August 2021 – Physician In Numbers

Financial Security Changes The Conversation

I have been writing for the past several years about wanting to cut back.

Twice, I have asked to cut my salary in exchange for cutting my time.

However, I was recently in conversation with senior people about a new project. It’s something different–a change–and something that the department needs. However, it will most certainly be time consuming.

In discussing the terms of compensation, I am struck by how different things are for me now, compared to several years ago.

Fitness Log #149 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over 2 years, and plan to continue doing so.

I started the Friday Firsts sections as a way of keeping track of some of my “firsts” as I dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Things seem to be settling down, but I will keep it for now–more as a way to be aware and thankful of what is happening in my life.

Monday Melange, Marital Missives

In May, I published a round up post of some of the links I have sent to Mr. PiN in the last year. I was pretty surprised at the number, and decided to split the list into 2 posts.

Many of the subjects are similar to what I write about on the blog, so I hope that you might find this collection interesting.

Fitness Log #148 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over 2 years, and plan to continue doing so.

Correcting Course: Managing Your Budget In Your New Position

July has come and gone, and interns and residents should be settling in at their new positions (and salary). Not every new attending has started working yet, but many are.

This spring and summer a number of people have been looking at my posts about budgeting. Some of the more popular include:

What Is A Good Budget For Intern Year? Obviously intended for new graduates, entering internship.
Retrospective Budgeting: The 10% Rule . Geared mostly towards those making the jump from resident to attending.
Retrospective Budgeting: The Live On Half Challenge. Also for the graduating resident.

For those who did not think about their budget before starting their job, or who maybe find their paycheck isn’t quite covering their bills, this post is for you.

Fitness Log #147 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over 2 years, and plan to continue doing so.

Future Me, August 2021

I started this series of posts at the end of October 2018. I had just cut back my hours from full time to 90%, and wanted to use my new free time wisely. Some of that time was to relax, but I also wanted to improve my fitness, make my home a more pleasant place to stay, and work on becoming a more well-rounded human being.

My last update was in April 2021, with a number of wins, and several misses.

I’ve been busy and tired since; took a vacation; worked in the hospital in July; and asked for another pay cut to reduce my hours after they crept up again to 100%.

With all that, how did I do with my goals over the past 3-4 months?

Fitness Log #146 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over 2 years, and plan to continue doing so.

The Finish Line Keeps Moving

This July I took a lovely vacation, longer than I have had off in a while. I visited family, and saw new places, and actually relaxed for a few days. I would love to do that more often.

On my return, I was soon working in the hospital with July interns. It was intense–both good and not so good–but exhausting. Everything that was not medicine went by the wayside: exercise, reading new books, watching suspenseful miniseries (I can’t wait to get back to The Night Manager).

Both experiences have left me wondering where my finances are vis a vis readiness for retirement.

I was thinking about this last summer also, and I think it is time to revisit that question: are we there yet? With the corollary: how can I figure out where the finish line is?

Join me as I walk through my rough calculations and figure out what I am still missing.