Dr. N. Sirdar

Episode 36 - Starting DPC After Years as a Hospitalist: How Dr. Nadia Sirdar got 50 patients in Bethesda

DPC| Primary Care| DPC Podcast
April 28, 2026•3 min read

What happens when a hospitalist who’s spent years running codes and rapid responses is told she “can’t” do Direct Primary Care?

She launches anyway, hits 50 members in her first official quarter, and ends up standing in front of the Maryland General Assembly.

In this episode, Dr. Anne Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Nadia Sirdar, ABIM‑certified Internal Medicine physician and founder of Bethesda Modern Primary Care, for her second appearance on the show. Dr. Sirdar walks through the adrenaline‑filled first six months of DPC: the senior attendings who flatly told her not to do it, the imposter syndrome of having “no outpatient experience,” the ER‑level moments with no nursing backup, and the one cardiology relationship that unlocked an entire specialist network.

This is for every physician who’s been told their background “doesn’t fit” primary care and wants real‑world proof that it absolutely does.

Key Takeaways

  • Hospitalist → DPC is more doable than the naysayers claim. Internal medicine is a continuum; the human body doesn’t change.

  • Colleague discouragement is loud but not data. Your actual skills and track record are better predictors than their fear.

  • 50 patients in one quarter is a real win, earned by consistent community visibility and a few high‑yield patient funnels.

  • You are now the CEO. Protect 20% of your time for business strategy, not just clinical work.

  • One strong specialist relationship can open an entire referral network; her “cardiology bestie” was the doorway to the Osler Medical Society.

  • Imposter syndrome in DPC is normal and temporary. Decades of training are an asset, not a liability.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

"I keep having to remind myself: I am a competent physician giving really good care. But you get so beat down as an employed physician that you forget your value."

ABOUT DR. NADIA SIRDAR

Specialty: Internal Medicine (ABIM Board Certified)

Background: Former Hospitalist, now DPC Physician

Practice: Bethesda Modern Primary Care

Location: Bethesda, Maryland

Focus: Adult Primary Care | Menopause & Perimenopause

Website: bethesdadoctor.com

Instagram: @drnadiasirdar

Facebook: Dr. Nadia Sirdar

RESOURCES & REFERENCES MENTIONED

  • Osler Medical Society — Named after William Osler, father of modern medicine; a physician networking society with 10-year specialty cohorts

LISTEN, SHARE & CONNECT

  • Rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — your review helps other physicians find this show

  • Share with any physician who thinks DPC isn't for their background

  • Tag us and @drnadiasirdar with your biggest takeaway

  • Don't stop here! Part 2 is where it gets tactical. Dr. Sirdar breaks down her top three patient acquisition funnels, her menopause advocacy, and how she ended up honored at the Maryland General Assembly.

KEY TIMESTAMPS

00:00

Cold open — "I am the rapid response. I am everybody."

02:00

Hitting 50 patients in the first official quarter

02:45

CEO shift: understanding ROI, funnels, and reserving 20% for strategy

05:00

From the end of the trajectory to the beginning — why hospitalists make great DPC docs

07:30

The real adrenaline of DPC: ER-worthy moments with no nursing backup

10:30

The discouragement: older physicians who flatly said "you cannot do this"

12:00

Her rebuttal: "Internal medicine is a continuum. The human body doesn't change."

14:00

Her mission: reaching residency directors to teach trainees that DPC is a real option

19:00

The 'cardiology bestie' story — how one relationship changed her specialist network

21:00

The Osler Medical Society: a 10-year cross-specialty physician cohort for mutual growth

dpcdpc lifenew blog postnew blog episode
Dr. Gonzalez was born in NYC, but grew up in Virginia. She graduated from the University of Virginia and Eastern Virginia Medical School before completing her Family Medicine residency and Geriatrics Fellowship in 2002 at USC in Columbia, SC. She worked in Morganton, NC for 5 years at Burke Primary Care. After that, she headed the Primary Care Department at A Woman's View for 13 years and taught part time at the Geriatrics Fellowship in Morganton. She appreciates the privilege of working with her patients to improve their health, independence, and quality of life. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Geriatrics.

Anne Gonzalez

Dr. Gonzalez was born in NYC, but grew up in Virginia. She graduated from the University of Virginia and Eastern Virginia Medical School before completing her Family Medicine residency and Geriatrics Fellowship in 2002 at USC in Columbia, SC. She worked in Morganton, NC for 5 years at Burke Primary Care. After that, she headed the Primary Care Department at A Woman's View for 13 years and taught part time at the Geriatrics Fellowship in Morganton. She appreciates the privilege of working with her patients to improve their health, independence, and quality of life. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Geriatrics.

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