Dr. Mudita Malhotra reflects on Aurora Primary Care's first year in Rockville: the moments that matter, what she's learned, and why care needs time and trust.
As I look around at the beautiful changing colors of the leaves here in Rockville, Maryland, I am reminded of another meaningful change in my life. This fall marks one year since I opened Aurora Primary Care.
I started Aurora with a very personal hope: that a doctor’s office could feel human again.
After 25 years of practicing medicine in large healthcare systems, I found myself longing for the kind of medicine that first inspired me to become a physician, the kind I grew up watching in my father’s small-town clinic. He knew his patients, their families, and the stories of their lives. He had time to listen, to explain, and to care for them as people, not just as patients.
That was the kind of medicine I wanted to practice, and the feeling I tried to put into words in my first blog, Returning to the Heart of Medicine. A year later, it remains the reason Aurora exists.
The Little Moments That Mean So Much
This first year has reminded me, again and again, that good primary care begins with a relationship.
There is something deeply rewarding about having the time to sit with a patient, go through their lab results, answer every question, and know they are leaving with a better understanding of their health rather than more uncertainty.
Or being able to see someone who wakes up feeling unwell and needs care that day, without the frustration of waiting for an appointment. Sometimes it doesn’t even take a visit: a quick message through the app or a video call can answer a question the same day it comes up.
Or helping someone navigate a complicated medical diagnosis, knowing they don’t have to figure everything out alone. I can be their guide, their advocate, and their quarterback through an often overwhelming healthcare system.
Equally meaningful has been the opportunity to care for people without health insurance, some of whom have delayed seeking medical attention because of the cost. Being able to make primary care more accessible to them feels like a small but important step toward filling a gap in our healthcare system.
I could go on and on.
These are the moments that remind me why I became a doctor.
Health and healing need time and trust. And I am so thankful that direct primary care allows me to offer both.
A Year of Learning and Gratitude
Starting an independent practice has been a humbling experience. There has been so much to learn, from running a small business to introducing people to a different way of experiencing healthcare.
Building Aurora one patient and one conversation at a time hasn’t always been easy. But this year has confirmed what I hoped would be true: people are looking for care that feels personal, accessible, and unhurried.
Most importantly, this year has given me the opportunity to practice medicine in a way that feels true to who I am.
To every patient who has trusted me with their care, thank you. It is a privilege to be part of your lives.
And to the friends, colleagues, neighbors, and community members who have supported Aurora, shared a kind word, or told someone about the practice, I am deeply grateful.
As Aurora begins its second year, I look forward to continuing to build relationships in this community, including with employers who want to offer their teams direct access to a doctor who has time for them.
A year later, I feel closer than ever to the values that first drew me to medicine, and to being the kind of doctor I always wanted to be.
And for that, I am truly thankful. If you’re new to Aurora and would like to see what this kind of care feels like, I’d be glad to meet you at a free Meet & Greet.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Dr. Mudita Malhotra
Founder & Physician
Aurora Primary Care
