In this incredibly candid and inspiring episode of the DFC Life Interview, we sat down with Dr. Melissa Boylan, the founder of Noreta Family Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Boylan gave us the full story of her transition from a decade in a hospital system to becoming a thriving Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice owner.

Dr. Boylan shared the "disaster day" complete with a house fire and an EMR catastrophe that finally pushed her to seek change after a three-year search, leading to the launch of Noreta in July 2020. We talked about everything from the best decisions we made when opening our practices to the innovative work she is doing to organize DPC physicians in South Carolina.

We talk about…

• The pivotal "disaster day" that prompted Dr. Boylan's departure from the hospital system.

• How Dr. Boylan minimized initial debt by renting her clinic space and meticulously researching costs.

• The benefits of leveraging free consulting from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for business planning.

• Dr. Boylan's active role in forming an association for South Carolina DPC doctors to advocate collectively.

• Her research showing DPC physicians experience less burnout and greater fulfillment, despite similar working hours.

Connect with Dr. Melissa Boylan & Noreta Family Medicine 🤝

Practice Website: noretafamilymed.com

LinkedIn & Socials: Find Dr. Boylan and Noreta on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Further Reading/Resources Mentioned

• SCORE (for new business owners and mentors) 

• DPC Summit 

• DPC Masterminds (from DPC Alliance) 

• The MSO in Pittsburgh (Dr. Gentile and Dr. Lin) 

  
  

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