Today, the end begins.
Each of those situations is a life-altering challenge in its own right. Taken together, they spell out the end of a career. We could debate long and hard, as I have done over the previous months with friends and family, but the truth will always prevail. The sooner I admit this to myself, the sooner I can move on. I have always told people that life is like a book. You could enjoy the current chapter tremendously, but if you want to finish the story, you need to turn the page. By turning the page, you leave that chapter behind. Ideally, you would do that on a high note, before the reality of the situation becomes painful enough to taint all your future memories.
Everyone around me is shocked. I’ve heard it all- why waste a good career (who said anything about wasting?), what could you possibly pivot into (as if my intellectual capital was worthless outside of medicine?), retirement is for older folks (nope, definitely not retiring), are you out of your mind (highly likely, but maybe not a bad thing).
There’s so much to unpack here, possibly two and a half year’s worth of weekly blogs, which is what I intend to do. I don’t have a formal plan yet, but I owe it to myself, my family, and my medical career to make a careful and well thought out exit. For now, I am only holding myself accountable to the dates. Today I begin, and on December 31, 2027, I will hang my white coat. Why such a slow exit? Just in case it’s midlife crisis brain taking over important decisions. I figured if I am bound to regret this, I will see signals in the next couple of years, and I can kaybash the whole thing.
I write this blog for an audience of one- me. If anyone else finds solace in it, then all the better.
B. nerdicus