Why Dr. Juan left corporate medicine to open Metronome
Dr. Brian Juan sat down with My DPC Story to talk about the leap from a large health system into an independent Direct Primary Care practice — what it actually took to open Metronome's doors, and what changed for his patients once he did.
Watch the full episode above, or listen on your platform of choice below.
From a large health system to a practice of his own
Metronome Family Medicine opened its doors on June 1, 2026. In the episode, Dr. Juan walks through the decision to leave a large, corporate-run health system for the uncertainty of building an independent practice — and the specific problems he was trying to solve for patients who felt like a number in a seven-minute visit.
He talks candidly about the financial side most physicians never see before they open a practice: building a real pro forma with the help of fellow DPC physician Dr. Luke Pitman, and setting up a "savings buckets" system to manage cash flow through the slow, uncertain early months of a new business.
He also describes the clinical model itself — 90-minute visits for new patients, enough time to actually take a full history and run body composition scanning (InBody) as part of a real baseline, not an afterthought. And he credits fellow DPC physician Dr. Jade Norris for a policy that's become central to how Metronome protects its physicians from burnout: phones off at 5:00 PM.
Dr. Juan also remains connected to academic medicine as a preceptor to five University of Colorado medical students at a time — teaching the next generation of physicians what a direct, unhurried doctor-patient relationship can look like, even as he builds that same relationship with his own patients at Metronome.
What Dr. Juan and My DPC Story cover
Why He Left
The specific frustrations of practicing inside a large corporate health system, and the moment it became clear something had to change.
Building the Pro Forma
Working through the real numbers of opening a DPC practice with fellow physician Dr. Luke Pitman — and a savings-buckets approach to weathering the early months.
Designing the Visit
Why 90-minute new-patient visits and InBody body composition scanning became part of Metronome's model from day one.
Protecting the Physician
The phones-off-at-5PM policy Dr. Juan adopted from Dr. Jade Norris — and why sustainable boundaries make for better, more present care.
Teaching the Next Generation
Precepting five University of Colorado medical students at a time, and what DPC has to teach students who've only trained inside the traditional system.
Three Months In
An honest look at Metronome's first quarter — 114 members in, and what Dr. Juan has learned about running an independent practice.
“Medicine practiced with creativity, built on relationship, and made to last.”
— Dr. Brian Juan, on the Metronome Family Medicine motto
Explore what's behind the story
What Is Direct Primary Care?
The membership model behind everything discussed in the episode.
Learn more → Your DoctorMeet Dr. Juan
Training, background, and the philosophy behind his approach to care.
Read more → In The OfficeBody Composition Analysis
The InBody scanning system built into every comprehensive assessment.
See how it works → AccessSame-Day & Acute Care
How direct phone and text access actually works day to day at Metronome.
See the details →Curious what a practice built this way feels like from the inside?
The episode covers why Metronome exists. A consultation is the easiest way to see what it's actually like to be a patient here.