What really happens when a burned‑out family doctor walks away from the RVU treadmill and rebuilds medicine on her own terms?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Lyndsi Cress, a family medicine physician and founder of Coral Direct Primary Care in Little River, South Carolina, who walked away from high‑volume employed medicine to build a slower, more human practice. After years of rushing through visits, inbox overload, and creeping burnout, she found Direct Primary Care and rebuilt her career around time, autonomy, and actual relationships with patients.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like to leave the system and start a DPC from scratch: the fear, the uncertainty, and the surprising freedoms on the other side.

This episode is for you if:

• You’re a physician quietly wondering, “Is this what medicine is supposed to feel like?”

• You’re DPC‑curious but stuck on where to start or what you’re missing

• You want more control over your schedule, your income, and your patient relationships

  
  

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why starting before you feel “ready” is the hardest and most important move

• How the skills that got you through residency are the same ones that make you a capable business owner

• What happens to patient care when you remove time pressure and panel overload

• How schedule freedom reshapes both your practice and your family life

• Why growth in DPC often comes from trusting the model and taking consistent action

If you’ve ever wondered whether medicine could feel slower, more personal, and more sustainable, Dr. Cress’s story is proof that you don’t have to wait for the system to change. You can change your own.

Thanks for joining us for Episode 24 of the DPC Life Podcast. Tune in and see what’s possible on the other side of burnout.

Resources + Links

Website: https://coraldpc.com

Coral Direct Primary Care (Facebook, Instagram)

Next Step: Get Guided Support

The hardest part isn’t just launching the practice. It’s becoming a physician-entrepreneur, often without anyone around you who really gets it.

That’s why I created DPC Women Connect: a small, in-person gathering this February for women physicians navigating the shift from employed to independent.

If you want support, strategy, and women who are walking the same path, DM me CONNECT on Instagram or learn more here:https://connect.harmonyopshealth.com/