E44: Nasty Gallbladders and Negotiating Contracts | Dr. Seung Gwon (Part 1)

What if you could design your own job out of residency…and make it stick for 20 years?

 

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Dr. Randy Lehman sits down with Dr. Seung Gwon, a general surgeon from El Centro, California, to explore what it takes to build—and keep—a solo rural practice. They dive deep into income guarantees, sign-on bonuses, practice models, and the realities of mentorship (or lack thereof) when you go independent.

 

Dr. Gwon walks through her early contract, how she avoided debt, and why she still prefers solo practice even after years of cross-coverage and evolving hospital partnerships. Then they jump into technique: gallbladders in rural America, why these cases are tougher than in residency, and how Dr. Gwon has refined her approach over hundreds of challenging cases.

 

If you’ve ever considered going solo or wondered how to safely handle a gallbladder that’s “nothing like you saw in training,” this episode is for you.

 

0:00 Intro

1:07 Dr. Gwon’s Background

2:28 Why I Stayed in Rural Surgery

5:51 Income Guarantee & Starting Solo

9:25 Practice Model Evolution

11:15 Call Coverage & Compensation

13:11 Dr. Lehman’s Practice Journey

21:45 Four Models of Surgical Employment

22:11 You Have Negotiating Power

27:21 How I Do It: Acute Gallbladder Surgery

52:47 Three Memorable Open Cases