NCMS Past President Dr. Arthur Apolinario Named Mentor of the Year

Dr. Arthur Apolinario (image credit: Chuck Thompson | Sampson Independent)

NCMS Past President and Clinton physician Dr. Arthur Apolinario was recently named Mentor of the Year by The Center for Community-Based Primary Care Mentorship Program.

Apolinario, of Clinton Medical Clinic, earned the recognition after taking a medical student under his wing to show him what it was like to be in a small, independent practice, in a more rural setting — something future doctors aren’t taught in a classroom.

“In medical school, they don’t teach you how to run your own practice — which is a business; they don’t teach you how to be a businessman,” Apolinario said during a recent interview. They (medical schools) don’t guide you on how to set up your own practice, so this program was designed to show doctors they can be their own doctor — have their own practice.”

Apolinario said the mentorship program helps medical students better understand life in their profession in many aspects outside of the medical side of the practice. From engaging and understanding the community where they work to budgeting expenses, and employee management, all, he stressed, are often overlooked in medical school, where the focus is purely on medicine, and expecting doctors to go work for a corporate practice when they graduate.

“The program has really helped doctors learn how to be independent,” explained Apolinario. “It teaches them, through mentorship and other resources, how to deal with the legality side, talk with state officials, and manage their finances.”

Army veteran Mark Bushhouse, a former medic with the 10th Special Forces Group, in Colorado, is the mentee that Apolinario has helped under the program. Bushhouse is currently a medical student at Campbell University where he is studying to be a primary care physician.

“Through the community care program — it works in tandem through different medical societies, to connect physicians with medical students, and I put my name in the hat for that, so to speak, and that connected me with Dr. A(polinario).” said Bushhouse. ” Starting out, we did a Zoom meeting, and a couple of email exchanges, and then I had the opportunity where I spent a couple of days shadowing him in Clinton, and got a really great perspective.”

Bushhouse praised Apolinario for his hands-on approach, and the advice that was shared, stating, “He has an incredible longevity in the rural health field, and he has provided a lot of perspective and exposure to different sides of medicine through the community, business, and understanding the independent physician and rural medicine.”

The mentee said Apolinario helped him by showing him that if you find your niche in medicine, and combine that with opening, or joining a practice in the right region best fitted for your life, that is the key to a successful career. Unfortunately, many physicians never set up their own practice, opting out to work for an established practice, that is often own by a huge conglomerate, when in fact, being independent can be more rewarding.

“If you look at the total independent physicians compared to those that are employees — meaning they are not running their own practice, it’s staggering how small the number for independent doctors these days,” added Bushhouse. “It is so important to hang on to those independent practices — and besides, working as an employee for a large company, the patient doesn’t always get to interact with the practicing physician like someone can with a private practice. The connection and trust just isn’t there a lot of the times.”

Apolinario backed up that sentiment stating that physicians are not encouraged to start their own practice right out of med school. “They just don’t encourage that anymore, and it’s important to keep that going and show these young doctors that they can succeed on their own, or in a small group, just as successfully — if not more — than working for some large corporation.

“If you look at the statistics of the state, it’s shocking — about 80 percent of doctors work for other practices. We’re seeing, right here in North Carolina, an alarming number of burnout among physicians that one in 10 have even thought about suicide, if only briefly.

Apolinario’s opinion is that an independent physician seems to be happier than one working for a large company, and taking control of your own business is a big part of that difference.

“That’s the bottom line,” he added. “I’m showing younger doctors that they have a way to control their own career, such as Mark Bushhouse will do one day soon.”

Apolinario, who has been practicing in Clinton for 25 years, has enjoyed his chance to care for patients in a rural county, and get to know his patients on a more personal level.

He said now that he’s been here a quarter of a century he is starting to see the longevity of his work payoff as the babies he delivered are now adults and having children of their own, and the improvements people make in their lives, to want to live longer.

“One of the most rewarding aspects is seeing people make changes in their health,” he said, “Really reaching goals, and enjoying more time with their families. It’s not always something that can be appreciated elsewhere.”

“If anything you can see how much Dr. A really cares about his community, and it shows” Bushhouse concluded. [source]

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