Physicians Hanging a Shingle | Start a Private Medical Practice

Recent Episodes

1. #69: 10 Things Patients See Before They Meet You

   Aug 3, 2026

   Dr. Britney Ingerson, host of Hanging a Shingle, walks through 10 critical touchpoints that shape patient perceptions before they ever meet a physician in the exam room. Drawing from her own recent private practice launch, she covers Google listings, websites, online reviews, parking/exterior, front door signage, staff appearance, waiting rooms, front desk interactions, new patient paperwork, and the walk to the exam room. The episode emphasizes that exceptional patient experiences are built through multiple intentional small decisions that communicate care and trustworthiness from the very first interaction.

2. #68: Remember the Doctor You Wanted to Be as a Medical Student

   Jul 27, 2026

   Dr. Britney Ingerson addresses medical students at the Family Medicine National Future Conference in Kansas City, reflecting on how physician optimism and values-driven practice visions often fade after medical school and employment in larger systems. She encourages both medical students considering their futures and physicians planning private practices to reconnect with the ideals that motivated them to enter medicine—meaningful patient relationships, autonomy, and alignment with personal values. The episode frames private practice as an opportunity to design a career that reflects those original aspirations rather than accepting the constraints of institutional medicine.

3. 67: Legal Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Private Practice

   Jul 20, 2026

   Kim Cunningham, a healthcare attorney and owner of Cunningham Law, discusses critical legal mistakes physicians must avoid when starting private practices. The episode covers federal compliance frameworks (HIPAA, Stark, anti-kickback), employment contract review, state-specific regulations, and essential legal documents including membership agreements, consent forms, and opt-out procedures. Cunningham emphasizes the importance of engaging specialized healthcare attorneys early in the startup process and cautions against relying on AI for legal advice.

4. #66: Why You Should Batch Your Social Media Before You Open

   Jul 13, 2026

   Dr. Brittany Anderson, a private practice owner, discusses the productivity habit of batching work—particularly social media content creation—before launching a medical practice. She shares her personal strategy of creating multiple weeks of social media posts in advance (during her notice period and even at airports), organized by content categories such as education timeline, educational tips, and clinic information. Anderson emphasizes that batching reduces stress, maintains consistency during the busy launch period, and frees up mental energy for patient care and team management once the practice opens.

5. #65: Four Lessons From Four Years in Private Practice

   Jul 6, 2026

   Dr. Brittany Anderson reflects on four years since opening her private medical practice, sharing four key lessons she wishes she had known on opening day: trust yourself sooner, build systems earlier than you think you need them, protect your calendar as a critical asset, and avoid measuring success too early. She discusses the challenges of balancing physician duties with business ownership and emphasizes the importance of intentional planning and confidence in decision-making.

6. #64: Building a Strong Practice Culture on Purpose

   Jul 1, 2026

   Dr. Brittany Anderson, host of the Hanging a Shingle podcast, discusses the foundational importance of intentional culture-building when starting a private medical practice. Rather than focusing solely on hiring numbers and staff roles, she argues that physicians should prioritize culture design before making their first hire. The episode covers three key principles: hiring for character before skills, considering personality fit alongside résumés, and recognizing that culture is built deliberately through what leaders tolerate, celebrate, and model.

7. #63: How to Know If You’re Financially Ready to Leave Your Employed Job

   Jun 22, 2026

   Dr. Britney Ingerson, host of Physicians Hanging a Shingle, discusses the financial readiness required for physicians to transition from employed medicine to private practice ownership. The episode walks listeners through seven key questions to assess financial preparedness: understanding household monthly expenses, determining desired financial runway, separating personal expenses from startup costs, establishing realistic timelines, avoiding the trap of expecting immediate salary replacement, creating contingency plans for slower-than-expected growth, and honestly assessing personal risk tolerance. Ingerson emphasizes that financial readiness is not about eliminating all uncertainty, but rather developing a clear plan and understanding one's numbers.

8. #62: How to Take a Vacation as a Private Practice Owner

   Jun 15, 2026

   Dr. Brittany Anderson, a family medicine physician and private practice owner, addresses a common fear among physicians considering private practice: the inability to take vacations. She shares personal experience of taking more vacations as a practice owner than as an employed physician, and provides six key strategies for taking time away while maintaining practice operations: planning early, cleaning up loose ends before departure, establishing clear staff protocols, deciding on personal availability, creating patient and staff communication plans, and recognizing that the practice can continue functioning without the owner present.

9. [Thursday Shift]: You Are Building More than a Practice

   Jun 11, 2026

   This episode of the Thursday Shift is a motivational mindset reset for physicians starting private practices. The host emphasizes that building a practice extends beyond administrative tasks—it's about creating a life aligned with personal values, a supportive workplace, an intentional schedule, and future options. The speaker draws on personal experience opening their own practice and encourages listeners to connect daily challenges to their larger vision.

10. #61: Create Your No-Show Policy Before You Open

    Jun 8, 2026

    Dr. Brittany Ingerson, host of Hanging a Shingle podcast and owner of her own medical practice, discusses the critical importance of establishing a no-show policy before opening a private practice. The episode covers key policy components including defining what constitutes a no-show, determining fee structures, setting grace periods for late arrivals, establishing rescheduling rules, and deciding dismissal thresholds. Ingerson emphasizes that policies should be clear, written, consistently applied, and communicated to staff and patients to protect patient access and prevent revenue loss.