Written by Brent Lacey on October 4, 2020. Posted in Podcast, Podcast Episodes, The Sunday Special.

Sunday Special 05 – “Taking a Leap of Faith: Starting a Successful Solo Practice” with Dr. Steven Dalton

Sunday Special 05 – It’s difficult to face the unknown. When you graduate from residency or fellowship and you’re looking for your first job, you don’t really know exactly what to expect. Maybe you’re moving to a new city or state. Maybe it takes you far from your family. Maybe it’s a completely new practice setting. Are you ready to take a leap of faith? Dr. Steven Dalton knows exactly what that’s like.

Well, imagine working in one job for over a decade and then feeling like God was calling you to uproot and start a completely new job? What kind of faith and courage would that take? Well, that’s exactly the situation that today’s guest faced recently. Dr. Steven Dalton was a hospitalist, but he felt God leading him to open up a solo direct primary care practice. Talk about a a leap of faith!

What would it be like to leave everything you’ve known for the last 10 years and jump headlong into a completely new venture that you’ve never thought about? You don’t have to wonder, you can hear about it straight from someone who did it. Enjoy this week’s Sunday Special conversation with Dr. Steven Dalton.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts

“When you put Christ at the beginning of an endeavor, you know he’s going to provide. He put you here, and He’ll give you the tools you need to succeed.”

– Dr. Steven Dalton

Free Resource: The Body of Christ – A 14-day devotional series for healthcare professionals

This is a medically-themed devotional series with Bible passage discussion, reflection questions, prayers, and action steps to take each day. It’s a great series, and you can download it for free below. Special thanks go to Nicole Byrum for contributing 7 devotionals to create week 2 of the series. It’s a great mental health-themed series subtitled, “The God of All Comfort.” You should also go check out Nicole’s blog here. Download the devotional series for free!

Connect with Dr. Steven Dalton:

Dr. Steven Dalton is an Army veteran and former hospitalist who opened up his own direct primary care practice in Reno, NV. Today, he practices medicine with the same care and compassion that made him successful as an Army doctor.

He is bold about expressing his Christian faith with his practice, even going so far as to have it emblazoned on his website.

You can connect with Dr. Steven Dalton at www.forestviewclinic.health.

Show times

00:00 – Introduction to the episode.
02:25 – Subscribe to The Scope of Practice Podcast
03:15 – Today’s Bible verse is Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
03:50 – Introduction to Dr. Steven Dalton
04:58 – Dr. Steven Dalton shares how he came to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior.
06:59 – We need mentors and family/friends to help us in our spiritual journey.
07:44 – Young people commonly have misconceptions about Christianity and think that Christians should be flawless because they have Jesus. Then, they see that we are incredibly flawed and they become jaded about Christ.
08:35 – Dr. Dalton discusses his recent transition from being a hospitalist to opening a direct primary care practice.
09:30 – Opening a DPC practice has been challenging. Dr. Dalton believes that it is a calling from Jesus, and that He has given him the tools needed to succeed.
10:55 – The hardest part of opening his own clinic has been being quiet, being still. Trusting God and leaving everything in His hands is tough.
11:46 – Medicine trains us to not trust in God, but rather to trust in ourselves. When we let God take over, we realize He will do exponentially better than we ever will.
13:36 – Dr. Dalton had essentially no business experience going into starting his practice. It was a leap of faith.
15:03 – The arrogance we sometimes display when we think we are becoming completely self-sufficient sometimes requires God to “throw us off the boat” to bring us back to reality.
16:16 – Dr. Steven Dalton goes so far as to have his faith in God embedded in his business’ mission statement, which is boldly emblazoned on his website!
18:32 – God puts people in our presence and expects us to treat them well, whether they’re a Christian or not.
20:22 – When we display Christ’s likeness, patients, staff, and other people will ask us what we’re doing differently.
21:06 – Right now, Dr. Steven Dalton is doing everything in his practice. He hopes to draw Christ-like people to his practice by continuing to display Christ’s likeness.
21:51 – If you’re a serious Christian, you’re more likely to be attracted to people who are also serious Christians.
22:42 – It’s nearly impossible to completely separate business and personal life.
23:44 – Church membership has been declining for decades, and hostility towards Christianity is increased. As Christians, we are called to be part of a body of believers. It’s hard, but we need to maintain church involvement where we can.
26:58 – When we can’t get involved in a local church, it’s important for us to remember that our profession is still an amazing ministry opportunity.
30:44 – The hospital chaplains are excellent resources to utilize in the hospital.
32:10 – “Where are you at spiritually?” That’s a great question you can ask someone that can lead them to opportunities to seek Christ.
35:03 – Look for opportunities to ask questions that give people a chance to tell you about their deepest troubles, and then you’re in a position to help them!
38:34 – Take care of someone’s physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.
39:20 – Sometimes your colleagues may not take you seriously anymore when they find out that you’re a serious Christian.
42:20 – Dr. Steven Dalton shares his favorite Bible verse: Ephesians 6:10-18 (the armor of God).
43:25 – Dr. Dalton shares his parting advice.
44:49 – Connect to Dr. Dalton at forestviewclinic.health.
45:34 – Summary of the episode.
46:42 – Free resource: 14 day devotional series called “The Body of Christ”
47:55 – Signing off!

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