Personal Finance

I'm a 40 year old physician and I feel burnt out and am beginning to not care about my patients - can I afford to retire?

Joey Frenette

Published: January 30, 2025 5:46 am

Burnout is a harsh reality for many who may have neglected the work-life balance and aspects beyond their careers. Undoubtedly, some professions may find it very difficult to find some sort of balance. Indeed, if one’s mind is always on work, even at home, the accumulated stress could have an impact not just on one’s career prospects but one’s mental and physical well-being.

Indeed, sometimes, it takes more than just a day off, vacation, or even a lengthy sabbatical to reset when one begins to feel the effects that come with burnout.

So, whether the quality of your work stands to be impacted or your at-home is suffering as a consequence, the key is making sustained improvements so that one can recharge and make the sustained changes to ensure one doesn’t end up in a similar situation at some point down the road. Indeed, biting one’s lip and giving it heck can only go so far.

This doctor is starting to feel burnout creep up on them.

In this piece, we’ll check in with a physician, 41, who took to r/fatFIRE seeking some advice about how to manage the profound magnitude of stress that’s causing them to experience symptoms of burnout. Undoubtedly, some jobs are just fast-paced and designed for eventual burnout. And while sabbaticals, early retirement, semi-retirement, or anything in between may be a “quick fix,” I think that more sustained long-term options should be evaluated.

Indeed, whether that means foregoing a huge income (think shifting to part-time work) for a lower-stress position or something more drastic, such as a career shift or a semi-retirement, I do think such measures are worth exploring if it means prioritizing one’s health first and foremost.

Undoubtedly, working long hours on little (or low-quality) sleep could drastically impact one’s mental and physical health. Often, sleep deprivation is praised as part of the “grind culture.” And just because other physicians in your shoes may be doing the same thing doesn’t mean you need to follow suit.

Indeed, neglecting proper sleep (aiming for eight quality hours), nutrition, family, and all the sort of finances is not a worthy trade-off, in my opinion.

Neglecting self-care can take a toll

Additionally, the quality of care may not be ideal if a physician isn’t prioritizing their own well-being first. I’m sure nobody would want their doctor to be exhausted, burned out, and mildly depressed. As a patient, that would concerning, to say the least.

Indeed, as that all-too-common flight attendant announcement goes, “Put your face mask on before you put on someone else” applies in this case.

Of course, sometimes there are no options other than to be on call and have to go to work at odd hours of the night or morning. What’s even more concerning is if burnout causes one to change their mentality about their role. Perhaps a physician who got into the field to improve the lives of others will lose their sense of what matters most.

In any case, if the burnout has gotten bad enough, I do think embracing a sabbatical or semi-retirement makes sense. That way, one will have enough time to explore options and make their next move. As always, shifting gears into retirement in mid-career will come with huge changes in one’s daily routine and their monthly budget. Checking in with a financial advisor can help you plan a semi-retirement of sorts and a potential career re-entry plan.

A note on asset allocation.

If this doctor does choose to go down the route of a (semi-) retirement, I would suggest adjusting their asset allocation. Notably, they’ve got $2 million (about all of their liquid assets) in stocks. While I’m not against heavy exposure for young people, I do think that someone serious about retiring should transition a portion of the assets into defensive, lower-risk securities that can generate passive income.

Further, getting some bond exposure may do them a lot of good. As always, an advisor is best to consult with for the optimal asset allocation as one seeks to put their career on pause indefinitely

The bottom line

In the case of this physician, it sounds like they’re well-off enough to have the flexibility to play things by ear. Even if it means missing out on “prime earnings” years, one has to know that there are other things to prioritize over net worth. With no debt, $2 million in stocks, and a paid-off home, this physician has more than enough capital to embrace fat FIRE (financial independence, retire early).

Whether they should retire now, take a sabbatical, or shift roles remains a matter of what this individual prioritizes most. In addition to a financial advisor, a physician-specific counselor may be able to help guide such an individual toward a more sustained path forward.