I’m One of You
I went to medical school for all the conventional reasons. I loved to learn, I enjoyed helping people, and I was excellent at answering multiple-choice exam questions.
But, I’ll be direct - I also went into medicine for the money. And for the prestige and respect. Although we are trained not to acknowledge this, we have to be honest with ourselves (and you can always be unapologetically honest with me).
I’m a maximizer by nature. After medical school, I completed a residency in psychiatry. I sacrificed a lot for my career, with countless night shifts and weekends spent moonlighting, and I wanted to get (and keep) as much as I could in return. If that is how you feel, I empathize completely.
The pandemic taught me many important lessons. First, I enjoyed the freedom of contracting independently and being my own boss. Second, it reinforced that time is our most precious resource. Since then, I have intentionally become less reliant on my income, and instead of trading time for money (while I was paid hourly as a doctor for 1099 work), I now spend my time doing what I love. My favorite professional moments as a professional had always been teaching financial strategies to my colleagues. Why not do that full time?
I learned taxes to optimize my financial wellness. I transitioned to being a tax professional to optimize my life. I relish the autonomy I have as a business owner. I choose to work with self-employed physicians because they have more complex tax needs, and because I want to help them enjoy professional independence, whatever that means to them.
Whether it’s making the most of medicine, or pursuing other passions, that journey is yours to make. I’ve been through it, and I would love to make it easier.
