She Scared The Crap Out Of Me. I’m Grateful.

crispydocUncategorized 17 Comments

Hail to the Chief (Mom Officer) Liz, who blogs at Chief Mom Officer, is an invisible friend I met through the world of blogging about financial independence. She first came to my attention via the Rockstar Finance forum, which is a virtual clubhouse for bloggers who geek out over personal finance. I like Liz because she is thoughtful and considerate …

Docs Who Cut Back #3: Xrayvsn

crispydocUncategorized 19 Comments

Xrayvsn is a radiologist practicing in the Southeastern U.S.  He’s a kindred spirit who factored lifestyle considerations into choosing his optimal job. His posts are notable for their candor and vulnerability; reading his personal account of divorce will leave you raw and grateful. He’s also created terrific series interviewing fellow bloggers (The X-ray Beam), assessing whether physicians can afford items …

This Week In Gratitude

crispydocUncategorized 12 Comments

There’s an Ice Cube song laid over an old sample (the Isley Brothers’ Footsteps In The Dark), perfect for weight lifting back when I was younger: It Was A Good Day. It was playing in my mind as I reflected on the past five days: Spent three mornings bodyboarding at the beach, despite working a night shift. Rode my bike …

Docs Who Cut Back #2: Hatton1

crispydocUncategorized 19 Comments

Hatton1 is an internet famous OB/GYN best known for sharing her investing wisdom over many years on the WCI forum. My finest day as an aspiring physician finance blogger was finding she’d commented on my site – the newbie’s equivalent to becoming a made man in the mafia. She blogs at Doctor Of Finance MD, where her experiences as a …

Teaching My Kids To Prepare For A Bear

crispydocUncategorized 7 Comments

I’ve written previously about my attempts to teach our children about investing in order to demonstrate the value of letting your money work for you. With the raging bull market, it had been an easy lesson, since every time we checked their investments they could see gains. Now comes the greater challenge. How can I teach my kids to stay …

Docs Who Cut Back #1: Vagabond MD

crispydocUncategorized 35 Comments

You don’t have to become a refugee from medicine. Welcome to the first installment in what I hope will become a shared playbook for physicians who seek role models: docs who cut back to improve work-life balance. Mime in a shrinking box, anyone? When burnout strikes, the reflex is to desperately search for an escape hatch from medicine as quickly …

A Review of The Doctors Guide To Smart Career Alternatives And Retirement by Dr. Cory S. Fawcett

crispydocUncategorized 2 Comments

Dr. Cory S. Fawcett describes himself as a repurposed physician, which is one of the more delightful descriptions of a retiree’s encore career I’ve heard to date. I had the pleasure of meeting Cory (forgive my Californian’s desire to remain on informal terms) at FinCon18, and he was far more than I expected: former rock star Stanford student (as a …

Don’t Let Someone Else’s Script Narrate Your Story

crispydocUncategorized 18 Comments

Sometimes the people we love are those most likely to sabotage us by insisting on forcing our unconventional narrative to fit within their traditional story framework. My wife’s grandmother, a widow, had developed dementia and moved to an assisted living facility. My wife’s aunt, a successful attorney in her 50s who happened to be single, had come from out of …

Gasem Started A Blog!

crispydocUncategorized 10 Comments

Have you heard the news? He has started a blog! I’m referring to Gasem, the brilliant retired anesthesiologist with rapier-sharp wit who’s opinion seems to be two standard deviations off from the mainstream and simultaneously far more sound than the mainstream, if that’possible. Please check out his site and show him some love in the comments. Gasem has supported many …

Are You Having A Career ALTE?

crispydocUncategorized 6 Comments

Alternate Title: The Father, The Son And The Holy Crap! Careers in medicine have evolved over time. It’s always been a hard path, but previously, you knew what you were getting when you signed up. Recent changes have eliminated significant autonomy and prestige from a medical career. Increased debt conspires with decreased satisfaction until we unexpectedly encounter an Apparent Longevity …