Dr. Albert Fuchs is an ethical purist. That much is clear from our podcast interview today in which the Beverly Hills internist shares his views on his transition from an overworked less-than-satisfied traditional medical practitioner to a streamlined, calm, happy doctor with no immediate plans to quit his concierge practice.

At a patient's urging, he explored the concierge or retainer practice model, discovering its many variations. And realizing that, by cutting back dramatically on his patient load, he could once again become the real physician he had dreamt of being in his medical school days.

Seeking the mentorship of a family member with business experience, he began the transition several years ago by severing ties with the healthcare insurance industry, first with the PPOs and a year later with Medicare.

Paradoxically, he argues that, instead of contributing to the creation of primary care shortages with this model of care, he sees that students considering medicine as a future career are more likely to consider primary care when exposed to the role models of contented physicians providing the care they most enjoy giving to their patients! As opposed to the image many are witnessing today of harrassed, irritable doctors rushing from patient to patient, handling 5 phone calls between rooms, in order to make their "quota".

His advice:

• decide on whose behalf you are truly willing to work and who your customers really are - insurers or patients?
• take the high road and offer only those services and that care that is evidence-based. Keep it ethical - only offer what you would have done unto you!

Listen to The Entrepreneurial MD Podcast with Dr Fuchs's refreshing account of how he chose to re-align with his deepest professional values, in his quest for his vision of an ideal practice.

And then rejoin us here for your comments and opinion!

What does it take to liberate one unhappy urologist from a bleak unending future as a physician group associate?

Answer: A powerful guiding vision.

Dr. Richard Schoor is a Smithtown NY urologist who, relatively early in his practicing career, has already accomplished three great things as an entrepreneurial physician:

1. He has built a solo specialty practice, with the guidance of his own Grand Vision, and is en route to the much bigger dream
2. He has carved out a niche for himself as a male infertility sub-specialist, in a crowded field, thereby turning his potential competitors into a source of referrals
3. He has begun building a web presence and "platform" for his name and practice using 21st century marketing tools, and has already reaped the benefits. He is the author of an acclaimed blog -- The Independent Urologist.

Since I teach and encourage each of these principles, in my eyes that makes him an up-and-coming star entrepreneurial physician business owner!

Listen to Rich Schoor MD tell his story of how he escaped the "safe" trap of group practice, and opted instead for the elation of independent solo practice (it's less than 20 minutes).

And then please rejoin us here to share your thoughts and questions.

Andy Oakes-Lottridge MD is an intrepid family physician entrepreneur who is now having as much fun building his practice, Personalized Health Care, as he is delivering medical care -- right in the homes of his patients.

As one of the growing number of physicians with concierge or membership-style medical practices (known to some as "boutique practices"), he opened his doors (actually the doors of his Honda Accord car) almost three years ago after recognizing some significant limitations to traditional group practice.

However, instead of opting for an office-based practice, he has chosen a practice in which 100% of his patient visit are home visits. Talk about keeping overhead down!

At The Entrepreneurial MD Podcast, you can enjoy his refreshing story and appealingly candid insights about life as a concierge home-visiting doctor in Fort Myers in the Southwestern part of Florida, and then rejoin us at here to add your comments or questions!

Dr Manya Arond-Thomas is a woman with a strong sense of purpose; she's on a tear to help restore humanity and heart to healthcare.

As a physician, Executive coach and Organizational Development specialist, she's long had a love affair with leadership. Having worked as an internal coach prior to developing her own business, Manya Arond-Thomas and Company, she has focused on working with leaders and teams to produce healthier workplaces.

And in her newest business venture, Heart of Healthcare (soon to be available online), she is returning to her roots -- her passion for improving the quality of life for those in health and human services.

Listen to her sharing the story of her journey into and out of clinical practice at The Entrepreneurial MD Podcast - it's a 20-minute interview, and then return to here to add your comments!

This is the question Dr. Michael Horowitz is trying to help answer.

In today's Entrepreneurial MD Podcast episode, I interview Michael Horowitz MD MBA to discover how he transitioned from actively practicing cardiac surgeon and program director to Founder and President of Medical Insights International  - a medical tourism consulting company.

Hear how Dr. Horowitz's fascination with leadership and management led to his enrollment in an MBA program, and how one concept taught in class caught his attention sufficiently, that two or three years later, he is now living and breathing medical tourism, and globetrotting to foreign places to better understand who his ideal target market is, and what problems they are needing help with solving.