For more than 35 years, Dr. Larry Berman has built his medical practice on a simple but profound promise: to be everything his grandmother’s doctor wasn’t. From that formative childhood moment watching a physician deliver devastating news without compassion, he knew exactly what kind of doctor he wanted to become: one who treats every patient like family, values independence over quotas, and builds relationships that span decades. Now, as he joins Tryon Medical Partners, Dr. Berman brings not only his extensive clinical expertise but also a cherished care team that has grown alongside him, including his daughter, Ashley, one of several physician assistants who work by his side.

A calling born from compassion

Before Dr. Berman became one of Charlotte’s most respected internal medicine physicians, he was a young boy accompanying his father and grandmother to a Los Angeles hospital. What happened in that hospital room would shape the entire trajectory of his life and career.

“The doctor walked in with his white coat, and he said to my grandmother: I have bad news, you have pancreatic cancer, and we don’t expect you to live longer than a month or two,” Dr. Berman recalls. “My family looked at me and said, ‘No matter what you end up doing, you’re going to do much better than this doctor did today.’”

That moment crystallized everything. “I knew at that point what I wanted to do: be an excellent doctor. This mission made my schooling and education straightforward. I knew I wanted to go into internal medicine so that I could follow individuals and families forever. That’s the part that makes me happy,” shares Dr. Berman.

Building the foundation for independent practice

With his path clear, Dr. Berman approached his education strategically. He completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA, but he knew that being a skilled clinician wouldn’t be enough to achieve his vision of independent practice.

“Since I wanted to be in my own practice, I needed a business background,” he explains. The University of North Carolina offered a full ride for their public healthcare administration master’s program, providing the business acumen he would need. 

Then, his medical training took an unexpected international turn. “I did my medical training at Tel Aviv University, which was through the State University of New York, and lived in Israel for four years, coming to Stony Brook for my internal medicine residency.” This diverse training background would later inform his approach to patient care and cultural competence.

Choosing independence in Charlotte

Dr. Berman and his wife, whom he met in North Carolina, knew they wanted to settle in a major city. Charlotte proved to be the perfect fit. When Sisters of Mercy Hospital recruited him, they offered something unusual: the ability to build his own practice while maintaining independence.

“At the time, the hospital recruited me but allowed me to remain independent. I wanted to be unbiased; I didn’t want to have to do a certain number of referrals or procedures,” he explains. To support himself while building his patient base, he worked as an ER doctor. “Although I was busy, I knew what I wanted to do, so it was easy.”

His commitment to independence ran deeper than professional preference; it was fundamental to his philosophy of care. “I wanted to be everything my grandmother’s doctor wasn’t. I wanted to look at the patients like they were family: If you were my kid or brother, this is what I would do. I like independence from bureaucracy as much as possible.” This independence allowed him to build a network of trusted specialists based solely on the quality of care. 

The rewards of a life in medicine

Ask Dr. Berman about his proudest moments, and he doesn’t point to professional accolades or leadership positions. Instead, he speaks of something more personal and profound.

“For me, it’s the joy of patients coming up to me saying, ‘You saved my life.’ The holiday cards I receive, the letters I get, I’ve taken care of tens of thousands of people, and I take care of people as if they were family. But the joy I get is so much appreciation from the patients, and from my friends who are physicians in the community.”

His love for medicine remains undiminished after nearly four decades. “I love doing this. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. The joy really comes from someone who gives me a hug and thanks me. That’s what it’s all about.”

A family practice in every sense

One of the most distinctive aspects of Dr. Berman’s practice is the longevity of his care team. 

“I’ve put a lot of time into recruiting my physician assistants (PAs), and some have been with me for 20-30 years. I’m looking for a team player who loves what they’re doing every day. I want them to feel like they’re part of a work family and that I have their back.” 

This commitment to his team has created remarkable stability. “Out of my independent practice, I’ve had 10-15 people stay 20-30 years. Without them, I couldn’t have had the success I did in my practice.”

The family atmosphere became literal when his daughter, Ashley, joined the practice as a physician assistant. The pride in his voice is unmistakable. “She’s smart as heck, and she’s an excellent PA. It gives me tremendous pride to be able to refer people to my daughter.”

Finding the right transition to Tryon

After decades of successful independent practice, Dr. Berman began thinking about the future with growing concern. “I have four wonderful PAs, but if something happens to the doctor, everyone else is unemployed, and patients don’t have a place to go.” This responsibility weighed on him. “For the past two to three years, I was thinking: what can I do to protect the staff and patients so that if something happens to me, they’re set?”

Other practices came calling, but they couldn’t offer what he valued most. “I wanted to maintain my independence. In my case, I love the idea of independent choice and  having patients go where I want them to go without limitations.” 

Then he discovered Tryon Medical Partners. “It was the logical choice. The people at Tryon are so wonderful, it made the choice easy for me.”

Why Tryon aligned with his values

The decision to join Tryon wasn’t just about logistics; it was about finding an organization that shared his fundamental values.

“Tryon has some of the colleagues that I grew up with and worked with. I know a lot of these doctors, and they’re all excellent,” Dr. Berman shares. 

The collaborative, family-oriented culture at Tryon resonated with the environment he had cultivated in his own practice. Most importantly, Tryon offered what seemed impossible: the ability to maintain his independence while securing the future for his staff and patients. 

Wisdom from four decades in medicine

When asked what advice he would give to healthcare clinicians at the beginning of their careers, Dr. Berman offers hard-won insights that go far beyond clinical skills.

• On motivation: “If you’re doing this for the money, you’re in the wrong career. Internal medicine is everything – you have to be in it for the patients.”
• On staying humble: “Sometimes I feel like I’m an airline hub and the planes land and I have to send them on to another connection. I tell people: I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I care, and I do what I can.”
• On tolerance and acceptance: “The only way to get through is with tolerance. The world is not a tolerant place. You need to have tolerance and accept people for who they are. You can’t change people if they don’t want to be changed.. I’m there to guide them to make the best choice they can.”

Living life fully outside of medicine

Dr. Berman practices what he preaches about work-life balance and perspective. “I’m going to go home and eat dinner and enjoy some TV tonight, regardless of what happens at work today. There are too many people I’ve met who get too stressed out over things that will not change. You adapt to it, you rise above it, and you remember why you went into medicine to begin with, then you go home and you live your life. You’ve got to go outside and smell the roses.”

He lives according to this philosophy. “I travel all over the place because it’s good for my brain. I do a lot of outdoor activities and travel the world with my family because I live my life like every day is my last. As a doctor, I know things can change in the blink of an eye.” 

A new chapter built on enduring values

As Dr. Berman settles into his role at Tryon Medical Partners, he brings more than clinical expertise. He brings a care philosophy refined over 35 years, relationships with patients spanning decades, and a commitment to treating every person who walks through his door like family.

Looking forward, his goals remain unchanged. “I’m looking forward to keeping the same thing going at Tryon.”

Dr. Berman’s journey from that hospital room in Los Angeles to Tryon Medical Partners in Charlotte proves that the best medical care comes from physicians who never forget why they entered medicine in the first place. His story demonstrates that independence, compassion, and family, both literal and figurative, can thrive even as healthcare evolves, especially when you find an organization that shares those core values.