Medical Business Checklist for MDs/DOs/PAs/NPs

In our medical training, we are taught to be good employees - we are not taught how to run/start a business. It takes a lot of COURAGE to be a clinician AND a clinic business owner!

There are many great health entrepreneur business programs for those that are pursuing business ownership, and I highly recommend joining one of those if you are just getting started (they are worth it just for the marketing templates and guidance!).

But for those that are frugal, or want a simple checklist, here’s what I developed in the first 6 months of running my micro-practice.  This list includes the following categories: State/National Business Set-Up, Financials, Website/Email, Communications, Practicing Medicine, Marketing, Location Specifics (Brick & Mortar), Paperwork, EMR, Misc for Efficient Clinical Operations, and a "More Resources" section with website links.

Please keep in mind the following:

• This list is based on my personal experience and the hundreds of hours I put into my business.

• This is not a list of everything that is needed to start a business, but it covers >90-95% of what you need to get started.

• This is specific to a cash-based micro-practice (e.g. Direct Primary Care or Functional Medicine), although I did add in a few things to consider if contracting with insurance.

Welcome to the world of health entrepreneurship - enjoy the journey!