Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Sherlonda Adkins, PA-C . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dr. Sherlonda , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
When I became a physician assistant I had no intention of becoming an entrePAneur (PA entrepreneur). I had previously owned two businesses and could not imagine going through the process of starting another business. But as my entrepreneurial brain would have it 5 years into practicing two things happened. The first one was I noticed that when patients would miss their appointments it wasn’t because they didn’t want to be seen it was because they were facing challenges such as transportation, weather, child care, work schedules, illnesses that affected their mobility, the stigma of sitting in a psychiatric waiting room, etc. The thought occurred to me, “what if I could find a way to treat patients in the privacy of their own homes or in their workspaces that didn’t require coming into an office?” Besides this is one area of medicine that doesn’t require palpitating or auscultating we don’t even touch our patients in psychiatry. The second driving force was my love for travel. In 2019 I traveled to five different countries and was out of the office for a total of about 2 months. Working as an independent contractor when I’m away, I don’t make money. Therefore I wondered if there was a way to still see patients while I was traveling on an abbreviated work schedule so that I could still make a living. At this time there was not another physician assistant in my state who owned a telemedicine practice. I made a lot of phone calls including attorneys and the medical board and also consulted with a physician who owned a practice in North Carolina. Unsure of how it would all work out I decided to take the plunge and I launched my practice in January of 2020 right before the world found out we would be in a pandemic and millions of patients would be transitioning to telemedicine, talk about serendipity! Some of the challenges associated with owning my own practice is that all of the responsibility and liability falls on me. Fortunately my practice is about 90% virtual so there is no physical facility that I have to worry about however being responsible for not only patient care but marketing, accounting, expansion, insurance and keeping up with industry trends can be a lot to manage. Even if I’m not seeing patients 40 hours a week it can easily feel like a 40-hour work week. I found out early on that it was important to establish boundaries with my patients when it came to things like payments and communication. Starting a practice during the pandemic also meant that some of my patients were struggling financially and as much as I wanted to help everyone I was not able to accommodate everyone who needed help and had to employ a payment standard. Fortunately most of my patients were able to still keep their appointments. A second entrepreneurial venture resulted from the pandemic. I was featured in a national publication and had practitioners from across the nation reaching out to me wanting advice on how to start a practice so I started doing consultations. For a young professional who may be considering starting their own practice I would definitely say don’t be afraid to make the investment in consulting with someone who has “been there and done that.” .It will shorten your learning curve and maybe even give you new ideas. If you’re looking for ways to cut corners don’t let that be one of them.
Dr. Sherlonda , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Most people don’t realize how much time they’ve spent painting on a canvas not designed for them.🎨🖌️ Early in my professional life I found myself struggling with the traditional 9-5, I had plenty of paint and brushes but they just didn’t seem to match a traditional “job.” I have had several careers. I started as an insurance claims adjuster intern with a top insurance company in college, worked in academic leadership, real estate sales and investing, and am currently a physician assistant practicing in psychiatry, a success coach for people who want to get “UNSTUCK” and a professional speaker. When MY canvas began to emerge, what a creative and colorful collage it became! I created a career life I don’t need to escape, a few highlights:
✅1st PA owned telemedicine practice in South Carolina
✅Creator of multiple nontraditional positions as a PA (some that allow me to travel to beautiful destinations)✈️🌍
✅ Professional Speaker (Getting UNSTUCK, Work Life Balance, Psychiatry topics, Coaching High Achieving Children)
✅ Giving back as an advocate for my profession and philanthropist
I recognize that many professionals, particularly my physician assistant colleagues, find themselves feeling STUCK and burned out when their current goals, career aspirations, or interests shift and no longer represent who they are, so much that they even consider leaving medicine. As a PA, Success Coach, entrepreneur, AND dreamer who made history while breaking barriers, I help retain our workforce by challenging my colleagues to consider various options that may be better suited for their needs and sharing my personal and professional experiences to inspire and motivate others to become UNSTUCK and create a life they don’t need to escape.
I am mostly proud of my job as a “Mommy.” My children have done some AMAZING things such as making history by getting accepted to a Doctor of Pharmacy program at the age of 16 (oldest daughter), accepted to the nation’s top 3 boarding schools and currently attending Carnegie Mellon University, fluent in Russian (son) and middle school Salutatorian (youngest daughter).
When I was a child I saw the image of myself on a stage speaking and that has always stuck with me. Inspiring and motivating people along my path is the golden thread that’s been interwoven throughout the fabric of my life. I get so much joy out of helping people think outside the box because “YOU are creative. YOU have unique ideas and dreams. Imagine redirecting your energy to paint on YOUR canvas. What would YOUR masterpiece look like?”🎨🖌️
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Understanding that people are uniquely designed and have individualed needs. When I’m working with coaching clients or patients, there’s no one size fits all formula. Having the ability to listen with my ears, heart, and head simultaneously allows me to formulate plans that are specific to the needs to my clients and patients. As a result I’ve had many word of mouth referrals. One of the biggest compliments I receive is when a person says they feel they’ve been heard.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
Absolutely NOT! In fact I wish I’d become a PA earlier in life. This profession has taught me more about myself I expected. I have evolved into an advocate for my profession by supporting PAs and PA organizations to help prevent burnout and retain our workforce by offering workshops, coaching and consultations. I organized the Black PAs of SC to engage and support black PAs and PA students in my state. Being one of the 2% of PAs in psychiatry has given me a sense of fulfillment knowing that I’m helping address the shortage of psychiatric providers in the US and helping combat the racial disparities in mental health in people of color.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DrSherlondaAdkins.com
- Instagram: @drsherlondaadkins
- Facebook: Facebook.com/drsherlondaadkins
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsherlondaadkins
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC6aToOn-GMzQ4-NXWlhPvmA