Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a great reminder of the critical importance of thinking about how our cultural roots shape our personal and professional journeys. As a Filipino creator and connector, I have always been drawn to the values ingrained in me from my upbringing in a collectivist society. These values, centered on social harmony and interdependence, profoundly influenced my professional journey, which culminated in becoming a direct primary care (DPC) physician.
Growing up in Sacramento, I was immersed in a community where relationships were everything. Our Filipino culture emphasizes maintaining smooth interactions and prioritizing the well-being of the group over individual desires. This collective mindset fosters a sense of responsibility and mutual concern, which has undoubtedly shaped my view of healthcare.
When I began my medical journey, I discovered my passion for rural family medicine while studying at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. It was during a family medicine rotation in Superior, Nebraska, a town of approximately 2,000 people, that I had the privilege of seeing the nation's leading healthcare access hospital and clinic, run by family medicine doctors, who did everything from plasters to colonoscopies. During my time in this rural town, I saw how the role of a primary care physician could help the greatest number of people through the generational and relational foundations that existed in the clinical setting .
After my training at Superior, I knew I would expand my training to become a rural family physician, and that is what I did. I dedicated my residency years to becoming more confident in my skills to provide comprehensive care. I found a job after my residency in California that allowed me to do prenatal care and colonoscopies. Then the work became unbearable because the decisions around me had less and less to do with maintaining my ability to practice comprehensive care and less and less to do with whether my patients were getting the care they needed. and that they deserved. Administrative requirements increased and employment contracts were presented with exclusivity, persistence and non-competition clauses coupled with RVU pay rates that were below market value for the level of skill I was bringing at my post. That's when I learned that there was a way to not only come back, but to protect a way to practice what I had decided to emulate after my time at Superior, and that was the model of direct primary care. After that, I delved into CPD without question, as it gave me the opportunity to realign my professional skills with my cultural values.
DPC's emphasis on building direct relationships with patients and protecting those relationships by removing barriers imposed by insurance realizes the collectivist ideals of the time my first patient joined us. Since I no longer work for insurance, I can concentrate directly on my work for my patients. I was fortunate that my patients believed in what I was doing and the value I brought to the community. They always say how much they love that I can now freely provide personalized care that addresses the physical ailments and emotional and social needs of my patients. They don't have to wait hours in the waiting room to get care. Now we meet patients where they are, whether at home or through virtual consultations, ensuring accessibility and inclusiveness for all.
Cherishing the DPC model so deeply and creating a platform to add to the voices that champion this model, I am continually inspired by the doctors I have the honor of highlighting in my podcast about how my fellow DPC doctors offer the same type of personalized relationship. based on medicine in their communities, my DPC story is accordingly a collective platform for healthcare equity and collectivism. Have a career option that matches my professional aspirations and honors my cultural identity; The values instilled in me by my Filipino heritage are manifested in the manner and questions I ask, and generally, they are rooted in inspiring my fellow physicians and future physicians to learn and choose CPD for their careers in order to to help their patients and a reminder to remember to help themselves. Through DPC, I can embody the spirit of Bayanihan, the Filipino tradition of community unity and cooperation, by providing compassionate and accessible health care to all.
This Asian American Heritage Month, let’s celebrate our diverse heritage and how it shapes our contributions to society. May we continue to draw strength from our cultural roots as we fight for a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Maryal Concepcion is a family doctor.