Dr. Jungho Shim in Baltimore: Internal Medicine with Same-Day Appointments

Dr. Jungho Shim runs a solo internal medicine practice in Baltimore offering direct primary care—meaning flat-rate membership rather than insurance billing per visit. The model shifts how patients access routine care: instead of waiting weeks for an appointment or paying copays each visit, members pay a monthly fee and receive same-day or next-day slots for acute issues and unrestricted visits for chronic management.

What This Practice Actually Is

Dr. Shim operates as a single-physician internal medicine clinic handling adult primary care and preventive medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine. The practice does not function as a group or multispecialty center; it is sized for continuity with a capped patient panel, the signature trade-off of direct primary care. Walk-ins are not accommodated; membership is required. This differs sharply from urgent-care and traditional primary-care models in Baltimore, where patients typically register with a large health system and navigate appointment scheduling weeks in advance or route acute issues to emergency rooms and walk-in clinics instead.

Services and Membership Pricing

The practice offers preventive visits (annual exams, screenings), management of chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia), minor acute care (upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, minor injuries), preventive counseling, routine lab orders, and referrals to specialists. Prescription writing and medication management are included. Costs reported in direct primary care nationally range from $50 to $150 monthly depending on age and health status; Baltimore practices in this model typically fall in the $75 to $120 range, though Dr. Shim's exact fee structure warrants confirmation directly. Members pay their own costs for labs, imaging, and specialist referrals outside the membership. Insurance is not used for office visits; members still maintain health insurance to cover hospitalizations, emergency care, and specialty referrals. Some employers and health savings accounts cover the membership fee; ask during consultation about your specific employer plan.

How This Compares to Other Baltimore Primary Care Options

A traditional primary care practice through University of Maryland Medical System, Medstar, or LifeBridge Health typically requires insurance and offers appointments 2 to 4 weeks out for non-urgent visits; same-day urgent slots are rare without established relationships. Copays range $25 to $50 per visit plus deductible exposure. Urgent care clinics in Baltimore (CityMD, Medstar Urgent Care locations, CVS MinuteClinic) handle acute symptoms same-day without appointments but cannot manage chronic disease or provide continuity; they are transactional, not relationship-based. Dr. Shim's model trades breadth for depth: you see one doctor consistently, access is fast, and costs are predictable for people visiting 4+ times per year. If you rarely need care or prefer a large health system's multi-specialty convenience, traditional insurance-based care or urgent care is more economical. If you have multiple chronic conditions, value continuity, or dislike copay and scheduling friction, this membership model is worth the trade-off.

Who This Suits and Who It Does Not

This practice fits adults with stable or emerging chronic conditions, people frustrated by appointment delays, self-employed or uninsured individuals seeking affordable preventive care, and those with high-deductible health plans who want affordable routine access. It does not suit patients with complex hospital-level needs (cancer, serious cardiac disease, psychiatric emergencies); Dr. Shim refers these to specialists and hospitals. Pediatric patients and geriatric care requiring memory-care coordination are outside scope. Patients without health insurance for specialist referrals or emergencies should not join; the membership covers office care, not downstream costs.

What the First Visit Involves

Call or email to schedule a consultation. Dr. Shim typically spends 30 to 45 minutes on initial intake, reviewing medical history, performing a physical exam, and ordering baseline labs if needed. At the end of that visit, membership agreement terms and monthly cost are discussed. Most first visits happen within 1 to 2 weeks. Bring insurance information even though office visits do not bill it; having it on file aids referrals and helps with copay questions for specialist or imaging orders.

Hours, Location, and Logistics

Verification note: Direct-care practices adjust hours seasonally and for provider availability; confirm current hours by phone before planning a visit. The practice typically operates 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays with restricted or no weekend hours. Parking details depend on the clinic location within Baltimore; most solo practices occupy medical office suites with lot parking or street parking, but specifics should be confirmed. Public transportation access varies by neighborhood.

Dr. Shim's model has earned adoption among Baltimore patients tired of health-system friction. For people prioritizing continuity, speed, and cost predictability over choice of specialists, a single-physician direct-care practice offers a legitimate alternative to the dominant insurance-copay model.