Energized at Work: Episode 22 with Pediatric Dermatologist in Direct Care Practice Dr. Meena Julapalli

Success in Medicine

Dr. Meena Julapalli is a pediatric dermatologist, one of only about 400 in the country. This was a fascinating conversation, because she relays her journey from academic dermatology to a direct care practice, as well as her work on creating resources and conducting workshops on the path to joy.
One of the fascinating topics we discussed was the different approaches to providing medical care. In medical school and in training, we are often exposed to academic medicine, and sometimes private practice. But there are different types of medical practice, and Dr. Julapalli started what is known as a direct care practice. In a direct care practice, patients pay a set fee to see the physician. Patients know ahead of time what that fee will be, and there are no surprises. In her previous academic dermatology positions, she would sometimes see as many as 50 patients a day. In her current position, she may see nine patients a day, which allows her the space and time to fully respond to her patient concerns. She describes the setting as a micropractice, where she keeps her overhead low by paying attention to expenses and using a virtual assistant.
Dr. Julapalli is also the founder of The Joyful Path, whose mission is "to help children build the intuition of how to nourish their mind, body, and soul so that they may live, love, and serve generously with an open heart, intention, and purpose." Dr. Julapalli has been involved for the last 20 years with support groups and camp programs throughout the country, as well as leading workshops. She is also the author of two children's books about joy, as well as a mindset coach for kids, world explorer, and amateur swing dancer.
I found this a fascinating conversation, because it highlights that there are many ways to approach a particular challenge, whether that’s the challenge of providing the type of patient care that you wish to, or the challenge of helping children beyond the ones that you care for in your practice.
www.BluebirdDermatology.com

www.TheJoyfulPath.org