Read Full Article HerePaul Singh has been starting and running businesses since his freshman year in college. He has led Dallas-based U.S. Dermatology Partners since 2018, overseeing a period of growth and expansion for the dermatology group.
A member of Young Professionals Organization, he brought experience with running other medical service lines, research and analytics and finance to his role leading U.S.D.P, which has over 100 locations across eight states and care for 2 million patients each year.
This month, U.S. Dermatology Partners was ranked the number one dermatology practice in the country by Castle Connolly’s 2025 Accolades. With recent expansions in Colorado and Missouri, the group had 90 physicians recognized as top physicians by Castle Connolly, a New-York based physician directory. The company has recently focused on a new model that allows for an expansion of rural care, where patients often lack access to providers.
Below, read about the pivotal falling out that helped lead Singh to U.S.D.P, where he wants to spend his 100th birthday, and what he’d like to see happen to third-party payers.
Birthplace: Dearborn, Michigan
First Job: “My first official job was at Target when I was 15. I worked my way up the ranks from unloading trucks, to stocking shelves to cart collection to checkout to guest services. From this experience, I learned how hard it is to make a buck! For my first role, I made $6.25 per hour or $25 per 4-hour shift unloading pet food from a 44-foot trailer on hot summer days. I experienced taxes coming out of my first paycheck – and the important distinction between gross pay and net pay. I learned how hard most adults worked to make ends meet, and the job gave me an appreciation of for my parents who also engaged in blue collar work.”
Best Advice: “A college professor told me that you start your career at the bottom of a valley and there are multiple mountains around you. However, it’s hard to tell how hard the pass or how high the peak of each mountain would be. If you start to climb one, but halfway up notice that the neighboring mountain seems to have a higher peak or its climbers people seem to be having a lot more fun, you will have to climb down and start from the bottom.
Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – after all, climbing down will not be as hard as climbing up. And since you now have mountain climbing experience, it won’t be as hard or take as long as climbing the first one. However, you still have to climb from the bottom. He said at the beginning, the sooner you pick which mountain you want to climb and the more you stick with it, the higher you climb. Those words have always stuck with me.”
Destinations of Choice: “I love to spend time outdoors, so anywhere with mountains, lakes, and rivers. Yosemite National Park, Wyoming, and Montana are some of my favorite places.”
I collect: “Ball caps from every place I visit. Not only is it a nice souvenir, but also practical – hats are crucial to protecting your skin from the hot summer heat. Also, after wearing the same University of Michigan hat for 5 years, I thought I could splurge a little!”
Toughest Challenge: “The cultural, operational, and financial turnaround of U.S. Dermatology Partners. I had to get a confederacy of 67 separate practice acquisitions to come together into a integrated clinical care organization.”
Passion/Hobby: “I love to read or ‘listen to’ sci-fi books, usually while going for a long walk. It’s also a good way to disconnect at night.”
Industry Change: “I would limit the role of third-party payers. Insurance has a role in healthcare, particularly for catastrophic events. However, higher levels of consumerism – i.e., patients paying for the direct care they receive – would help drive cost efficiency and improved customer experience.”
Local Fare: “Uchi Dallas! I always choose their chef’s daily tasting menu. Everything they serve is great, so I like to let them bring a variety of options.”
Using AI: “We’re incorporating AI to help improve efficiency, particularly in our back end or administrative processes. We’ve also partnered with Tandem, a specialty pharmacy company, which uses the latest advances in AI to provide end-to-end medication access services across all prescriptions. For example, we’re working with Tandem to help patients acquire biologic medications, which with traditional pharmacies, can be difficult to access.”
Fun Fact: “I plan to celebrate my 100th birthday on the moon.”
First Ride: “My first car was a Chevy Trailblazer.”
TV Show: I’d like to be on ‘The Amazing Race.’”
Proud Moment: “Through our Outreach Program, we’ve opened 36 locations in last the last 3 years serving new communities. ”
A Better DFW: “Because the DFW area is so spread out, it’s harder to organically connect with other professionals compared to other cities with more centralized business hubs.”
Karaoke Song: “‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey.”
Must Read: “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The key takeaway is doing less, but better, in all aspects of your life.”
Pivotal Moment: “I founded a business with my best friend at the time. The business was a commercial success but unfortunately, we had a falling out. We ultimately sold the business and I no longer speak with the friend.
I was 30 at the time, recently married, and reassessed what I wanted out of life. I ended up making a deliberate decision to move to Dallas and start building healthcare companies. That set me on the path to where I am today.”
Alternate Reality: “Thankfully, I feel like I am doing what I’m meant to do. But if I wasn’t leading this organization I would have started a holding company to buy and build a portfolio of exceptional businesses.”
Embarrassing Moment: “Oh man, I’ve probably blocked it out of my memory!”
Key Strategies: “I value finding the right people to be on your team, giving them a clear vision and staying out of their way as much as possible.”
Interview Fail: “I interviewed for an investment bank when I was a sophomore in college. I was flying high on confidence after building a successful business my freshman year of college but was ill prepared. During the interview, they asked me how I would value a company. I confidently said, ‘I’m sure you have some financial models. I would learn how to run them, put in the right assumptions and get the right answer.’ Needless to say, I didn’t get a call back.”
My Legacy: “I built world class organizations, with incredible results and positive cultures, made a good impact on many people, and made the US healthcare system a bit better.”
Family Recipe: “My mother is a great cook. She makes wonderful homemade Indian vegetable dishes. My favorite of all is Gajjar Aloo Mattar, which literally translates to carrots, potatoes, peas.”
Future Forecast: “We are just scratching the surface on how to marry our medical and aesthetic businesses together so we can treat patients’ skin health needs in an integrated way. As consumers become more sophisticated, they will see the value of this type of approach.”
