Helping doctors improve their financial well-being as I do the same! Founder of the Prudent Plastic Surgeon newsletter with 25K+ readers #physicianfinance
Buffalo, NY
Joined July 2015
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Just 18 months ago, I was about to start my financial journey with a net worth of -$520,000...
And now after just checking it now, it is >$400K!
What a difference a few simple habits can make!
I would love to have you join me on the journey below!
prudentplasticsurgeon.com/fi…
I got an angry email after my PSLF loans were forgiven.
The gist: "I paid for your loans with my tax dollars and you didn't even pay them back."
That's a gross oversimplification. But it pulled up something deeper.
Crabs in a bucket.
This idea that if something was hard for me, it should be hard for you too. I see it everywhere in medicine.
Here's what people forget: back in the day medical school used to cost a lot less. It was more aligned with the value it provided. It was easier to pay back loans AND compensation was higher relative to debt.
The game changed but the rules didn't update.
So when someone in the next generation finds a legitimate path through a broken system, the reaction shouldn't be resentment. It should be "good."
Just because something was tougher for us doesn't mean the next generation should have to suffer through it too.
That's progress.
Prudent Plastic Surgeon retweeted
New blog written in partnership with @JordanFreyMD:
- Common Mistakes Doctors Make With Money
- The Surprising Tax Burden in Retirement
and more!
prudentplasticsurgeon.com/ta…
BTC is more volatile than the stock market
That is reason alone to not have it as the core of your portfolio
Prudent Plastic Surgeon retweeted
How Will the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' Affect You?
@JordanFreyMD
doximity.com/articles/6971ab…
Prudent Plastic Surgeon retweeted
Not only that, if that star surgeon or physician develop something innovative, the universities health systems want a huge cut of the product revenues.
Source: CBS Sports: is there a physician on Planet Earth with a $65 million buyout? Nobody is decrying the high cost of college football. The wealthy alumns will pay anything for a winning team. But for a 5 star surgeon, they want it to be “free.” share.google/UOgM6xodMQHSv3N…
Have you ever considered how your student loans are really impacting your financial trajectory?
If you’re not tackling them with a strategy, they could be chaining you to a paycheck instead of paving the way to financial independence.
I once had a colleague tell me they wanted to die with their student debt so the loan company didn't "win."
The reality however is that if you want to beat the loan company, you need to pay back the loans as soon as possible so they get minimal interest!
Create a loan payback plan...whether that involves loan forgiveness or just aggressive pay back.
Many doctors dismiss financial education, thinking they’ll earn enough to avoid money woes.
But the truth is: without proper knowledge, even a high income won't guarantee wealth. It's not how much you earn that makes you wealthy. It's what you do with the money you earn!
Start mastering your finances now—it's just as vital as perfecting your craft.
The applies to doctors as well! This is why I work towards FIRE. I love my job as a recon plastic surgeon. I don't plan to retire anytime soon.
But I am employed. And I know the administration could change and my job could no longer be a good fit.
Financial freedom allows us to be flexible and move on when the time is right without having to fit ourselves into a job that doesn't work well for us.
This allows us to practice better medicine
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This is the key to building wealth. You build wealth by increasing and investing the margin between what you earn and what you spend. Tracking every $1 gives you control over what you spend. Once you do that, you can bui and invest your margin and build wealth
Don’t matter how much you make.
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This is horrible advice for everyone. Including doctors.
People don’t like hearing this, but putting money your 401(k) just to get the employer match is stupid.
Most people don’t realize their 401(k) “match” is just a leash.
“Free money” sounds nice until you realize it’s denominated in melting ice cubes and you can’t touch it for 30 years.
They’ll say:
“But you get a 100% match!”
Okay. Let me give you an example.
Assumptions:
Salary: $80,000/year
You contribute 5% ($4,000), employer matches $4,000 → total $8,000/year
Match stays in S&P 500 earning 12%/yr
Bitcoin compounds at 30% CAGR
10 years of consistent contributions
📊 401(k) Path (Fiat Match Route)
Each year you gain a 100% match on $4,000 → $8,000 invested
That $8,000 compounds at 12%/yr
After 10 years = ≈ $139,000 total
Bitcoin Path (Freedom Route)
Instead of 401(k), you just buy $8,000 of Bitcoin per year
Bitcoin compounds at 30%/yr
After 10 years = ≈ $442,000 total
🧠 Perspective
401(k) Match “Free Money” → $139K
Bitcoin Self-Match → $442K
That’s a $303,000 difference… and you still have full custody and liquidity.
The “free match” isn’t free when it costs you a 3x opportunity loss.
You’re locking your money into fiat prison to earn a small pat on the head, while Bitcoin redefines compounding itself.
401(k) = SCAM
Think you can’t negotiate your pay as a physician?
Think again.
It's time we stop settling for “market rates” and start having open conversations about compensation.
Share your experiences—together, we can pave the way for fairer practices across the board.
The exact path I follow!
- Invest in index funds in 90/10 stock/bond split
- Own 9 cash flowing rental properties (9 LTR/1 STR)
- Started a blog platform as side small business
The result? Net worth growth from -$500k to >$1.5M in 5 years!
Prudent Plastic Surgeon retweeted
Everyone’s looking to find the secret
to get rich and the secret still is:
- Stocks.
- Real estate.
- Starting a small business.
Open AI's "Thinking" time tricks users into placing higher perceived value on the output.
Show of effort = higher trustworthiness.
If PPS newsletter readers knew the hours I put into each newsletter would they be more likely to find it valuable?
The secret to going from -$520K in debt to $1.5M net worth in 5 years?
Finding your "why".
My “why” has always been about freedom: time with family and optionality so I can practice on my terms.
Before you do anything financially, focus on the “why,” not a number.
Financial freedom is about building your ideal life. Money is a tool to help get there.
Don’t let an invisible finish line rob you of happiness today.
Earlier this month, I took my family to the Jets game. It cost $4,250.
Complete financial prudence is an extreme I avoid just as much as complete spending neglect.
Why? Because discipline without intention turns into deprivation.
The goal is never to spend nothing. It’s to spend with intention.
For me and my family, the Jets game was worth every penny.
Prudent Plastic Surgeon retweeted
Cursing is rarely a symbol of low class. It's often a mark of high authenticity.
Evidence: Swearing predicts higher rates of honesty and integrity. It signals a willingness to prize candor over courtesy.
A little profanity shows that you're being real and you do give a damn.
