A fun trick for saving money on supplies!

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It has been a steep learning curve since opening My DPC: Love and Light Integrative Medicine (LALIM) Health in August of 2023. My head is often filled with thoughts like: how do I do this and where do I begin? Thankfully the DPC Community is supportive and helped me take the leap of faith into this wild and crazy ride! I remember a few shared pearls of wisdom such as taking baby steps, reach out for help and keep our overhead low! I listened and figured out that I would order small amounts of supplies because the most important supplies I need are the ability to listen, trust, determination, consistency and love. Oh, and one other thing is important in this beautiful journey-creativity! 

So, I looked at the prices of speculums and speculum lights and said to myself; self-we gotta figure something out! Aha! I got a light-a hiking light! I looked for speculums made with recycled plastic (still working on finding a good source for those) as I am still figuring out the whole autoclave thing. And then I had a nostalgic moment and remembered being on the hiking trail right before dawn. It is spectacular to enjoy the pink hues of a sunrise on a mountain and to do that, we must first walk a bit in the dark. A hiking lamp is highly useful in the inky darkness before the sun greets us. A hiking lamp is also useful while performing a pelvic exam and collecting the proper samples. I figured out that I did not need to fork out a lot of coin to perform my job. 

I also have an exam table that was previously used at a physical therapy office. Shout out to Maryal Concepcion who taught us about finding items on FB marketplace. Thanks for that tip!  Because this table has no stirrups, I needed to get creative again. I ordered small towels and large towels and fold and roll them up and place them in a beautiful design. The patients observe me (of course in a most graceful manner ha ha) as I demonstrate how to perch on this magnificent set up! I help them prop themselves onto the exam table and scoot them onto the little towel tower. 

Let’s summarize shall we! We can be creative in keeping overhead low while having fun. Using speculums with hiking headlamps and towels set up in an artistic fashion (even though they are not quite as elegant as the swan shaped towels displayed in fancy hotel rooms), we can provide excellent care while in a much more comfortable experience. I will say that the investment in the nice speaker helps because I have been known to play Sade (or other soothing music) while I collect samples. 

Making medicine fun has been helpful in my patient experiences as they often remark at the tremendous difference this is from the typical clinical setting (I have butterflies hanging from the ceiling and selenite crystals on the wall!) Asking consent for touch while explaining what comes next has helped my patients relax and feel safe during pelvic sample collection. I am grateful to the DPC community who has helped me know that this can be done, and we find fulfillment in our medical practice! Hooray for DPC and may I wish you all, Happy Papping!

About April Soto, MD

April Soto was born and raised in Guatemala to Puerto Rican Missionaries. She came to the US to attend university and medical school at University of California San Francisco. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles, Ca , a 1-year Fellowship in HIV Medicine at Los Angeles County-University of California, 2-year fellowship in Integrative Medicine through Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine in San Diego, Ca. She worked at Kaiser Permanent for 13.5 years in Family Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Family Medicine Surgical Services and served as the Wellness Champion for the Family Medicine Residents. Dr Soto is also trained in psychedelic services and offers Ketamine, Breathwork and Biofield Medicine/Energy Healing services for patients with mental health concerns. She enjoys complementing western medicine along with addressing the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional needs of her patients as well. She meditates daily and enjoys time in nature. Boogie boarding alongside the surfers brings her great joy! She lives in Los Angeles, Ca with her beloved husband Chris.