Michaela Varys, MD

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and went to medical school in Prague to be closer to my extended family. It was there that I met Ziya. Family, meaningful connections, and long-term relationships are incredibly important to me, so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to Family Medicine. We completed our residency in the Richmond area, fell in love with the city, and decided to build our family and life here.

I'm a double board-certified Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine physician, passionate about empowering patients to lead longer, healthier, and happier lives. My interests include women's health and menopause care, weight loss medicine and pediatrics. I take a holistic approach to care and enjoy treating patients of all ages.

I believe healthcare should be a collaborative discussion, not a rushed appointment, which is why we opened a Direct Primary Care practice - to give patients the time, attention, and partnership they deserve. When I'm not caring for my patients, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, including our toddler and dog, especially in the great outdoors, along with reading and traveling. I look forward to partnering with you on your health journey!

Ziya Aktig, MD

I was born in Cyprus; a small island in the Mediterranean. The drive to utilize my love of science to help people, and humanity in general, is why I became a doctor. I moved to London, England at the age of sixteen and lived there for two years. I then moved to Prague to study medicine at Charles University; a medical school steeped in heritage, that even predates the discovery of the Americas! There, I met my wife Michaela. After graduation, we married and moved to the US together. We completed our family medicine residency training in Richmond, VA.

I consider prevention and continuity the most important pillars of family medicine. My professional interests include diagnosing and treating medically complex patients, men's health, newborn and infant care and in-office procedures.

Besides my role at Carytown DPC, I also work at a local hospital as a hospitalist physician. These roles synergize well: I am always up to date on "what is putting people in the hospital" and can use this information to prevent hospitalizations, especially in high risk patients. I am also comfortable managing more complex patients in the outpatient setting when possible, instead of sending them to the ER.

My hobbies include cycling (I am often on the Capital Trail), beekeeping and brewing. A patient once described me as a "serial dabbler", which I found amusing, but accurate.

Meera Doshi, LCSW

I am a LCSW who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Social Work and have been living in Richmond for many years. I am passionate about my work, the outdoors, my pets, and cooking.

I believe wholeheartedly in healing through connection and compassion. I have previously worked in medical and Partial Hospitalization settings, which have granted me experience with a variety of populations and at many different levels of care. I offer trauma-informed care, relational therapy, CBT, DBT and ACT to support patients through grief, trauma, everyday stressors and goal setting.