This past year brought achievements I hadn’t anticipated reaching so soon. Here are some of the highlights and lessons learned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Becoming Completely Debt-Free on Our Primary Residence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We paid off our house mortgage this year 12 years after we purchased our home\u2014a 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014or 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting Published on White Coat Investor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019ll 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prioritizing Health, Wellness, and Family<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a very good life. I won’t sugarcoat it\u2014I prioritized health and family, and it felt right while it lasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I’m Looking Forward to in 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A New Professional Chapter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014and it feels great to be back in the clinic with renewed focus on cutaneous and connective tissue oncology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014it’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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building an Education Program from the Ground Up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re starting a new hematology-oncology fellowship program at AdventHealth\u2014potentially nine fellows over time, three per year. I hope to partner in developing this program. Watching it grow from the ground up is thrilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My Directorship Role<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Navigating the Bureaucracy Again<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I’d be dishonest if I didn’t acknowledge some apprehension. After a year of locums freedom, I’m re-entering organizational life\u2014the 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014myself included\u2014can 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Family Transitions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014this young woman who was once a tiny baby in our hands 18 years ago\u2014and 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My younger daughter, who’s 17, is already applying to colleges and eager to start as soon as possible\u2014likely by summer. Both of my girls are ready to spread their wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our boys continue to grow\u201451% pleasure, 49% chaos\u2014but they’re good kids. One is diving into basketball, the other into guitar and academics. We’re watching them develop day by day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Seven Spokes of Life: A Framework for Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we attend to all seven spokes, the wheel of our life rolls smoothly. Neglect one, and we feel the wobble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Final Thoughts: Health and Family Above All<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why we all should emphasize health and family above everything else. Nothing\u2014not career success, not financial milestones, not publications or promotions\u2014comes close to the importance of these two. Everything else is secondary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So as we step into this new year, let\u2019s 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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the end of the day, this second shift is about more than just work\u2014it\u2019s about building a life with purpose. I believe in the power of showing up fully across every spoke of life\u2014career, 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\u2014and maybe you too\u2014that it\u2019s okay to want more, to give more, and to grow through every season.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 st<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we close out 2025, I find myself pausing to reflect on what has been an extraordinary year\u2014one 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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