Meet Dr.Deepti Mundkur | Direct Primary Care Physician and Watercolor Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr.Deepti Mundkur and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr.Deepti, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I never pictured “myhappydoctor” as a brand until it beautifully evolved into something special over the past two years in San Diego, California.

Imagine going to a grocery store and you do not know the price of any items that you pick.

Imagine filling gas at the gas station without knowing the price and the bill arrives months later.

Imagine walking into a hair salon and you do not know the cost of the haircut until the bill arrives in your mailbox.

How is it that healthcare gets away with surprise billing?

How is it that we do not demand to know the cost of a doctor visit beforehand?

How is it that your doctor does not know the price of the medicines they prescribe?

How is it that your doctor orders lab testing without knowing the prices?

Recently, I have seen a string of tiktoks and instagram reels where patients share the breakdown of their medical bills and it is shocking that thousands of dollars are charged without any transparency or accountability for the pricing.

“Myhappydoctor” is a small business designed to offer an alternative option for patients who want to seek personalized primary care with transparent pricing instead of accessing big-box healthcare systems that worship the dollar.

A brand is successful only if it captures the hearts of customers. Truly and flawlessly connecting with the hearts of patients and the community on a highly personal level is the most important factor behind the success of my brand.

Imagine your familiar doctor walking up to your home swinging a medical bag in one hand equipped with high-tech portable diagnostic equipment and a friendly, compassionate smile while she waves at you as you happily hurry to open the door. She offers upfront pricing for all her lab testing, imaging and prescriptions which cost a fraction of the traditional insurance-driven prices. Sounds like simplified healthcare at its best?

We all love and enjoy the benefits of Netflix or Costco membership, why not have a similar model for primary care which starts at $99 per month compared to thousands of dollars spent to meet the insurance deductible only to start paying the deductible again for the next year. The primary care membership allows direct access to your doctor and unlocks access to wholesale prices. Why wait for weeks to months for the next available appointment and navigate the unknown prices of the insurance model of primary care only to get a rushed 15-minute visit?

What should our readers know about your business?
Have you ever texted your medical doctor directly before and received a response within a few minutes to hours?

Have you ever received a “Happy Birthday Email” personally from your doctor?

Has your doctor answered their phone when you called?

Do you think your doctor remembers you by your first name?

If you answered “no” to these questions, I think you are going to be in for a surprise.

Let me start with a scenario where my patient exclaimed “Wait! I have never had a normal blood pressure before at any doctor’s office!”

These words are very familiar to me during my housecalls for annual physicals. Typically, when I examine my patient’s blood pressure in the comfort of their bedroom where they feel at ease, their blood pressure often is within normal range. Every single time I hear these words, my chest swells with pride for already saving my patient from tons of blood tests and medicines that would have been completely unnecessary.

We have forgotten what a housecall by a doctor feels like.

We have forgotten what it feels like to have a doctor who cares to know and remember your name and your furry pets’ names.

It has been two successful years of practice with new patients visiting my website daily with messages for free meet and greets or appointments. I look at each free meet and greet as an opportunity to create awareness about my model of practice since it really offers a unique option for most healthcare issues.

Reaching where I am today took a lot of pounding the pavement to spread the word about Direct Primary Care and social media offered a great platform.

I have learned that it is important to question the insurance-driven healthcare system and fiercely look for alternatives to help patients receive timely and high quality care without breaking the bank.

I have learned that sprinkling your personality into your brand helps give it a unique identity.

I have had time to focus on my self-care since I launched ‘myhappydoctor’ and picked up my paint brush after 10 years of hectic medical education and training. Today I create watercolor art and it is a form of meditation and mindfulness for me. My watercolor art adorns the offices of many Direct Primary Care Physicians today and it warms my heart that there is a piece of ‘myhappydoctor’ in these DPC clinics miles away from me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take my friends to Torrey Pines Glider port one evening for an amazing paragliding experience. The hot air balloons’ sunset views are also incredibly stunning.

One of the days, I would recommend sailing in San Diego bay with a private sailboat rental.

Old town in San Diego is worth a visit on the weekend to enjoy the beautiful performances and cute shops.

Seaport village is the best for kite-flying and a stroll around the marina.

Extraordinary desserts in downtown San Diego has the best cake called “Shangri-la”.

Kayaking in La jolla shores you will encounter seals and beautiful bright orange Garibaldi fish.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give credit to “mydpcstory” which is an awesome podcast by a dear doctor colleague Dr.Maryal Concepcion who gave me an opportunity to share my own DPC (Direct Primary Care) story and helped create awareness about this unique model of practicing virtuous medicine. Today, I have doctors reaching out from different corners of the USA completely burned out by the corporate healthcare system they work for and looking for ways to create their own versions of ‘myhappydoctor’.

Website: www.myhappydoctor.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/myhappydoctor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/myhappydoctor

Image Credits
Sameer Mundkur