grad.” The system is going to use you and burn you out either way. The question is whether you’d rather pour that energy into someone else’s clinic or into your own.
With the right mentorship, community, and collaborative partnership, you can absolutely build a sustainable DPC practice from day one. And you get to do it on your terms.
The Truth No One Tells You
You don’t need permission to practice excellent medicine.
You don’t need to wait for a new law or a new title.
You don’t need a hospital to validate your worth.
You already have what it takes. You have the training, the heart, and the grit.
All DPC does is give you back the ownership you’ve already earned. And it does so with the support you choose, not the bureaucracy you’re handed.
