career
Despite the fact that surveys show that physician burnout is caused by a lack of autonomy, electronic medical records, bureaucracy, and a plethora of other systemic problems… the proposed solutions most of us hear from our hospitals involve individual solutions like praying more, gratefulness mindsets, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and aromatherapy.
Money has an intrinsic relationship with burnout. You can either choose the road that makes burnout worse, or you can choose the road less traveled where money can fight burnout.
We can also change it if we have a critical mass of doctors who have the courage to speak up. And financial independence can help provide that courage for many who are afraid of losing their livelihood.
The philosophy of financial independence is built on a few simple ideas. First, earn a decent income. Second, live a life within your means by learning to live a life of contentment. Finally, take the difference between your income and your spending and save what is left.
Altruism (e.g. the desire to help patients) can keep people going for only so long in a system filled with insurance companies, large organizations, and hospitals that do not let doctors take care of patients the way they know they should.