Paul Thomas, M.D., a member of the Class of 2013, is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in southwest Detroit. His practice, Plum Health DPC, a Direct Primary Care service, is the first of its kind in Detroit and Wayne County.

His mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. He has been featured on WDIV-TV Channel 4, Flashpoint with Devin Scillian, WXYZ Channel 7, Crain's Detroit Business and CBS Radio. He has been a speaker at TEDxDetroit as well as a presenter at the American Academy of Family Physicians' Direct Primary Care conference and the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians annual conference.

A clinical assistant professor for the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Dr. Thomas was honored as a Vanguard Award recipient by the Detroit Young Professionals in 2018. He also received the Recent Alumni Award from Michigan State University's College of Natural Science.

Dr. Thomas is the author of "Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System." The 88-page book, available on amazon.com in paperback and eBook format, seeks to educate the medical and health care community, as well as health care advocates, about the benefits of the Direct Primary Care model.

Direct Primary Care, a newer practice model, allows patients to have a direct relationship with their primary care physician by enrolling in an affordable subscription-based service, said Dr. Thomas, a clinical assistant professor with the Wayne State University School of Medicine. DPC physicians do not bill or use insurance, which means they are able to provide patients with steeply-discounted medications, labs, imaging services and procedures.