Beyond the White Coat: Building a Startup Career from Private Practice with Dr. Payal Adhikari
Episode Description
In this episode of Startup Physicians, I sit down with Dr. Payal Adhikari, a pediatrician who made the leap from private practice into the startup world. We talk about what it takes to step into non-clinical roles and how networking, self-belief, and clinical expertise all play a part. Dr. Payal Adhikari shares her personal journey, the skills she had to build, and how she found real opportunities in biotech and consulting. This conversation is all about action and showing physicians that they already have what startups need while also encouraging them to take the next step toward building something new.
Episode Highlights:
[00:00] - From Medicine to Startups: A Journey Begins
[09:28] - Navigating the Biotech Landscape
[18:42] - Building a Consulting Business
[28:22] - Empowering Physicians in Startups
In the free Physician Founder Roadmap webinar, we’ll share how physicians can begin evaluating their ideas and understand what it takes to bring them to market.
Mark your calendar for October 22 at 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET and join us for the webinar!
Create a venture-ready concept pitch in just 45 minutes! Join our free AI session designed for practicing physicians, where we guide you through the concept-assessment process used in the Startup Physicians Incubator.
Download the guide, open it with Claude, and you'll end up with a one-page pitch ready to share with an advisor, investor, or selection committee.
A six-month program that takes a practicing physician’s idea to an investor-ready company. Cohort 2 starts January 2027.



























