Dr. Maryal Concepcion Journey: From Corporate Chaos to Caring Hands
Dr. Maryal Concepcion, MD, FAAFP (Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians), is a Filipinx family doctor with a passion to fix the problems in healthcare. As the Owner and CEO of Big Trees MD in Calaveras County, California, and the host of the My DPC Story podcast, she’s proving that medicine can be personal, affordable, and focused on the patient. Her path is one of courage, rediscovery, and a strong commitment to revolutionizing healthcare.
Maryal didn’t accidentally find this path. She chose it because she believes healthcare should be about building relationships, not rushing through appointments or dealing with insurance paperwork. After years of working in a system that didn’t align with her values, she found DPC, a model where patients pay a simple monthly fee for unlimited care, and never looked back. Today, she’s living her dream and helping other doctors find theirs, one inspiring conversation at a time.
A Passion From the Start
Maryal’s desire to help others started long before she became a doctor. Growing up in Sacramento, she was always involved in activities like the Latin Club, CSF, and even served as Lieutenant Governor of Key Club during her senior year. “My family taught me that if someone needs you, you show up,” she says, reflecting on the lessons she learned. This sense of responsibility to help others led her to medicine, and with her husband, who is also a family doctor, she aimed to make a real difference.
The couple chose rural life over the city, inspired by their time training in Nebraska. “In a small town, we could do everything, full-scope medicine, cradle to grave,” Maryal explains. They dreamed of building close relationships with their patients, but their first jobs in corporate medicine crushed that dream. “We didn’t even know we could start our own practice back then,” she laughs. The corporate world had a different idea.
Discovering the Direct Care Model
Shortly after his transition, Dr. Hertz began consulting with a pediatric practice that had recently shifted to a direct care model. This practice was among the earliest to adopt this approach in pediatrics and was the first of its kind in the Cleveland area. Through this experience, Dr. Hertz became deeply familiar with the mechanics and philosophy of direct care. He saw in it the potential to resolve some of the systemic challenges he had encountered throughout his career. The transparency, accessibility, and patient-first mindset of direct care struck a chord.
The Struggles of Corporate Medicine
When Maryal became an attending physician, the reality of corporate medicine hit hard. The clinic she worked for didn’t support her mission. “They pushed us to see more patients, do more, faster,” she recalls. Instead of being able to deliver the hands-on care she loved—like performing procedures or guiding patients through tough choices, she was forced to refer patients out to specialists. One day, a first-year resident called family doctors “referralologists,” and that word stuck. “It wasn’t a joke,it was the truth, and it hurt,” she says.
Even worse, the system treated her like just another number. Her salary was fixed, and how the rates were set was a mystery. “They could’ve sent me to Los Angeles, away from my husband and kids, and not cared,” she says. The breaking point came in 2020, when she was 28 weeks pregnant with her second son and was given an ultimatum by her employer: sign a contract she hated or get fired. “I knew I couldn’t stay,” she says. “But I also knew I couldn’t quit medicine altogether.”
Discovering DPC
In 2019, a conversation with a local orthopedic surgeon changed everything. “Have you heard of DPC?” he asked. Maryal hadn’t, but it felt like a lightbulb went off. Direct Primary Care, a model where patients pay a flat fee for unlimited visits and cut out insurance, seemed like the answer she had been searching for. “It was like Neo taking the red pill in The Matrix,” she says with a grin. “I went down the rabbit hole.”
She dove in, attending a California family medicine conference where she met
Dr. Janine Rethy, a pioneer in DPC, who spent an hour explaining the model. Then, on a family trip to the Redwoods, Maryal convinced her husband to stop by San Francisco for the
Hint Summit. “He knew I was onto something,” she says. By fall 2020, with the ultimatum hanging over her, she made a decision: DPC or nothing. “I told myself, ‘I don’t have to be a doctor, but if I am, it’s going to be on my terms.’”
Starting Big Trees MD
With her husband’s support, Maryal launched
Big Trees MD in Arnold, a small town two hours from Sacramento. He stayed in corporate medicine for a steady paycheck while she took the leap. “If we’d opened a traditional practice, we would’ve left medicine entirely,” she admits. Instead, DPC allowed them to stay true to their values. They don’t deliver babies or work in hospitals, but they still care for pregnant women, hospice patients, and everyone in between.
Word quickly spread. When their old clinic switched to a non-physician model, patients returned to Maryal and her husband—the only full-scope doctors left in the county. “People knew us and trusted us,” she says. In a community where the average income is about $58,000, they kept their fees low and focused on individuals instead of big employer contracts. “We’ve worked with small businesses, like for allergy care, but we’re building a strong base first,” she explains.
The difference is clear. One patient, who was prescribed antidepressants by her last doctor without a real conversation, told Maryal, “You’re the first one who asked why I’m on this.” That’s the kind of care Maryal always dreamed of, listening, understanding, and working together.
Spreading the Message
Maryal didn’t just build a practice; she became an advocate for change. She’s spoken on Capitol Hill, recorded almost over 150 podcast episodes with other DPC doctors, and created a directory and magazine to connect the DPC community. “Everything I do ties back to my mission, helping people where they are,” she says. Her podcast guests, like Dr. Cindy Daffershey and Dr. Hetty, inspire new doctors, especially those fresh out of residency—to consider DPC.
Her advice? “Know your ‘why.’ If DPC doesn’t fit your life—your family, your goals—it’ll wear you out. But the beauty is, you can shape it. If it’s not working, tweak it.” She loves teaching residents about options she never knew were available during her training.
“Back then, no one said you could open your own practice,” she says. Now, she’s making sure they know they can.
Looking Ahead
Maryal sees a bright future for DPC. “We’re nimble,” she says, excited about potential changes in laws, like allowing patients to use health savings accounts for DPC or expanding Medicaid access. She points to a bipartisan bill from Reps. Kim Schrier and Dan Crenshaw, which pushes for everyday Americans to get “concierge-level care” without the high price. “We’ve learned from past failures—like Qliance—that doctors need a seat at the table,” she notes.
She’s also excited about technology. Wearables, AI tools, and open-source platforms which she sees as essential for modern healthcare. “If it helps me care for patients better or saves time, I’m in,” she says. And data? That’s her secret weapon. At a summit, she saw the difference in cost—$200 for a mammogram in DPC versus $3,000 with insurance. “It’s not just about my clinic,” she says. “It’s proof that this works, here and everywhere, even in cash-based clinics in India or the Dominican Republic.”
A Promise Kept
Maryal’s story is more than about medicine—it’s about sticking to what matters. From rural Nebraska to Capitol Hill, she’s fought for a healthcare system that puts people first. “It’s old-time doctoring with a modern twist,” she says, her eyes bright. “I’ve got two boys, a husband who’s my rock, and a community that trusts me.”
Dr. Maryal Concepcion shows us that when you follow what’s truly right,opportunities open. Her journey inspires us all to rethink what’s possible, one patient, one story, one bold step at a time.
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