Q: What can I expect to gain from this course?
I, Dr. Marina Capella, am delighted to be teaching this course! Since launching the first pediatric DPC practice in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2021, I have learned many of the nuts and bolts of launching and sustaining a successful DPC practice. I am passionate about teaching others and helping them to succeed. In 2024, I joined forces with Dr. Phil Boucher – a marketing and social media guru and the owner of Frontier Pediatrics in Lincoln, Nebraska – to launch the DPC Pediatricians podcast.
In addition to being an integrative DPC pediatrician, I have further qualifications in education and business. I earned a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education between medical school and residency. After launching my practice a few years ago, I sought out additional business expertise by taking a course through the Women’s Business Center of Utah (2022) and later completed the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses program (2023). These positive experiences motivated me to take an even deeper dive into the world of business, so in the summer of 2024 I enrolled in an executive MBA program at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business. I am excited to help pass along the best of what I’ve learned through courses and real-world experience to YOU!
Q: Who is this course designed for?
This course is designed for physicians who want to feel ready to take the leap into the world of pediatric DPC. If you are:
• DPC curious but wonder if this is a truly a viable option or just a dream and want to experiment with planning to see how realistic it would be
• Contemplating DPC but feel overwhelmed by the steps of the startup process and want someone to guide you through the initial planning steps
• Committed to opening your own DPC in the next year but are still balancing another job and want to get guidance in creating a business plan and strategy before launching.
This is not just a “how to” course. You can buy books for that (or read our comprehensive Startup Guide). This course also creates a psychologically safe space to share doubts and challenges, bounce ideas off of others, and create the mindset shifts that are going to optimize future success. We are currently only accepting DO and MD physicians for the course. While we may focus on the nuances of a pediatric DPC practice, we also welcome physicians from other specialties who think they may benefit.
Q: Who is teaching this course?
The ROOTS are what establishes the tree in the first place and what drives the creation of the entire tree; it is analogous to the “why” and vision of your business.
The TRUNK is the part of the tree with the strength and stability to support the branches, leaves, and fruit, just like solid finances provide stability to any business.
The BRANCHES are the essential but daunting details that have to get done in order to support the growth of the business as a whole
The LEAVES are the beautiful thing that makes the tree shine and attracts attention and interest from customers – in other words, your brand.
The SUN & WATER are the things that are consistently needed to help the tree grow and flourish — in other words, your business marketing.
The PRUNING SHEARS are the decisions we need to make and boundaries we need to establish in order to make the business be sustainable for us, our employees, and our customers long-term.
If you know how to integrate all of these six elements, then you’ll set yourself up for success as you launch and grow your pediatric DPC practice.
Also, if you stay on course with the small assignments throughout, at the end of the course you will have a completed business plan that you can use for financing and guiding your own DPC!
And, remember, it’s not just about checking off boxes. It’s also about making the mindset shifts to enable your success. This mindset work is embedded throughout the curriculum, too!
Q: How is the course structured?
The course will be 6 months long with 90-minute virtual meetings every 2 weeks. This will give you ample time to balance your work, family, and the short homework assignments from this course. It also gives us more time to get to know each other as a group and create the lasting mindset shifts necessary for future success and sustainability.
Each month will be devoted to a particular topic as follows:
• Month 1: Refining Your Vision
• Month 2: Finance Fundamentals
• Month 3: Creating Your Brand
• Month 4: The Daunting Details (like CLIA waivers, labs, and supply ordering)
• Month 5: All About Marketing
• Month 6: Establishing Healthy Boundaries
We will have two 90-minute sessions focused on each topic so that you have ample opportunity to think through your own plans, ask questions, and refine your personal strategies. Sessions will be recorded and made available to you and other members of your cohort.
Sessions will be led by me (Dr. Capella). They will include some teaching presentations as well as group discussions, case studies, Q&A, and even occasional role-playing (which is especially important when it comes to learning to establish and respect boundaries).
You will be given access to a virtual workbook which you can use to complete short weekly exercises (expect to spend about an hour a week on homework, although you may choose to spend more time if you can and want to). At the end of the program, you can download PDFs of your entire workbook, including your own customized-by-you business plan!
Q: When are the group coaching calls held?
Group coaching calls will be held the second and fourth Tuesday evening of each month. The time will be 5pm Pacific, 6pm Mountain, 7pm Central, and 8pm Eastern.
While I realize evenings can be challenging for families with young children, finding a time during the day that works for working physicians poses an even greater challenge.
Q: Do I get any one-on-one coaching?
Yes! As much as I believe in the power of group coaching, I also understand that some things are best addressed one-on-one (and that some of us are introverts who struggle to open up in group sessions).
You will get TWO virtual one-on-one hour-long sessions with me. You can schedule them any time during your program, but they must be used by the end of the program. This will help you get more individualized advising and support.
Q: How much does it cost?
I remember looking into some physician entrepreneurship coaching programs when I was getting ready to launch and getting sticker shock at the price tags. I don’t want to do that to you.
Nor do I want to over-inflate the value of what I have to offer.
So, the no-nonsense pricing of the program is $3000. It includes:
• Twelve 90-minute group coaching sessions over the course of six months, plus access to the recordings for your cohort.
• Access to a virtual workbook that will include weekly exercises and a customizable business plan, which you can keep at the end of the program.
• Two one-on-one virtual coaching sessions
• Access to the DPC Pediatrician Academy for the duration of the course, so that you can do deeper dives into topics as you need to.
I know it’s a decent chunk of money, but I hope it’s not so much that you will need to break the bank or take out a loan…or promise your firstborn child to Rumpelstiltskin.
I also offer a payment plan of $500 per month for the six months, with no added fees.
Q: What is the time commitment?
I suggest that you set aside 1-2 hours per week to do workbook activities and your own reading and research. You will have access to the DPC Pediatrician Academy video library, so you can watch videos on various topics to take a deeper dive when you want to, time permitting.
Q: When will it start?
The program will launch the second week of March, following the pediatric DPC Mastermind conference in February. Our first coaching call will be on Tuesday, April 8th 2025.
Q: Who can I contact if I have more questions?
Please contact support@dpcpediatrician.com if you have any questions about the program, pricing, or schedule. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.