As we close out 2025, I find myself pausing to reflect on what has been an extraordinary year—one marked by significant financial milestones, professional transitions, personal growth, and precious time with family. I’m writing this from Europe, Bologna Italy to be exact, where my family and I are spending the final two weeks of the year traveling through London, Paris, Venice, Bologna, Florence, and Rome. We booked it last minute, unsure if we could carve out the time. But I’m grateful we did. Each city has offered its own flavor, and we’re logging over 10,000 steps daily, soaking in the sights/foods and creating memories together.
What We Accomplished and Learned in 2025
This past year brought achievements I hadn’t anticipated reaching so soon. Here are some of the highlights and lessons learned:
Becoming Completely Debt-Free on Our Primary Residence
We paid off our house mortgage this year 12 years after we purchased our home—a milestone I’m incredibly proud of. While we still carry mortgages on investment properties, the cash-flow and equity in those assets far exceeds the debt (roughly 2-4x the loan amounts on just two properties, most of our properties are paid off completely… real estate blog post to come including horror stories!). But the house was always the big one, the weight we wanted to lift.
What made paying our home loan possible was a methodical pay-down as well as a calculated risk: acquiring a medical office building early this year and successfully flipping it within the year. The profits covered most of the residual 400k mortgage. We could have reinvested those proceeds into additional properties, but with other business ventures already in motion (4EveryYoung) and funding committed elsewhere, we chose financial freedom over expansion. Sometimes the best investment is peace of mind.
My wife achieved Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) this year, putting aside her pediatric position and dedicating her sole focus to managing all of our investment properties. Combined with the opportunity-based business benefits, we’re potentially in the lowest tax bracket—or may not owe federal taxes at all despite a decade of being in the highest tax bracket. I didn’t vote for the policies that created these opportunities, and I certainly won’t evade taxes, however I will use every legal strategy available to shelter income and minimize our tax burden. That is financial stewardship.
Getting Published on White Coat Investor
Having a guest post accepted by White Coat Investor is another milestone I’m excited about. It’s scheduled to publish in March 2026 to share my 3 major milestones with one shared on this post with the house mortgage paid off. I’ll share the two major financial milestones in that WCI blog as a guest post. For those of us in the physician finance space, WCI represents a gold standard for evidence-based financial education. To have my perspective valued by their editorial team is both humbling and validating. I’m curious to see how readers respond and look forward to post additional financial literacy posts.
Prioritizing Health, Wellness, and Family
Beyond the tangible accomplishments, 2025 was a year of intentional self-renewal. I focused on health and personal wellness more than I have in years. I spent quality time with my family in Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Switzerland, and now Europe in addition to two cruise trips. For half of the year, I worked locums in Montana and West Virginia — living a semi-retired lifestyle where I traveled, saw patients, went home, and that was it. No committees, no politics, no bureaucracy. My day job became the side gig, and I worked roughly half the year while doing better financially than in previous full-time roles.
It was a very good life. I won’t sugarcoat it—I prioritized health and family, and it felt right while it lasted.
What I’m Looking Forward to in 2026
A New Professional Chapter
I’ve started a new position at Advent Health December 2025 that I’m genuinely excited about. I spent my first month meeting colleagues, learning about the staff, and getting oriented. In the past two weeks alone, I’ve seen more melanoma/sarcoma patients than I did all of last year—and it feels great to be back in the clinic with renewed focus on cutaneous and connective tissue oncology.
I’m particularly enthusiastic about clinical trials, especially in the cellular therapy and TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy space. Partnering with my team and industry to bring on innovative, compassionate care to patients who need something different—it’s a privilege and an honor. This role allows me to serve patients in a unique way while partnering with industry to bring meaningful therapies to the table. It’s a win-win-win: industry advances new treatments, our institution becomes a center of therapeutic excellence, and patients gain access to options they couldn’t get locally.
I’m also excited about the intersection of AI and medical informatics. The innovation happening in this space is remarkable, and I’m eager to dive deeper and see where it leads.
Building an Education Program from the Ground Up
We’re starting a new hematology-oncology fellowship program at AdventHealth—potentially nine fellows over time, three per year. I hope to partner in developing this program. Watching it grow from the ground up is thrilling.
I’ve also reconnected with UCF and some of my former colleagues at the VA to resume educational activities with residents and medical students. I hope in a couple of years, our own fellows will rotate to the VA as well, an experience that I know brings additional experience with a unique population.
My Directorship Role
My focus in this new role centers on several pillars: clinical care in cutaneous and connective issue oncology, education with students/residents/fellows, partnership in building our fellowship program, exploration of AI and medical informatics, and administrative/executive responsibilities. I want to build a comprehensive program encompassing cutaneous oncology, sarcomas, and cellular/TIL therapy.
Navigating the Bureaucracy Again
I’d be dishonest if I didn’t acknowledge some apprehension. After a year of locums freedom, I’m re-entering organizational life—the bureaucracy, the politics, the 1,000 people with their own agendas, personalities, and quirks. I’ve been in this environment before for 14-plus years. I’ve learned a lot about myself and about how to interact with diverse individuals.
I don’t relish the politics, but I know it takes a village to care for patients well. We need the village. I’m hoping that all of us—myself included—can come to the table with that shared purpose. Navigating this will be an exercise in patience and diplomacy, a stark contrast to the past year’s simplicity.
Family Transitions
On the personal front, 2026 brings bittersweet changes. My oldest daughter starts college in January. We’ll drive her to her dorm on January 9th, and she’ll begin her adult life. I look at her now—this young woman who was once a tiny baby in our hands 18 years ago—and I’m overwhelmed with pride and a deep sense of loss. We’re going to miss her every day. This trip to Europe was partly about having one more experience together as a complete family before she leaves.
My younger daughter, who’s 17, is already applying to colleges and eager to start as soon as possible—likely by summer. Both of my girls are ready to spread their wings.
My wife is embarking on her own new chapter as the owner and director of a wellness center 4EverYoung focused on functional medicine. She’ll be her own boss, building a team, and I’m excited to see her thrive in this space. It’s a learning experience for both of us.
Our boys continue to grow—51% pleasure, 49% chaos—but they’re good kids. One is diving into basketball, the other into guitar and academics. We’re watching them develop day by day.
The Seven Spokes of Life: A Framework for Balance
As I think about what made past years and 2025 successful and what I want from 2026, I return to a concept I often share: the seven spokes of life. These are the domains where we should all set intentional goals:
- Career Goals – Professional development, new roles, clinical excellence
- Financial Goals – Debt freedom, strategic investments, building wealth, financial independence
- Social Goals – Relationships with friends, and community
- Physical Goals – Health, fitness, and wellness
- Spiritual Goals – Purpose, values, inner peace and the 3rd space
- Intellectual Goals – Learning, reading daily, and personal growth
- Family Goals – Quality time and meaningful experiences with loved ones
When we attend to all seven spokes, the wheel of our life rolls smoothly. Neglect one, and we feel the wobble.
Final Thoughts: Health and Family Above All
As we enter 2026, I’m reminded that life is fragile. Our families and friends have experienced losses this year, as many of you have as well. We never know how a year will end. We start 2025 hoping for good health, and we’re grateful when we finish in relatively good health. But there are no guarantees.
That’s why we all should emphasize health and family above everything else. Nothing—not career success, not financial milestones, not publications or promotions—comes close to the importance of these two. Everything else is secondary.
So as we step into this new year, let’s reflect on our own seven spokes. Where did we excel in 2025? Where could we improve in 2026? What risks paid off? What lessons did we learn? And most importantly, how can we prioritize the people and the health that matter most?
To all of you reading this: Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Here’s to a 2026 filled with health, meaningful work, and time well spent with the people we love.
“At the end of the day, this second shift is about more than just work—it’s about building a life with purpose. I believe in the power of showing up fully across every spoke of life—career, family, health, finances, intellect, spirituality, and joy. This space is where I reflect, recalibrate, and keep striving for that delicate, worthwhile balance. I write not just to document the journey, but to remind myself—and maybe you too—that it’s okay to want more, to give more, and to grow through every season.” — st