I recently wrote an article on Doximity.com about what I felt after the death of one of my medical school classmates. He died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at the age of 58. It forced me to pause and reflect on what is truly matters, starting with meaningful relationships, especially with those closest to us. It was a stark reminder that despite our best planning, life does not always unfold that way we expect. When that happens, we have the choice: succumb to our circu

One of my clients asked me to review a proposal for long-term care insurance for him this past week, and the result was instructive. I thought it would make a good post. First let me start with a few points: Although I am not a fan, in general, of commission-based financial advising as a compensation model—I think the conflicts of interest are too strong to be truly fiduciary—, I have nothing against the people who work for insurance companies. I think that most of them fe

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I was on the precipice of retirement from medicine. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I officially worked my last shift. My personal perspective on the transition is still fresh, perhaps still too fresh, but that may be precisely what makes it worth examining. So, let’s dive a little bit deeper into some thoughts as I look forward to the first post-medicine year. Maybe I will revisit it a year later with the perspective of looking back. It

Why leaving clinical medicine can amplify volatility — even if your math works. Sequence risk is typically framed as a retirement math problem. But it’s often a life-timing problem. The real danger isn’t just poor early returns — it’s when volatility collides with income reduction and identity shifts. Anyone familiar with me from my website, blog articles or podcast appearances knows that I am a second shifter. "The Second Shift" is the name of a new podcast that I am co-hos

When most of us think about saving for retirement, we often start with a net worth goal—a number generated perhaps by a formula like the 4% rule or financial planning software. Once we hit that number, we figure, the work will be done. So, we put our heads down and earn, save, and invest diligently to achieve our retirement goal. These working years can also be called life’s accumulation phase. Well, the reality is that life doesn’t stop at retirement, and neither do the

You’ve worked hard your entire career and made the right financial decisions to build a solid nest egg and to be positioned to retire on your own terms. But the accumulation phase in life is only half of the story. Now you have to start distributing and living off your assets. First, are you ready for that shift in mindset? It turns out that it is harder than you think. Second, do you know how to access your money in a logical and tax-efficient manner? These are common qu

Physician burnout is alarmingly common—49% of physicians reported it in Medscape’s 2024 survey, and emergency medicine physicians topped the list at 63%. In my last post, I shared how I found myself on the wrong side of that statistic. My burnout was multifactorial: career stagnation, compassion fatigue, administrative overload, the toll of night shifts, and the relentless volume of a typical ER shift all played a role. So, what did I do about it? I Realized I Needed Change I

I first heard of Jordan Grumet while listening to a podcast—I'm pretty sure it was the White Coat Investor. He was discussing his first book, Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor’s Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life. I haven’t had a chance to read that one yet (it’s on my list), but I love the premise: learning what really matters in life from those who are at the very end of theirs. That kind of perspective hits hard. We’ll all get the