We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Cothran. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below.
Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Being a doctor was my dream since I was 14 years old, and I was able to achieve my goal and become an OB/Gyn. This was the perfect field for me with. a combination of office and hospital practice. I loved the operating room and delivering babies. In 15 years of private practice I grew to really know my patients and sometimes even get to take care of multiple generations of the same family. Unfortunately the joy of practicing medicine has been challenged by the pressures of lower insurance payments, creating more time pressures as we have to see more and more patients per day to make ends meet! Seeing this happen over the years I decided to take a huge risk and leave corporate medicine to start my own practice. Founding Meno-Start has allowed me to spend more time with my patients and practice in a way that truely promotes health an wellness!
Shannon, 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?
I grew up in Fairfax County and attended college at the University of Virginia. I graduated in 1998 with a degree in Chemistry with a biologic specialty. I studied the Luteinizing Hormone receptor as a laboratory specialist and was a member of the Charlottesville/Albemarle rescue squad before attending medical school. I graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 2004 and stayed at Jefferson hospital for residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. As a board-certified gynecologist, my expertise is fully focused on meeting women’s healthcare needs. After residency, I began my successful career in private practice, where I worked for fifteen years taking care of women in all phases of life. In 2024, I created Meno-Start to dedicate more time and attention to patients during perimenopause and menopause.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The main lesson I had to unlearn is that following the rules will lead to success. I have thought a lot about why most doctors don’t go out and start their own practices. We are smart and ambitious but also rule followers. We are told that the steps to being a successful career as a physician are to work in an insurance-based model and do all the things the insurance companies tell us to do. We are also taught in med school and residency that the more tired and overworked you are, the better doctor you are. It is a point of pride to say how many patients you have seen with the smallest amount of rest! Work life balance is for our patients, not us.
After 15 years I looked around, my kids are teenagers, I hadn’t been in my own back yard in over two years, and my patients were still not getting the care that they needed! I dared to ask the questions, are the rules of how to practice correct?
I decided that I didn’t have to follow that path and went out on my own to start my own kind of practice.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
Yes! I would absolutely choose the same field. I really believe that I was meant to be a healer. I do have times when I question starting my own concierge practice. I worry that the system I am trying to change is too big. But in those moments I just try to go one day at a time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.meno-start.com
- Instagram: meno_start
- Facebook: Meno-Start
- Linkedin: Meno-Start
Image Credits
www.erinnicolebrown.com Erin Nicole Brown Photography