🎧 Episode Summary:In this insightful episode, emergency physician and healthcare innovator Dr. John Dayton (LinkedIn) joins host Dr. Adam Carewe to unpack the evolving landscape of physician upskilling. They explore how clinicians can thrive beyond traditional clinical roles by leveraging communities, embracing digital tools like AI, and rethinking medical education. From crafting personalized discharge instructions to advising health tech startups, Dr. Dayton shares how intentional career design, continuous learning, and professional risk-taking can empower physicians to shape the future of medicine on their own terms.

Episode Resources:

* Physician Upskilling Resource

* Dr Dayton’s Slide Deck

🔹 00:00 – Introduction & John's Career JourneyAdam introduces Dr. Dayton, highlighting his unique blend of emergency medicine, entrepreneurship, and policy work. John shares his path from clinical practice to health innovation, emphasizing the importance of designing a fulfilling and intentional career.

“You have to be careful. We all have the same amount of time... but at some point, you realize what your priorities are and how your life should be.”

🔹 07:50 – Do You Need an MBA?The duo explores the role of formal education like MBAs in non-clinical physician careers. John shares his tailored experience in healthcare innovation and venture capital and reflects on whether degrees are necessary or if curated resources and learning communities can suffice.

🔹 14:15 – Modern Medical Education & AI ToolsJohn discusses the shift from textbooks to digital learning, advocating for tools like OpenEvidence and AI models to enhance decision-making and personalized care. They examine how today’s physicians must balance foundational knowledge with real-time, tech-enabled insights.

🔹 21:30 – The Upskilling Resource GuideJohn dives into the upskilling guide he co-created—a crowdsourced list of tools, communities, and conferences to help clinicians explore health tech, policy, social media, and business. The guide aims to make self-directed learning approachable and actionable.

“A lot of physicians want to know about medical business... and this guide gives them a starting place.”

🔹 29:40 – Finding Community & Creating OpportunitiesJohn emphasizes the importance of finding your "tribe"—from attending conferences like HLTH and NextMed to joining groups like Physician Side Gigs. He shares how proactively reaching out—like cold messaging Jonathan Bush—led to impactful advisory roles.

🔹 37:10 – When & Why to UpskillThey reflect on personal burnout, the employee-physician dynamic, and the need for career reinvention. John explains how COVID, professional stagnation, and a tragic colleague’s passing inspired his own pivot into innovation and VC.

🔹 44:20 – Filtering the NoiseThe conversation shifts to how to stay focused when exploring new interests. John suggests aligning new ventures with personal values and long-term goals and starting small—advising a startup, joining an angel group, or enrolling in a micro-course.

🔹 50:30 – Nerd Alert RoundIn a lightning round, John shares his ambition to master venture capital, how he's using AI to personalize patient discharge instructions, and the underrated power of finishing every patient encounter with a well-crafted final impression.

“If their cast is janky, they’ll think I didn’t know what I was doing—even if I set the bone perfectly.”

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🎧 Episode Summary:In this episode of NerdMDs | Efficiency Unlocked, host Dr. Adam Carewe welcomes the trailblazing Dr. Jay Parkinson, founder of Automate Clinic. Known for pioneering digital-first healthcare models, Jay shares the origin story of his unconventional journey—from launching one of the first iPhone-powered house call practices to building platforms supporting AI in clinical workflows. They delve deep into how AI can meaningfully integrate with physician expertise and reimagine primary care delivery. Listeners will come away inspired by Jay’s visionary thinking and grounded perspective on technology’s role in healthcare’s future.

🔹 00:00 – Intro & Jay’s Career BeginningsAdam introduces Jay Parkinson, reflecting on his influence in digital health and primary care innovation. Jay recounts how his medical journey began with a passion for visual design and tech, which led to the creation of a pioneering iPhone-enabled house call practice in NYC.

“What if health care was a process and we designed it really well? You could make it pretty elegant for people.”

🔹 07:21 – Thinking Differently in MedicineJay shares how his preventive medicine training at Johns Hopkins and natural curiosity drove him to question traditional models. His approach has always centered on systems thinking and embracing nonconformity within healthcare.

🔹 11:22 – Building the First iPhone House Call PracticeJay describes the practical innovations behind his early tech-driven clinic—embedding calendars, collecting symptom data online, and forming curated specialist networks—all before the App Store existed.

“The job of a doctor isn’t always to treat and heal. It’s to navigate you to the right place.”

🔹 16:34 – Introducing Automate ClinicJay introduces his latest venture, Automate Clinic, designed to connect doctors and engineers to improve AI models. He explains how doctors interact with flawed outputs from AI scribes to train models through smart, conversational prompts.

“It’s not about fancy tech. It’s about connecting the right experts to the right data problems.”

🔹 24:46 – Behind the Scenes of AI TrainingJay discusses the internal mechanics of Automate Clinic, emphasizing how their platform mimics attending physicians challenging residents to enhance data quality through natural interaction—turning passive labeling into meaningful engagement.

🔹 30:32 – Tech vs. Sales: The Real Healthcare ChallengeThe conversation explores how success in health tech often hinges more on sales and distribution than raw innovation. Jay stresses the importance of connecting product development with real-world physician needs.

🔹 41:37 – Rethinking Primary Care as Project ManagementJay proposes a shift from episodic visits to project-based care, especially for conditions like pneumonia. He advocates for models that support patients continuously through their healthcare journey, not just during appointments. He even plugs to newest healthcare startup General Medicine.

“Healthcare issues should be looked at as projects to be managed over time by a team.”

🔹 46:58 – Nerd Alert Round: Jay’s Personal SideJay shares personal anecdotes—from his first Public Enemy concert to his admiration for archery and photography. He reflects on his grandfather’s influence and the challenge of maintaining deep relationships across time and space.