December 2018 – Page 2 – Physician In Numbers

Fitness log #9

One of the favorite things I have heard from a patient is: you’re a doctor, you don’t have to worry about blood pressure. Implying, of course, that doctor’s don’t struggle with their health.

I most certainly do struggle with fitness and health, like many other Americans with sedentary jobs and a proclivity to eat treats. One of my goals is to make sure that I get my 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise (or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise, which probably won’t happen). I will see for how long I am willing to document my progress Saturday to Friday.

This week involved a lot of driving, and coming back to a full week of work. And holiday stuff.

The YOLO Chair

In the corner of my parents’ living room sits a large armchair, Louis XV style. It’s my father’s chair, generally speaking no one else sits in it, unless one of the cats sneaks in. It’s quite handsome, and guests frequently remark on it.

My mother tells the story of how they acquired the chair:

Know How You Get Paid

Something that I see written about frequently–and will likely write more about myself–is saving your money. As attendings, we doctors are paid pretty darned well, and ought to be able to live within our means, while also saving for retirement. However, some of the numbers offered as reasonable physician income are far higher than what an average primary care physician or internist can reasonably be expected to earn.

While it is reasonable to find savings to put away by spending less, another strategy is to make more. Working hard at your job, or negotiating better terms on a contract, are important factors to earning more. What I’d like to write about today is knowing where your money is coming from. That can help you make smarter choices about where you want to put your effort, possibly helping you get paid for work you are already doing.